TV Show + Nonprofit = Big Thanks!

On most Tuesday nights, you can find me and my daughter on the couch watching our favorite TV show – Biggest Loser.  We love watching people working hard to meet their goals. If you’re unfamiliar with Biggest Loser, it’s a reality show where contestants lose weight.

Tonight showed the contestants each working an 8-hour day for a week at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. I was so excited to see them there!  Food banking has a special place in my heart – I spent 5 years working as the Development Director for the Food Bank in East Tennessee. If you’ve heard me speak, you know I tell a lot of Food Bank stories!

Tonight, what caught my attention was that 2 of the contestants worked in the Call Center at the Food Bank, calling donors to thank them for their support.  Yay!  The LA Food Bank has it right – donor appreciation is important.  In fact, it’s critical to cultivating relationships.

That got me to thinking – how can you recruit volunteers to help thank donors?  Sometimes a call from a volunteer or  Board member carries more weight than a call from a staff person. If you can find the right person, they might be able to make calls from home,which is attractive to some volunteers.

The important thing is to take the time to connect with donors and thank them.  No matter how you do it, you’ll be glad you did.

Thank your donor 7 times

There’s nothing more important than thanking our donors. We need to make sure donors know how much we appreciate them and their generosity.  So thank your donor 7 times. The 7 Thanks don’t have to be elaborate or expensive – just sincere.

The initial Thank You should be timely.  Your quick response to a donor’s gift lets them know that you did in fact receive their gift and that you are glad to have it.  Ideally, you should get an initial Thank You letter out within 48 hours of receiving a gift.  There’s nothing worse for a donor than waiting weeks or months for a gift acknowledgement.

Subsequent Thank Yous may be spread out over several weeks or months.  Letting a little time go by between Thank Yous shows the donor that you haven’t forgotten about them.  And, it helps you build a relationship.

Ideas for the 7 Thank Yous:

• Computer-generated letter
• Hand-written note card
• Phone call
• Email
• Call or note from the Executive Director
• Call or note from a Board member
• Call or note from another staff member (NOT a Fundraiser)
• Note from a client
• Photograph of your organization in action
• Written update about the use of the donor’s gift

So get busy and thank your donors!

Tips for thanking a donor

Taking a few minutes to thank a donor is some of the best time you’ll spend as a fundraiser.  Don’t overlook or underestimate the importance of this small task!  When done well, donor appreciation can bring big rewards later on.

Here are a few tips for thanking a donor.

1. Send a Thank You letter promptly.  Ideally, you want to have a Thank You letter in the mail to the donor within 48 hours of receiving their gift.  If you can’t possible do 48 hours, then figure out what you CAN do and be consistent.

2. Personalize the letter.  This is NO time for ‘Dear Friend.’

3. The Executive Director of the organization should sign the letter.  This shows the donor how important their gift is.

4. Include meaningful information in the Thank You letter.  Let the donor know how their gift will be used and what impact it will make.

There are probably dozens of other things you can do to strengthen your Thank You letter.  If you have a good one, hit the comment link and share.  We’d all benefit from what you have to say.

The power of the pen

One of the most powerful ways you can thank a donor is to send a hand-written thank-you note. Almost no one does this anymore and it will really set you apart.

Jerry Panas wrote recently
“Think back to when you were a kid. Remember how excited you were to receive a handwritten note or a letter from relatives and friends. Most of us have saved special ones over the years.

There was something about the pen strokes, the crossed-out mistakes, smiley faces, and knowing that time was taken to write especially to you. It meant you were important to the writer.

Although many think we’re too busy to read (and certainly write) hand-written notes, it’s no different for us as adults. Everyone likes to feel special.”

If you’re tight on time, I suggest you write hand-written notes to your top 10 donors once a quarter. It’s a great way to let them know you appreciate them.

Donor appreciation in the small shop

When you work in a small fundraising office (or shop), you’ve got to be judicious with your time to get everything done.  I know.  I’ve been there.

