November is a great time to take the opportunity to create a gratitude campaign and thank you donors for the support they’ve given this past year. Not only is this the month of Thanksgiving that gets everyone in the thankful mood, it’s also a great way to keep your organization fresh in the minds of your donors before your end of the year fundraising drive. We’re sharing six ideas you can use to build a quick, yet effective gratitude campaign for your nonprofit.
Don’t Replace Thank Yous ‘In the Moment’
Before we dive into ideas, it’s important to note that this isn’t meant to replace personally thanking donors when they send in support. It’s important to reach out directly and let them know how their gift helps your mission. This is more of a general gratitude drive to show how everyone’s support has made a difference, rather than the individuals.
What to Include in Your Gratitude Campaign
No matter where you share your message, here are some ideas as to what you can include in it:
Where Gifts Have Gone
Let donors know exactly what their gifts have allowed you to do this year, whether it’s the number of meals provided, scholarships awarded, or art exhibits hosted. Whatever the purpose and mission of your nonprofit organization is, make sure you show evidence of how donors’ gifts have helped fulfill it.
Also, if you had a specific goal you were fundraising for, such as a mission trip, a new roof, or new building, show where you are in that goal or provide pictures or videos that you made it.
List of Donors
From big corporate donors to one-time individual gifts, they all make a difference, and it’s important to share that. By publishing a thank you with a list of everyone who made a difference, this recognition can make your donors feel special and like they are part of your mission (which they are!).
Create a Video from Your Team
It’s not often that donors get to meet everyone on the team, so your gratitude campaign is a great opportunity to introduce everyone. Get members of the team saying thank you directly to the donors, specifically mentioning how your donation helps them in their role. For example, if you have delivery drivers who send out donations, they could say, “Thank you for providing safe transportation to get deliveries out!” or if you have people who put together food baskets, say “Thank you for ensuring we always have food to share with those in need!” Everyone at every level can get involved, and not only does that show that your team appreciates the donors, any time you can humanize your organization, this is a good thing.
Create a Video from Your Beneficiaries
If your nonprofit provides charitable work and outreach, see if those you’ve served would be willing to be a part of a thank you video where they say how donors’ gifts have helped them. For example, if you have an animal rescue organization, you can show the animals next to signs like “Your donation provided life-saving surgery.” If you help unhoused people find housing, ask them if they’d be willing to share a thank you message about how donations changed their lives.
Sharing a Gratitude Campaign
Because this is a universal opportunity where you’re sharing a message to all your donors, this could also be an opportunity to recognize your donors to the public and also increase visibility to your nonprofit, depending on where you choose to post your campaign.
You can always send out an email campaign with your message to ensure it’s seen by your donors. Just make sure you personalize the message a bit by including their first name in the introduction.
Website
Consider posting a blog or even adding a page with your donor listing recognizing them on your site for the work. This allows you to create a “tiered” donor recognition which may drive fundraising amounts.
Social Media
Social media not only means your followers will see it, but if they share your message, it will expand the reach. This is a great place for a video message to be posted.
Call Us for Help with Leveraging Your Accounting Software for Your Next Campaign
If you’re using accounting and fund accounting software to keep up with your nonprofit’s financials, we can help you get more use out of it, including using the information to connect to your donor management. To learn more about our solutions, reach out to us today at 888-249-6008 or fill out the form below.
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