Once you’ve received a gift from your donor the most important moment in your relationship has arrived. It’s time to create thank you letters for the donations.

It’s your opportunity to now make her feel that she’s made a wise investment with her gift. That she did the right thing and can be happy knowing that she is making a difference by giving to your cause and organization.

A thank you letter for a donation must happen very soon after the autoresponder tells them you received it – preferably within 24 to 48 hours. An immediate thank you letter for a donation will impress your donor and assure her that your organization is well run.

Your donor centered thank you letter to her has to tell her WHY the gift matters and create a memorable moment. It must be personalized and it must focus on using the words “you” and not “I and we.” It uses conversational, warm and friendly language. Share a story and don’t be afraid to be emotional or get excited about receiving their gift. If you have the resources to send a second thank you from a board member or another staff person do that too. Remember that your intent is to create a memorable moment and to have your donor understand and feel the JOY of their giving.

“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” – Henry Rosso

 

Now your thank you letter for the donation becomes part of your relationship development plan to retain that donor and to grow your relationship with them. And why is retention so important? Because only 19% of all first time donors are retained! 

Treat your organization’s thank you letters for donations like the important opportunity that they are. Don’t just acknowledge their transaction and gift – create a joyful moment for them!

Read further: 4 Tips to Improve Your Online Donation Page