Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, which serves as a reminder to be especially thankful at this time of year. But sometimes it’s hard to be thankful when it seems like there’s not much to be grateful for.
Maybe you didn’t raise as much as you hoped. Perhaps you have a sick family member, or you’re sick yourself. Maybe you’ve suffered a loss during this extremely challenging year.
Feeling Thankful Isn’t Always Easy
It can be challenging to be truly grateful, especially when things aren’t going your way. However, expressing gratitude is an important part of a fundraiser’s job — and a key to a happier life.
Start by thinking about the small things in life you are thankful for.
Every day when I walk my dog and the sky is clear and blue or full of puffy white clouds, I remind myself to look up and appreciate the fresh air and bright sunshine. I do my best to acknowledge the ability to take deep breaths and enjoy the privilege of taking a walk in the middle of the day.
There’s ALWAYS a silver lining… if you look!
The good news is that you can always find something to be grateful for if you look hard enough. Maybe a donor didn’t give you the gift you asked for, but perhaps they introduced you to another potential donor. Or you can see the joy and loyalty in that smaller, recurring gift.
Find something you are truly grateful for and take the time to thank your donor or volunteer for that. Be specific. The more specific you can be, the more genuine the “thank you” will feel.
For example:
I truly appreciate you being a loyal, monthly donor for the last three years. Your ten dollars per month adds up quickly. It allows us to plan for future programs and services knowing you will be by our side in the months and years to come. Thanks to you, dozens of people have gone to bed with full stomachs.
And don’t forget your volunteers!
Thanking isn’t just for donors — thank your volunteers too!
If your organization depends on volunteers, it’s important to express gratitude for their ongoing work. They’re a critical part of your nonprofit ecosystem. They may not give money, but they give their most precious resource: time.
When Thanking Donors and Volunteers, Go Above and Beyond
Don’t simply thank your donors and volunteers. A standard form letter gets lost in the shuffle (and the junk mail). Ensure those you are thanking FEEL thanked.
So, be sure to do something that stands out in a sea of standard and mundane thank-you letters:
- Create a video (on your phone)
- Send a care package made by clients
- Hand-deliver a card drawn by students
- Add a personal note to a letter
- Make a phone call (and say something specific to the individual)
If you can connect the thank you to your mission, it will stand out all the more.
Your Thank-You Should Match Their Impact
The effort you put into thanking should match the impact of the gift or effort.
For example, if someone donates $100 and you send them a bottle of champagne and a dozen roses, your gesture of gratitude is out of sync with the scope of their gift. However, if you have a volunteer who comes in weekly to help you fulfill your mission, they deserve a plaque and a shout from the proverbial rooftop.
What have you done (or could you do) to make your thank you’s stand out from the crowd? And what are you most thankful for this year when it comes to your nonprofit? Let me know in the comments.
At Blue Ridge Humane Society, we decided 2021 would be a great year to start showing more donor appreciation through small but meaningful ways, since large gatherings with them were still not possible. Our premier sponsor decided to increase their already generous sponsorship package by also becoming our Donor Appreciation Sponsor. They loved it and enjoyed the high visibility with this select audience (Legacy Society Members, Leaders in Giving, and Forever Friends Circle or monthly donors).
We started in February with a Thank-a-Thon to share our love and appreciation over the phone. In March, we mailed them a certificate for a Pet Plaque to be hung in our Thrift Store where everyone could see their beloved pet’s picture. This mailing also included a free car wash from our sponsor. In June, we mailed them handmade cards with wildflower seeds attached. In September, we mailed certificates for them to redeem at a local business for a free doughnut and drink of their choice, and stickers from our sponsor. And we just wrapped up our Thanksgiving Thank-a-Thon calls to tell them again how much we appreciate them and their care for the animals, and to update any contact information so that we can connect with them in a variety of ways next year.
It’s been great for our Development Committee, Board Directors, and staff to have meaningful conversations and intentional interactions with these donors throughout the year.
Our church ministry year is Grateful, and, we began an Offertory Increase Drive on Oct 31st. Although our overall commitment card response is about 11-1/2%, these donors represent a 16% annual Offertory Increase. We’ve also received $33K in one time gifts that have more than offset our contract costs for design, mailing, data support services.
I’m grateful that our pastor agreed to do this, and to hire support assistance since we lack capable Admin support. Even though I am still working a lot, this has been an incredible difference for my personal stress level.
I’m grateful for those who responded to our questions about their family’s needs, their prayer requests, and their hopes for our church community. We’ve been able to help parishioners that we didn’t know were in need, materially and spiritually.
I’m grateful that our pastor also rearranged fundraisers that were scheduled without my knowledge or input at the same time as this major effort. He listened and acted to correct his personal assistant.
Most importantly, I’m grateful for those who help, for my focus and determination to stay positive and professional amidst challenging situations.
I sincerely wish to extend my appreciation to the leading consultant s for the very great work your leading too.
Really your generosity of any dollar this year means a lot to us; will make a good change to many people and it leads to new services while praying that May God gives you power and courage of being on our side in the coming days.
Otherwise you will keep remembered.