I picked up my mail the other day and opened an envelope from a well-respected advocacy organization. It was an acknowledgement of my recent gift.
So disappointing!
Mentally, I went through a list of failures in one letter:
My husband’s name was spelled incorrectly.
This wasn’t our first gift by any means. I’m guessing we grabbed a response form from an acquisition mailing, for which they used a purchased list. But even a cursory look at the rest of the information should have alerted them that we were not acquisition prospects.
“Dear Supporter”.
Though incorrect, they did have our names. Why didn’t they use them? Saying “supporter” defines us in relation to them, not as individuals. Nothing makes it more obvious that our value is strictly limited to our check. Bah.
The first sentence of the letter began: “On behalf of…”
Seriously? Points removed for the utter lack of effort.
The rest of the letter wasn’t about us and how great we were to donate. It was four painfully dull paragraphs of jargon. Insider language that probably bores even insiders. It said nothing, and my eyes skipped over it quickly, disregarding anything they were trying to say.
They did end with a pledge to get the most from every dollar we donated in order to have the impact we expected.
But what an opportunity lost!
They could have told me a story about someone helped, a law changed, a right safeguarded. They could have made me feel like a hero. It really wouldn’t have taken much.
Next time you’re tempted to write a mechanical acknowledgement, take a few minutes to think about what you would like to open in the mail. Make it genuine, personal… help your donor remember why she gave to you in the first place.
What about you? Do you have a favorite thank you? Or one that really missed the mark? Please share your story in the comments!
Wow Mary, you’ve hit the nail on the head — as always. Can’t thank or praise you enough for your generous insights.
Thank you very much, Jill! That’s so nice of you to say. It means a lot to me.
Disappointing about your supporter experience Mary… there is hope though, have you seen this great example by Amnesty in Alex’s latest blog .. http://pellandbales.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/thank-you-we-got-it/
Thanks – that’s a great example! Simple, connected, personal. What we all want!
Mary – I’m with you! There is nothing worse than making your supporters and donors feel like a number or no more than a cash cow. I recently received correspondence from two charities who know me very well and in person – one addressed me very formally, the other as ‘Dear Supporter’. I was a bit puzzled and put off by this because we know each other personally and on a first name basis. Saying that, I received a letter in the post this morning from a charity who, in contrast, do not know me personally. They did get my name right, although the letter was still written from a charity and not a supporter perspective which is a shame.
In my experience, most charities just don’t realise how important their supporters really are. Too much is taken for granted.
I know! And I don’t understand it, really. I think they’ve been told that they need to “educate” people about their organization and cause. And feel that if they just did, they’d have support. So they spend their energy talking about themselves.
But just like a person at a party, no one’s very interested in listening to someone go on about themselves. But the person who listens well, and focuses on the other person… that person is always wanted!
After a lovely meeting with the new DOD at a place I spent many years, I’m once again being addressed as “Mary”. For years, a formal salutation didn’t come across as respectful, but as distancing. It was a sure sign I was no longer considered part of the family.
None of us are ever going to mind being treated like we matter. Or hearing that someone thinks we’re wonderful. Show me why I’m wonderful and that’s an even bigger win, right?
So true – it is about treating each person as an individual who matters. This may take some time and effort and it is an investment, but so worth it. Requires a different mindset though…a change of perspective….and this, I think, is the challenge….
Absolutely.
It is SO easy to have a bad letter… there are actually many places it can go wrong. But in essence, it is not too different from answering the phone with, “Yup?” and saying “Who are you again?” after they offer his or her name. Thanks for this post!
Ha! Or the people who answer with a bark: “What?!”