Are you sending out thank you’s to your donors after a fundraising event? If not, you could be losing donors and future fundraising dollars.

Not only does showing your appreciation show you care and welcome their donation, but also helps to improve donor retention. Donors are more willing to donate to a cause that sends sincere thank you’s. And sincere doesn’t have to mean boring – get creative! Your donors will love it!

Thank Your Nonprofit Donors

6 Creative Ways to Thank Your Donors

Here are 6 thoughtful and creative ways to thank your nonprofit’s donors:

  1. Send a Thank You Card. We are so digitally connected that it is easy to forget about traditional personal gestures. Everyone loves to receive mail, no matter if its a card, letter or postcard. It makes them feel special appreciated. Your donors will love receiving snail mail from you, and be more likely to donate the next time you’re fundraising.
  2. Thank the DONOR, not the DONATION. What’s infinitely more valuable than a donation? The person who gave it. The donation happens once. The donor could be around for life. So thank them… for being THEM! The kind of person who gives to important causes. That’s what they’re buying with their donation: confirming their identity as someone who not only cares, but cares enough to take action.
  3. “I Think This is the Beginnings of a Beautiful Relationship”. If the donor is new, realize that every little donation is an opportunity for a LIFETIME of support. You are starting a new relationship and that means it’s important to do things you wouldn’t otherwise. Make your thank-you more meaningful and memorable. What could have started as an offhand donation could become a lifelong passion for you new donor. Keep the fire alive with new donors!
  4. Make a YouTube Video. Go digital with a thank you YouTube video! Creating a thank you video allows you to share your donor’s support with millions of YouTube viewers and subscribers – and it’s also something they can share with their employees, shareholders, and the world.
  5. Thank Via Social Media. Social media is a great tool to reach a mass audience – provided you have one – but it is easy to be gimmicky and can lack sincerity. Be sure to tag your donor’s, be concise, share with an image, and use emotional stirring words.
  6. Show That the Donation Mattered. People love to see what their dollars have created. Give them the results by showing them images, videos, letters of thanks, etc. When its time to to ask donors for another round of fundraising, they’ll be more willing to donate knowing that their contributions are helping.

Need Help Managing Your Fundraising Efforts?

We provide nonprofit organizations with fundraising software training and consulting to help make their fundraising efforts more manageable. We offer fundraising solutions for The Raiser’s Edge® and Fundraising 50. To learn more about fundraising software solutions give us a call at 877-889-0629 or fill out our online contact form to setup a chat.