7 Characteristics of an Effective Thank You Letter

For the first time in years nonprofits are enjoying gains in giving…but continuing to lose donors faster than the speed of light. According to the annual Fundraising Effectiveness Project survey, for the first time in five years nonprofit respondents saw positive gains, amounting to $769 million in gifts.

But those gains were offset by losses of $735 million through reduced gifts and lapsed donors. The upshot?  “Every 100 donors gained in 2012 was offset by 105 donors lost through attrition.”

What’s your game plan?

While you certainly don’t want to ignore new donor acquisition at the expense of retention, you’d be daft if you didn’t create a plan, one that focuses on solid customer service and making them feel like the hero that they are. AND, while redoing your thank you letters isn’t the be-all end all solution to the donor retention problem, having a great thank you letter is a start.

When so many nonprofit letters read like a deadly tax receipt, why would you miss the opportunity to lift your donor’s heart?

Redoing your thank you letter isn’t rocket science. It merely requires factoring in a few key factors, including:

1. Personalization. No “Dear Friend” or “Dear Donor.” Seriously. What does a “Dear Friend” letter bring to mind?
2. A captivating opening. You want your donor to read your letter — and feel the love. “On behalf of the board” is dull and boring.
3. Impact. What is your donor accomplishing through your organization?
4. Let them know how they can be in touch. “If you’d like to stop in for a tour of our new kitchens, give Mary Q. Development a call at 555.555.5555.”
5. Have you referenced their gift amount and/or past giving?
6. Is it donor-focused? Count your “you’s!” Print out this better thank-you letter checklist from SOFII and post it in your office.
7. Hand-sign your thank you letters — and don’t be shy about including personal notes in the margin or saying thank you personally by way of a quick call or email.

Once you begin the process of rewriting your thank you letters, how often should you be updating them? In her Simple Development Systems call a few years ago, Lisa Sargent noted that she has updated thank you’s as often as quarterly for one of her national nonprofit clients:

“But I would say the minimum to revisit them in their entirety at least a couple of times a year and it doesn’t mean that you may do a complete overhaul of your letter you just look at them to see if anything is stale. Do any of the numbers that you have in there they need to be updated?”

One way to do a quick refresh if your letters can stand the test of time is to use your PS to freshen up the content.

Need help? Download this free thank you letter template!

Resources:

• Lisa Sargent’s Thank You Letter Clinic & Checklist: https://sofii.org/article/sofii-announces-the-return-of-the-thank-you-letter-clinic

• The Power of Thank You | The Basics & More: This multi-media eCourse, focusing on how to develop your organization’s “attitude of gratitude” was created by me and Claire Axelrad, CFRE. Look for it to relaunch in October of 2014. http://www.pamelagrow.com/the-power-thank-you-the-basics-more/

• The Donor Retention Project: Featuring twelve of the industry’s leading donor retention experts, including Dr. Adrian Sargeant, Lisa Sargent, Simone Joyaux, Roger Craver and more, with tested ways you can increase donor loyalty. http://www.501videos.com/