ANATOMY OF A THANK YOU, PART 1

 

It’s no secret that personal giving pages are changing the nature of the way we ask for gifts. It’s highly likely that, if you’re reading this, you’ve supported a friend or family member in a walk or run to raise money for one cause or another.

As with any fundraising, the relationship matters. And one of the ways you nurture a relationship over time is to properly express thanks and appreciation.

Recently I supported a friend and his son in their participation in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. As is typical with personal giving, the “ask” appeared as a Facebook post. Everything about the donation page was what you would expect to see for this type of event-based fundraising.

But my friend, who has spent much of his career working with non-profits, elevated the follow up to the ask in a variety of ways.

First, he gave public shout-outs on Facebook to those who donated. He let us all know how his personal campaign was coming along.

Second, on the day of the event, he posted pictures. Not only was this a great reminder of the cause he was supporting (there was still time to give after all), but it also looked really fun. As a donor, I suddenly was part of the event, and encouraged to participate in a deeper way next year.

Kevin_Will_ty-358x500Finally, about a week after the event, I received a card in the mail. I’ve been thanked for donations before, but rarely have I received one that’s so personal, so specific, and so likely to hang around on my desk for weeks or months to come, reminding me of this cause each day.

If you’re a non-profit leader, are you encouraging your volunteers to be as thoughtful and personal with their thank you efforts, as they are with their asking?

If your cause uses personal giving pages, I encourage you to coach your volunteers on these three key stewardship strategies for online donations:

  1. Say thank you in the same ways you asked for support. For example, if the gift came from an ask on Twitter, make sure to also say thank you on Twitter.
  2. Show the event (if an event is part of your fundraising) or show the program in action. Remind donors, and those who have yet to donate, what this ask is all about. (Non-profit staff – make pictures available to your volunteers in case they don’t have any.)
  3. Say thank you in a way that reflects your personality and emphasizes the good that will come from the donation. I’ve received artwork, coupons for free hugs, and painstakingly handwritten letters from kindergartners, all as follow up to an online gift. I’ve treasured them all.

A formal letter of acknowledgement from a non-profit organization is a helpful tax document, but a personal thanks from a campaign volunteer is what will really make me feel appreciated.

 

In the next part of this series, we’ll look at how to use data effectively in a thank you.

Posted by Lora Dow
Lora Dow

Written by Lora Dow

Since 2006, Lora has helped nonprofits on both a local, state and national level develop a clear and compelling case for support. Effective communications are critical to any organization's ability to inspire donors, advocates and volunteers. Lora's expertise and experience make the process of developing those communications the most effective they can be.

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