You’ve been working hard on that last campaign. And now, you have new gifts! After the celebration, you begin to wonder. How can you write a thank you that works? Where do you start? Here’s my quick thank you letter how-to First, a confession: I used to write rote, boring, perfunctory thank you letters. And […]
Watch your weenie words
I call them weenie words. Hedges. Qualifiers. And I don’t like them. Now, I don’t think of myself as a bold person. As a kid, I was an eager follower, not the leader. I do more listening than talking, content to let someone else lead the conversation. I’m cautious. I don’t make fast decisions. But […]
How to make #GivingTuesday more than a gimme
Soon it will be #GivingTuesday. My inbox, and yours, will overflow with messages from every nonprofit we’ve had contact with in the past. Too many of the messages will be the same: Send us money, because… #GivingTuesday! Let’s remember what this day was meant to be: Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) […]
Is gratitude really hurting our sector?
Is gratitude really hurting our sector? Too much gratitude? A few weeks ago, my friend Vu Le posted another of his thought-provoking pieces, Is there such a thing as too much gratitude? Yes, and it’s been harmful to our work. I want to be clear: I mean both friend and thought-provoking with zero snark. I […]
Do you have a thank you program?
Today, I want to amplify something Bloomerang wrote about in a recent article. There’s a specific good idea in the article (more on that, I promise). But there’s also a link to a terrific report about your thank you program. You don’t want to miss it! Yes, program. Do you plan thanking donors in those […]