One of the main differences between good fundraisers and bad ones is the way they thank their donors.
The really bad ones neglect this important part of fundraising. They just rake in donations -- and generally have poor donor retention, meaning they're spending way too much for their fundraising revenue.
The okay fundraisers produce a thank-you letter. But they miss the importance of thanking well for keeping donors engaged.
Here's some help form Fired-Up Fundraising for getting the most our of your thank-you letters, at How to Craft a Killer Thank You Letter:
- Make it prompt.
- Make it personal.
- Opens on a friendly note.
- Have a warm, personal tone.
- Be a bit emotional. (Be a lot emotional, I say.)
- Send a real letter, not a pre-printed card.
- Thank smaller gifts warmly.
- Refer to the donor's past support if you possibly can.
- Use the donor's name in the salutation.
- Sign the letter personally and write a note at the bottom.
- Send more than one thank you letter.
- Send an additional thank you letter from a board member.
- Have a high-ranking person personally sign the letter.
- Send an extra thank you letter from a person helped by your organization.
- Reconfirm the purpose of the gift.
- Include a contact name and number.
- Invite the donor for a visit.
Do these things and you'll see better donor retention, and a higher rate of donor upgrading.
