You Know It, But Have You Done Anything About It?

Yes, you know it and so does everyone else in fundraising. 2/3rds of first-time donors never make a second gift to the same organization.

But why?

Is it your thank-you process?

How can you make a “thank you” message more than just a hum-drum transactional acknowledgement of receipt of the gift?

Here are some suggestions that you van implement right now:

• Send a thank you that’s more like a greeting card and less like a business letter – make it short and write it with a friendly feel. Think your kindly Aunt Sally, rather than the IRS.

• Share progress, small and large – Make sure you explain to donors exactly how their gift(s) is creating positive change and helping to advance the mission of your organization. Let your donors visualize how their support is helping by providing an infographic or other illustration.

• Send an invitation – Invite your donors to join or support you in a way that doesn’t include asking for another donation. Ask them to volunteer, sign a petition, come for a free event, or ask that they follow you on social media.

• Personalize your opening sentence – Be creative when writing to new donors. Starting your thank you with “Thank you for your gift of X received on DATE,” is no way to inspire or motivate new donors to want to hear more from you. Try something non-traditional like, “I’m writing to you today to let you know that you made my day with your gift to NAME of ORGANIZATION!” Or, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for………….”

• Use photos that convey the idea of success – Photos of success help to convey the idea of a connection between you, your nonprofit, and your donors. Consider sharing photos of the people your organization has helped/is helping (with their permission).

• Create a video message – Online video is a cost-effective and popular way to send moving and authentic thank you videos in a very direct way.

• Send a simple postcard – All thank you letters don’t have to be in the form of a letter. Create and send personalized postcards that visually capture the work your nonprofit does on a daily basis. Rescigno’s can design, print, and mail these postcards for you very easily.

• Be specific – Personalized details about the impact of the donor’s gift is what today’s supporters want. Segment your donors by the kinds of funds and programs they contributed to. If they gave to something specific, they should receive pertinent information aboiut their impact on that program.

• Harness the power of volunteers – Ask them to help you improve your thank-you process by joining your staff with hand-written, personalized thank you notes to donors. It’s a very powerful and thoughtful way to follow up with new donors.

If you have other ideas that have been successful in thanking new donors, Please share them here.