When it comes to writing donor appreciation letters, how can you make your written communications stand apart and get noticed? Think about the mail you receive on a daily basis. Which pieces do you toss away, which pieces do you take a moment to browse through, and which pieces do you set aside to read more carefully at a future date? Likely, your donors are not much different than you in their mail-sorting habits. If something catches their attention, either visually or by way of a topic that sounds engaging, then it has a greater chance of getting read.
Fortunately, letters thanking donors have a distinct advantage over other mailings. If someone has given a gift to your organization, then you are already of interest. However, a form letter that is mass-produced or one that merely seeks additional funding may quickly lose that loyalty—and lessen the likelihood of future gifts.
Below are five pointers for crafting superior thank you letters:
1. Be Creative. Writing inspired thank you letters that go beyond how much a donor gave as a charitable gift to your organization means taking into account the mission of your organization. Who are you serving? Why are donor gifts necessary? What are the goals of your organization? Your mission should always guide your letter-writing approach. For instance, if your organization serves children, you might include a note from a child personally thanking the donor, with a drawing by the child. Those are the types of letters that get noticed. You can still include the necessary IRS tax-deduction information (or mail that as a separate acknowledgement letter).
2. Be Sincere. Your donors are real people with many things competing for their time and financial resources. A heartfelt thank you note is going to mean more to someone than a form letter filled with grand and lofty platitudes. Donors know when someone is sincerely grateful and when they are being sent a form letter without heart or meaning. Let your donors know that their gifts matter—and are truly appreciated.
3. Be Clear. How has the gift helped your organization achieve its mission? Be sure to communicate what your organization has accomplished as a result of the donor’s gift. Donors like knowing that their funds are being put to good use. They also want to know how their financial contributions are making a difference.
4. Be Brief. A thank you letter should not be overly long and complicated. This is not the time for a three-page history of your founding principles with an enclosed financial spreadsheet. While you can certainly have mailings that explain your organization’s history and provide a year-end review of how donor funds have supported your mission, a thank you note must stay focused on its purpose: to sincerely thank the donor for his or her recent gift.
5. Be Thankful. When expressing gratitude for a gift, don’t ask for something more in return. If you are staying in communication with your loyal donors, you will have plenty of other opportunities to ask for additional support in the future. In that regard, your letter of appreciation is similar to thanking someone for a wedding gift, graduation gift, or retirement gift. It is simply a way to show appreciation for a gift that has already been so graciously given—whether that gift is small or large.
Contact Pentera today for your planned giving marketing needs.
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