I once worked in a nonprofit where one other person and I shared all the administrative and fundraising tasks, and some of the program tasks.  It wasn’t easy.  But it did teach me that I HAD to prioritize my “to do” list and focus on those things that would bring me the most bang for the buck.  What I figured out pretty quick was that spending most of my time on special events was not the best use of my time.  Making thank-you calls or taking major donors to lunch was a much better way to spend my time.

If you are the only person working on fundraising for your organization, you’ve got to work smarter, not harder.  Make sure that whatever you are doing is worth doing, and moves you toward reaching your fundraising goals.  You’ve got to move to being proactive instead of reactive.  In fact, when you don’t have a plan and you spend all your time putting out fires, there is no time to work on things you should be doing.

Once you prioritize your activities, look for ways to systematize your activities.  Using a donor-tracking software will help you streamline gift-entry processes and easily generate thank-you letters.  Anything you do more than once, you should be thinking about how you can do it more easily.

Thanking donors should alays be a priority, no matter how much time you have on your hands.  There’s no better use of your time as a fundraiser than thanking your donors.

An experiment in gratitude

My friend Kivi Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide recently shared the results of her annual giving experiment.  And it’s pretty bad.

She sent $20 donations to 10 national charities online and waited to see who would thank her and how they would do it.  These were national organizations and you would think they’d have their act together for thanking donors, no matter what level of gift was given.

As you can probably guess, not many responded. By Feb 18, she had heard from only 3 organizations.  Pitiful! 

Come on folks!  No matter what size organization you work for, you should ALWAYS have time to thank a donor.  If you have lots of donors to thank, then create a system to make it more efficient for you.  Not thanking donors is a good way to lose them.  And you can’t afford that.

Every donor deserves to be thanked for every gift.  Appreciation should be expressed promptly, warmly, and sincerely.  Don’t make the donor sit and wonder if you got their gift – get a thank-you letter out to them within a couple of days.

You can read Kivi’s summary of her experiment on her blog at http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2010/02/18/10-donations-3-thank-yous-7-failures-to-communicate/.

Your Mama was right

Yep, your Mama was right.  Everytime she reminded you to say “thank you.”  She knew what she was doing.

Everyone needs to be thanked.  In the world of fundraising, it’s a critical action.

I remember in one fundraising job I had, the first thing we would do following an event was to write the thank-you letters.  If I didn’t get started on them immediately, my Executive Director would aggravate me until I did.  It was a great habit to develop and I used it throughout my career.

I ran across a resource today that I want to share with you.  Lisa Sargent is a nonprofit copywriter and has a great website with some good resources on it.  One thing she offers is some free thank-you letter samples.  Check out her site at www.lisasargent.com.

Are you planning to thank your volunteers?

There are so many little things that get overlooked when we as Fundraisers get busy.  One of them is thanking volunteers.

I was coaching a busy Executive Director lately and she mentioned that she has a lot of people who are volunteering with her organiazation and doing sweet things.  I asked her if she had thanked them recently. “Thanked them? Uh, no.” 

So here’s the idea I gave her.  Go pick up a box of valentine’s and write a personal note on them, then mail them to your volunteers.  It’s simple, it’s affordable, it’s quick, and it works!  Most of the time, people just want to know you appreciate them. (This also works for some donors and other supporters.)

Brainstorm a couple of ideas throughout the year when you can do these little things to thank your volunteers.  Then get them on the calendar so you won’t forget.

Would you like more great little ideas like this?  Join me Thursday afternoon at 3 pm eastern for a free call.  Sign up and get all the details here: http://getfullyfunded.info/where-is-sandy/free-teleseminars.

Are your donors feeling the love?

I had a lesson in love this weekend from my kitty, Gingeroo.  Ginger is a mighty huntress and she catches lots of critters on our farm and brings them to me, sometimes live and sometimes not.  This last time, it was a little snake.  (Ewww!!!) 

