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When you’re too big to succeed

Too big to succeed? My family recently made what was for us a large gift to a national charity. The response was underwhelming, and that’s being kind. An 8.5 x 14 sheet of paper, with the bottom being a tear-off, generic response form. The thank you letter – such as it was – consisted of […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Fundraising Tagged With: donor care, thank you letters 4 Comments

What you need to know about before and after

Before and after… it’s the line between so much in a story – in all our stories. Think about your own. There are the “before I knew better” stories. The “before I met my partner” stories. The “after the kids were born” stories. The line between before and after signifies an important point in time […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Fundraising Tagged With: donor newsletters, fundraising appeals, thank you letters 2 Comments

Dear Fundraiser: Things we shouldn’t do

  Dear Fundraiser, Here are the things I wish we wouldn’t do. I’m cheering for our success. So in a helpful spirit, I offer you my list below. So, putting on my donor hat, I wish we wouldn’t: Send an automated thank you message for an online gift and assume that’s enough Forget to thank […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeals, donor retention, relationships, thank you letters 35 Comments

Why you should share the love today

It’s the end of the year. Time to share some love. Organizations are mailing and emailing and phoning their supporters – and those they hope will become supporters. Finance staff are hovering over fundraising staff as envelopes are opened. Everyone is a little keyed up. But where is the love? There’s been something of an […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Fundraising Tagged With: donor love, thank you letters 2 Comments

Why gratitude should be your daily practice

What if gratitude wasn’t something to check off your to-do list? What if gratitude made you and your donors feel great? What if gratitude made it much more likely your donors would remain your donors? Smart fundraisers understand that giving is personal and emotional. They understand that there is much more to raising money than […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor care, donor retention, thank you letters 1 Comment

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