How to write a thank-you letter that builds relationships

I recently received a thank-you letter. It was awful.

And it made me so angry… not just personally. But the waste! The simple way they made a donor feel insignificant. The way they bragged.

It hurt my heart.

So, I’m writing a little refresher for you. I don’t want your thanks to ever be awful!.

Here’s what was so bad. The letter was extremely short – two paragraphs containing 3 sentences total. And in that space, the donor is mentioned once… attached to the gift information. The rest of the letter celebrated the organization. (Look at all the important stuff we do!)

The donor disappears, except for their money.

Just to be clear, this wasn’t a tiny organization with 2 staff members. It’s huge. Global. And apparently, lousy at writing a thank-you letter.

I understand that writing a thank-you letter can be hard. You wonder where to start, what to say. You may struggle with writing with emotion. (Remember, writing to donors is NOT a business letter.) And I get it, because I still have those feelings. But your thank-you letter matters. (Jeff Brooks suggests you write the thank-you before you write anything else.)

So while I’m all riled up, here are some suggestions for you. And yes, it can feel awkward. You might not know where to start. But like with so much writing… the answer is to just start. Worry about fixing later.

Keep these in mind:

1. Emotions rule. This is a letter from a person and to a person, not a tax receipt. It should feel human. Warm, welcoming, caring. Official (or officious) doesn’t work. Get it right from the very first sentence and the rest usually follows.
2. Give yourself enough room to let the donor know how much their gift means. How much they mean.
3. Focus on the donor, not the organization. Yes, tell them what changes because they gave. But don’t spend space on all the good you do. They already know… that’s why they gave. This thank you is all about them.
4. Tell a story to show their impact. Bonus points for this one… and a better chance you’ll see additional gifts. It doesn’t have to be long. Just another chance to connect the donor to the change she makes.
5. Make it easy to read: short paragraphs, indented paragraphs, a decent font size, simple language. And in case I haven’t said it enough: pour love into it throughout.
6. Want an outline? This isn’t written in stone. More an idea for you. Try this:
   • Begin with a warm thanks, focused on the donor
   • Explain what their generosity will do – use an example if you can, and the more human, the better
   • Thank them again, this time including their gift amount and date (for their records)
   • Give another example of what changes because of them
   • Thank them again, focusing on them – their generosity, their kindness, etc
   • Add a warm sign-off – no “Sincerely yours”
   • And of course, include a P.S. (This might be most of what they’ll read, so make it count!)
   • Get Lisa Sargent’s book, Thankology. Keep it where you can easily reach it. Because anything I can say here, Lisa has already said better… and with examples.