I was on my way to get in the car to go to a meeting when Ginger came prancing across the yard from a culvert (one of her favorite hunting grounds) with the poor snake dangling from her mouth.  She dropped it on the sidewalk in front of me and rubbed on my legs.  She was obviously so proud!  (I petted her and yelled for my hubby to bring a bucket so we could relocate her trophy to the woods behind the barn.)

In fundraising, it’s important to love on your donors.  When was the last time you let your best supporters know how much you appreciate them and what they mean to you?  Thanking your donors is one of the most important things you can do as a Fundraiser.  It’s a critical part of stewardship of their gift plus it helps you build and maintain a relationship with them.

Here are a few articles I’ve written lately that might help you think about ways to thank and recognize your donors.

http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Creative-(And-Low-Cost)-Ways-to-Thank-and-Recognize-Your-Donors&id=1917464

http://ezinearticles.com/?Deepen-Donor-Relationships-With-a-Power-Packed-Thank-You-Letter&id=1917448

http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Donor-Relations-Tips-to-Freshen-Up-Your-Fundraising-Efforts&id=2176943

http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Ways-to-Thank-Your-Donors-With-an-Attitude-of-Gratitude&id=2183726

You don’t have to catch a snake for your donors, but how about a phone call or a hand-written note?  Warmly and sincerely thank them and you’ll be more likely to keep those through these tough times and beyond.

Are you Sending Holiday Cards to Your Donors?

The Holiday season is upon us and it’s time to send a card to your donors.  No need to ask for anything, just send a card to thank them for their support during the year and wish them a Happy Holiday season.

Sending a Holiday card is a great way to contact your donors without asking for anything (always a good idea!).

Remember to be sensitive to the various religious preferences of your audience.  If you work with a Christian organization, it’s okay to send a Christmas card.  Otherwise, be cautious that you could offend non-Christian donors.

If you haven’t made plans to do so, you still have time.  Run to the drugstore and get a package of cards to send.  Or check out Send Out Cards (www.sendoutcards.com/virtual).  It’s a quick and easy way to upload your addresses, choose a card, and have the system send them out for you.

Invest 42 cents in donor cultivation

Acknowledging donors doesn’t have to be expensive. 

One really great way to thank them is to send a hand-written thank you note.  Send it in addition to a computer-generated letter.  Send the hand-written note a week or two after the official “thank you” letter goes out.

Follow all the rules your Mother taught you – use your best penmanship, keep it neat, and make it sincere.  Donors will appreciate and remember your efforts.

The secret weapon in donor appreciation

Did you know that there is a secret weapon that will help you thank your donors in a personal and meaningful way?  It’s a weapon that isn’t used very often in fundraising because many are afraid to use it.  Using it will help you build a relationship with your donor, give them a sense of trust in your organization, and likely give you great satisfaction.

The best part is, you already have it and it’s on your desk.  It’s the telephone.

Perhaps the most powerful thing you can do is to call your donors to thank them for their gifts and support.  Let them know how much you appreciate them.  Tell them all the wonderful things your organization is doing because they support you. Thank them sincerely for their support.

You’ll likely hear a pleased donor on the other end of the phone.  Happy donors are much more likely to give again.  Not many organizations make regular thank you calls, so you’ll easily stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself as the charity who cares about its supporters.

Count Your Blessings

I’m in the habit of being optimistic.  I like to look on the bright side of things.  I find it helps me stay productive and focused on what I have instead of what I don’t have.

As a fundraiser, I find this practice to help me focus on the donors I have instead of the ones I don’t.  By paying attention to those folks who already support my organization, I’m building relationships and more likely to pull them closer to my organization.

If you’re grateful for your donors, tell them so.  This is the perfect time of year to drop them a note or give them a call to let them know how much you appreciate their support.  I’ll be posting ideas the first week in December on ways you can thank your donors.  Stay tuned!

