5 Simple Ways to Thank Donors AND Raise More Money

Donors are far more likely to make a subsequent gift to an organization when they feel appreciated. Which begs the question:

What are you doing to make absolute sure your donors feel appreciated?

Acquiring New Donors Costs More Money

It costs significantly more money to acquire new donors than to keep your old ones. And donors who have been donating longer to an organization are more likely to be giving bigger amounts.

In other words, repeat donors are much better than first time donors.

Therefore, it’s crucial to develop a strong stewardship plan keep the donors you have in order to raise more money.

Always remember — the best way to keep your donors donating year after year is to thank them and let them know how their money is being used.

5 Simple Ways to Thank Your Donors (and Raise More Money)

Do your donors feel thanked and understand how their funds are helping your cause? These five tips will help ensure they do.

1. Have a plan for thanking different donors.

As your organization grows and gains more donors, you’ll need a plan for how you’ll show gratitude to each donor in unique and creative ways. Due to limited time and resources, it’s impractical to treat each donor the same. Think about it…

• Does a $10 donor get thanked in the same way as a $10,000 donor?
• How is each one acknowledged? Do they get a phone call, an email, a personalized video, acknowledged in your newsletter, or maybe even all of the above?

2. Thank donors in a timely fashion.

Ask yourself the following questions, and be completely honest with your answers:

• How long does it take before thank-you letters go out after you receive a gift? One week, two weeks… more?
• When does a phone call get made or a text sent? What about a personal video?
• Do your higher level donor letters take longer to get notes mailed because they sit on the director’s desk for a week or more waiting for a personal note?

And what about your board? Does a board (or staff) member call to thank donors? Is it the same day, week, or month after receiving a gift? Making thank-you calls is a great way to get board members involved in the fundraising process.

3. Customize thank-you letters and emails — always make them personal.

Are your thank-you letters all generic form letters and emails? Or do you acknowledge different donors in different ways?

The more personalized your letters are, the more likely donors are to give again and again. A personal letter means that you speak to that individual donor specifically and they know you didn’t simply insert their name, but actually wrote something explicitly about them. Ask yourself:

• Do you have a specific letter for first-time donors and another one for repeat donors?
• Do you acknowledge a $25 gift differently than a $5,000 gift?
• For donors above a certain level (all donors over $1K, for example), do you add handwritten, personal notes to their thank-you letters? Do you personalize emails by saying something specifically about them?

Email is a good way to thank donors — possibly better than snail mail these days. People get them quickly and can respond easily. As long as they’re specific and feature a subject line to get them opened, email is an acceptable way to thank donors.

4. Inform donors of how their money was used.

Keeping donors informed about how their money was used is one of the most important ways to ensure future gifts, and yet so many nonprofits neglect this crucial step. How do you communicate to your donors that their investment in your organization was put to good use?

One way is to share individual client success stories and share the difference your work made in the community. You’ll want to let donors know that your work would not be possible without their gift, no matter how small. For donors who designate their donations to specific programs, be sure you share the impact that their gift had on that program.

5. Invite donors to get involved.

One way to have donors see their impact directly is to invite them to take action and become more involved. Welcome donors to volunteer in a direct service capacity or to serve on a committee. Take time to identify weekly volunteer opportunities, in addition to one-time opportunities.

So when it comes to donor outreach, encourage your supporters to participate in as many volunteer opportunities as possible, and make sure you have activities lined up that they can help you carry out.

Thanking Donors Builds Lasting Relationships

Thanking donors in personal and meaningful ways maybe challenging, but it’s worth it when you build lasting partnerships between donors and your organization.

Most people want to feel valued. The more you can demonstrate that your donors are creating value, the more they will want to stick with your organization and support it for years to come.

Do you have other ideas when it comes to thanking donors? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.