Hands-On Fundraising

Donor Communications

  • About
  • Hands-On Fundraising Blog
  • Services
  • Contact

You can put more heart into your fundraising today

Fundraising is about using your heart as well as your head. And maybe fundraising isn’t really about money at all. In the long run, successful fundraising focuses on relationships. And good fundraisers use their hearts as much as their heads. Does that mean every one of your donors needs to be someone you know personally? […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor relationships, Fundraising, thank you letters Leave a Comment

Why you should write a thank you from the heart

Answer honestly: how much attention do you pay to the thank you letters or emails you receive after giving? Do you quickly review it to be sure it’s a thank you letter, then file it for your taxes? And does that make the whole experience feel a bit… impersonal? I’m asking not because I think […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor communications, thank you letters 2 Comments

You CAN write a great thank you

Does writing a thank you letter make you feel sort of squeamish? Do you put it off, because… all those feelings? Or maybe just because you don’t know where to start? I got you. Read on… Your opening paragraph As you would with any letter, keep the first paragraph short. And make it all about […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor communications, donor relationships, thank you letters Leave a Comment

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

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Fundraising advice served fresh to your inbox

Get yours here:

Search

Recent Posts

  • Write a better fundraising appeal
  • So you want more active donors and more income…
  • How to help people feel connected
  • Is this any way to treat a friend?
  • Size matters. But don’t be too rough on the big guys.

Work with me!

Let's talk about how I can help your organization raise more money.

Contact

  • Donor communications
  • Fundraising Strategy

Copyright © 2026 · Mary Cahalane · Hands-On Fundraising · 847 S. Main Street · #183 · Plantsville, CT 06479