‘Twas better to give than receive

Today, my local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) celebrated National Philanthropy Day in Knoxville, TN.  And it was great!

With over 200 people in attendance at the awards luncheon, we honored those in our community who have given of themselves, their time, and their resources to support various nonprofits in our community.  Our chapter gave out several awards including one to a colleague who has provided leadership to our chapter itself.

I had the honor of presenting the award and I think I enjoyed the experience as much as or maybe more than the recipient.  It was fun for me to see her face when she realized she was the one being honored.  Being on the giving end was definitely where I wanted to be today and where I like being most days.

When was the last time you publicly recognized someone who supports your organization?  How do you thank your donors in a meaningful way? Beginning the week of Thanksgiving, I’m going to share daily tips and pointers about acknowledgement and recognition.  Got a good one to share?  Shoot me an email at sandy@sandyrees.com and tell me about it. Then you experience how giving is better than receiving!

Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Thanking and acknowledging donors is probably the most important job you have as a fundraiser.

Getting a Thank You letter out quick lets the donor know you got their check and that you appreciate it (if you say so in your letter).  It builds trust with the donor.  It lets them know you’re on the ball.  If the content of your letter is good, it can both educate the donor and confirm that they did the right thing to invest in your organization.

How long does it take you to get a Thank You letter in the mail once you have a gift in hand?  Some experts say 48 hours is ideal.  I agree.  The sooner the better.  If it takes you a week and that’s the best you can do, then that’s the best you can do.  Don’t let gifts go unacknowledged for any longer than that.  The longer it takes you to send out a letter thanking the donor, the less meaningful it is when it arrives.

Make sure to use your Attitude of Gratitude toward volunteers and in-kind donors too.  They’ll all appreciate it!

Jazz up your Thank You letters

Do you read Mal Warwick’s e-newsletter? If you don’t, you should. I think Mal’s the best when it comes to direct mail. Check out his website at www.malwarwick.com and sign up for his free e-newsletter.

This month, he’s got a piece written by yours truly. It’s an article about improving Thank You letters. Read it at http://www.malwarwick.com/learning-resources/e-newsletters/january-2008.html#6_10_ways_to_energize_your_thankyou_lett

Then, spend some time thinking about how you can make YOUR Thank You letters a bit better.

Prize-winning donor recognition idea

I won a prize!  I entered the Planned Legacy Donor Recognition contest in November and I found out today that my entry was selected Second Prize!  Here’s the entry:

A few years ago, I worked for the local food bank as Director of Development. In addition to raising money, I also coordinated food drives. One year, a local business did a spectacular job of collecting food, raising more food than any other company. I knew I needed to do something really special for them to recognize them for their effort. So, I got some empty vegetable-sized cans with plastic lids from a local canning company (donated, of course). I created a specialized label to put on the cans. On the label, I put the dates of the food drive, the number of pounds collected, and the names of all the employees involved. I think I included the company’s logo on the can too. I filled each can with Hershey’s Hugs and Kisses candies and then taped a hand-written Thank You note to each can lid. I personally delivered the cans and thanked each employee for participating in the drive. There were about 20 employees, so it wasn’t terribly time consuming. Needless to say, everyone was THRILLED! They were so excited to have something so personal to commemorate the event and to remind them of the cause they were supporting.

Thanks a million!

Jerry Panas says that you should thank a donor 7 times.  I believe he’s right!

How do you thank a donor 7 times?  How about one of these:

• a personalized Thank You letter/receipt mailed quickly

• a hand-written Thank You note from a staff person

• a phone call from a staff person

• a note from a Board member

• a phone call from a Board member

• a card signed by all staff

• a note from a client receiving service

• an invitation for a special meal with the Executive Director or Board President

Once you start thinking, there are lots of ways to provide your donors with acknowledgement.  The important thing is to do everything you can to make sure your donor understands how much you appreciate them and their donation.