By Nikki Morin, Account Director
Sending a “thank you” after you receive a donation, can actually encourage the donor to give a second gift. Surprised? We encourage nonprofits to spend as much time on the “thank you” email or card as they did on the appeal – after all, it could lead to an even larger second gift.
- Thank them ASAP
Thank your donors as soon after they’ve made their gift as possible. Your donors have connected with your mission and have followed through with support—make sure they know how much you appreciate this!
- Make them feel important
Thank them often! Make your donors feel integral to the organization. You’ll likely send more appeals to these donors—make sure they’re recognized for previous giving and feel like part of the family.
- Make it personal
Make sure you’re personalizing thank-you’s with salutations to increase personal connection. And if you have big differences between gift levels, make sure to personalize thank-you’s to donor levels accordingly.
- Splurge on handwriting
Test handwriting when thanking your higher dollar donors, you’ll likely see a higher ROI. High dollar donors appreciate details, and will feel appreciated and connected to your organization when they get a personal touch.
- Be specific
Did your donor give to your endangered tree frog fund, or designate their gift to the humpback whales? Make sure that you’re thanking your donor for the specific campaign they gave to.
- Details, details, details
Accuracy matters. Your donors will appreciate it when their names are spelled correctly, when the date of their gift is right, and when they get the tax information for all of last year’s gifts on time.
- Wear your “thank you” on your sleeve
When you’re sending a thank-you in the mail, make sure donors know they aren’t getting ANOTHER appeal right after they made their last gift. The “thank you” should be obvious from the moment they see the envelope.
Looking to build your “thank you” emails? Contact us out for quotes!
