Be Truly, Madly, Deeply Grateful to Your Donors to Inspire More Gifts

The Donor Attraction Letter

September 11, 2013

After you receive a gift, how many times do you thank your donor?

One?

Two?

More?

And, most importantly, how do your thank you communications make your donor feel?

Gratitude is gaining a lot of attention in philanthropy circles these days and for good reason:

Gratitude is your best donor attraction and retention tool.

Research shows that 7 out of 10 first-time donors never give again. And many of those donors are lost because they didn’t receive a prompt, engaging thank you that showed sincere appreciation.

Another reason some donors drop out?

They didn’t get thanked at all!

Although the tide is shifting, all too often there still isn’t enough focus on the power of a warmly-written, moving thank you letter with a personal feel. It can be a make-or-break when it comes to how your donor responds to your next appeal.

And, if your organization isn’t going above and beyond one or two thank you touch points after a gift is made, you’re missing a prime opportunity to dramatically reduce your donor attrition rate and raise more money.
 
You know what they say:

Find 7 ways to thank your donor and she’ll give again.

That may seem like a lot, but aren’t your donors worth it?

Consider this:

The difference between an organization that thanks donors once or twice after a gift and one that thanks them 7 times can be THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars (potentially millions).

Simply thanking your donor—and doing it well and often—means that much.

Not to mention that thanking someone—especially a generous person who’s parted with their hard-earned money to help your cause—is a tremendously joyful experience for YOU.

Did you know that research shows that when we’re grateful to someone, the reward center, or pleasure pathway, in our brain is activated?

The bottom line is that gratitude feels wonderful—for you and your donor.

So, to help keep your donors feeling good and giving generously for a lifetime, remember this:

Become truly, madly, deeply grateful to your donors and show your gratitude over and over and over when they send you a gift.

When you do, you’ll create deep, strong, long-lasting connections with your supporters that will help sustain and grow your nonprofit.

Acquiring a donor is just the first step. Retaining your donors and keeping them happy is the name of the game. And heartfelt thank you communications are what donors want most.

TIPS TO HELP YOU WOW YOUR DONORS WITH GRATITUDE

When donors give, they’re in the joy zone. And they’re eagerly anticipating what you’ll send next. When your donor makes that online gift or sends in her check, she’s thinking “I’m so excited to be helping this great cause! I wonder what they’ll think when they see my donation, and I can’t wait to know more about how my gift is helping.”

You can keep your donors feeling good and inspired to give again with my top thank you tips:

• First and foremost, a must-do: Make sure your thank you communications aren’t filled with stuffy, uninspiring nonprofit speak. You know, the letters that start with “On behalf of ABC Organization, we wish to thank you for….” Ditch those and update your letters with language that’s warm, genuine, joyful and refreshing. Stir up emotion. Make your donors smile. Make them feel special.
• Thank donors in at least 3 ways, but why not be a thank you maven by showing your appreciation even more? Ramp up to 7 ways, which can include: an immediate, enthusiastic thank you email; a letter sent via postal mail within 2 business days from the CEO that’s brimming with sincere appreciation; a personalized, handwritten note from the person who solicited the gift; a personalized, handwritten note from a beneficiary; a phone call from a board member or a “thank you ambassador”; recognition in your upcoming newsletter; a short, sweet thank you on a postcard; a 30-60 second video featuring beneficiaries; thank you messages to individual donors on Facebook; and recognition in your annual report.
• For larger gifts, consider sending a follow-up report six months later thanking the donor again and letting her know what’s been accomplished with her gift.
• Hold a THANK-A-THON for your most loyal donors (or all donors). Involve board members, your development committee, staff and volunteers (especially beneficiaries who are great ambassadors). This can be a fun, rewarding experience for all involved.
• Start small and make one improvement TODAY. Getting all of your thank you communications tuned-up can seem overwhelming. Unique letters and other communications are needed for everything from your annual fund to sponsorship support to memoriam gifts. Start with just ONE that’s used most and build from there.

If you haven’t yet, flip through my report, The Art of POWERFULLY Thanking Donors for Maximum Donor Love and More Donations for more inspiration and sample thank you letters.

The big takeaway is this:

The more grateful you are to your donors, the more they’ll give you to be grateful about.

It’s a simple law of donor attraction to keep in mind and put to good use in your donor communications strategies.

Dedicated to helping you attract and keep your donors,

Jen Viano
Nonprofit Writer/Consultant
Editor, The Donor Attraction Letter

PS: Want help making your thank you communications some of your best fundraising tools? Email me at Jen@JenViano.com to let me know and take first steps.

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