Nonprofit

Fundraising Tip: Keep Thanking

How to keep donors using thank you cards, phone calls, and emails.

Author on his way to say thank you. Photo credit: Author

There is constant chatter on thanking donors on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Twitter. It’s the topic of amazing sessions at conferences. Around every corner is a reminder to thank our donors.

And now that you as a nonprofit fundraising professional are entering a busy time filled with donations, it’s a good time for this reminder.

Please remember to thank your donors.

Remember that to me, as a consultant and as a donor, the auto-email from an online donation doesn’t count as a thank you. That’s a receipt. I suggest you consider a more personal way to thank someone who has just given. I also would add that these suggested ways to thank donors work well for any type of thanking, including, say receiving a check.

“A check?”, you ask. Many still donate this way, and a thank you upon receipt is a great way to express gratitude but also lets the donor know that you have received their donation.

Thank you notes are wonderful. Yes, there is a cost and time capacity for them, and I think the payoff is worth it. I have been surprised by how much I love receiving a thank you note. My all-time favorite was from a board member I know…