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Why is it so damned hard to say thank you?

Why is it so hard to say thank you? We spend a lot of time thinking about how to raise more money. We labor over the appeal: the language, the images, the right ask. And then, too often, we treat the thank you as an afterthought. It’s not that hard to write a good, emotional […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor love, emotional fundraising, thank you letter 8 Comments

Does your thank you letter really matter?

Yes. Your thank you letter matters. I recently saw an opinion that I couldn’t disagree with more. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: Donors should be happy with whatever thank you letter they get. Worrying about a real signature or other things is a sign of donor dominance. I would bet that most […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor relationships, thank you letter, your thank you letter matters 4 Comments

Your donors want to know: will you still love me tomorrow?

Tell the truth: does your organization love them and leave them? I’ve noticed a few situations where gifts to large, national organizations – even memorial gifts, no less – have resulted in truly bad donor care. These are organizations that spend tremendous resources on acquisition and “awareness”. Like fancy television campaigns and a constant stream […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor love, donor retention, thank you letter 1 Comment

Say thank you better: here are 16 ways

Why don’t more nonprofits say thank you better? It shouldn’t be hard to send a great gift acknowledgment. A sincere, emotional, meaningful thanks is a critical step in donor relations. And it’s also just plain polite. Secure a gift then flub the thanks and you may have seen the last of that donor. Saying thank […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor love, email thank you, thank you letter 17 Comments

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