5 Simple Ways To Say Thank You To Donors

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5 Simple Ways To Say Thank You To Donors

November 17, 2015

As fundraising professionals, we know the value of giving thanks. Repeat donations are our best friend, and showing gratitude for your donors is an important part of keeping your donor base happy. The task of thanking every donor can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be!

Here are 5 simple ways to say thank you to your employees, donors, and community.

Write a Thank You Note
Just like your mother taught you. Sending your donors a quick hand-written note, letter, or email is the simplest and most cost-effective way to say thanks. The most important thing to remember during your correspondence is to personalize, personalize, personalize. Proof-read each letter for mistakes and make sure that you are recognizing the correct person for the correct donation amount. Include statistics from the year to show your donors the impact of their gift. When you “make it real,” you connect on a deeper level and encourage repeat giving.

Recognize Top Donors in Your Annual Report
Public recognition of top donors is a time-honored tradition. If you are looking to set yourself up for continued success and hoping to gain momentum during the busy season, staying top of mind is essential. Reminding donors at every level of the generous commitments of their peers is a wonderful way to say thanks and light the flame for increased donations.

Share Relevant Inspirational Quotes
The Bible is ripe with quotes about giving to others. Jesus himself is the original advocate for the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden. Share quotes centered around gratitude and commitment in your email newsletter, direct mailings, blog posts, and social media.

We turn to this Biblical verse time and time again to remind us why we are here.

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”
-Luke 12:48, NRSV

The “much given” does not always have to mean money, it can mean time or passion for a cause. This is a truly inspirational quote for every faith-based charity. You can tie it into the theme of thankfulness by thanking your donors who are rising to God’s call.

Create an “I Gave” Badge
Do you have someone on your team who is graphically-gifted? Have them design an “I gave” badge to share with donors, especially companies. If you don’t have a graphic whiz, whip up a design easily using free online tools like Canva or PicMonkey. Companies will especially love that they can show their support, and market their giving, on their website, in emails, and through their social channels. This ups the value for them. Make sure to include the year on the badge, so that it will “expire” and donors will want to receive the new one (by donating more money!). This design can also be used for bumper stickers!

Give Them a Gift
You do not have to break the bank. In fact, you may be able to find a local partner to either reduce or fully absorb the cost of your gifts. You should also inquire about non-profit wholesale discounts. Get creative with it. For example: send out a $3 gift card for a coffee shop and say “You lift us up every day. We want to lift you up- enjoy a coffee on us!” Be fun and personal. If giving a physical gift is not an option and no one will help subsidize your gift, don’t sweat it! You can choose which donors to give to, for example only companies or large donors. And of course, refer to the first 4 ideas for free or very low cost ideas.

Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will discuss how to help your donors form an impactful giving habit.

Get The Giving Thanks Kit

We've created a toolkit that is built to help you thank those who have given to your cause, encouraging future giving!

This helpful fundraising toolkit includes:

Top 10 Inspirational Gratitude & Charitable Responsibility Quotes
Custom Donor "2015/2016 Supporter" Badge
Thank You Letter to Donors

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about

Dr. Bruce Wilkinson is known to millions of people all around the world as a dynamic and anointed speaker. He has given keynote addresses at major national and international events with stadium audiences of 80,000 or more. Bruce’s heart is touched by the needy of the world, and he is especially burdened for those who have sacrificed to save unborn babies. Bruce was heavily involved as a banquet speaker and raised the level of giving exponentially in 2008-2012. He then trained a team of presenters who are now doing the same.

He has written more than 60 books that have been translated into 30 languages, including several books that reached the number one spot on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Bruce’s breakout book, The Prayer of Jabez, remains the fastest-selling book in history, with worldwide sales exceeding 20 million. It was also the first book to win the Christian Book of the Year award two years in a row. Bruce’s book, A Life God Rewards, became the first religious nonfiction book to appear at the number one spot on The New York Times bestseller list in its first week on the market. His other popular books include Secrets of the Vine, Beyond Jabez, Set Apart, Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs, and The Dream Giver. His latest two books are You Were Born For This and The God Pocket.

In addition to being in demand as a speaker and writer, Bruce is a gifted, visionary leader. He served as the publisher and executive editor of ten monthly magazines, with more than 120 million copies distributed. He is the author of the outlines of the books of the Bible for the best-selling Open Bible, and has served as the executive editor of three Bibles. He built the largest religious seminar organization in the world, Walk Thru the Bible. He has trained 100,000 professional teachers in Teaching for Life Change and is a trainer of coaches in the Dream Giver methodology. He launched and led the global initiative WorldTeach, which has recruited and trained more than 30,000 indigenous leaders in 83 nations to conduct life skills courses. Bruce produced a motion picture about AIDS called Beat the Drum, which has been seen in more than 100 nations and has garnered 30 international awards. He also chaired CoMission, a movement in which 87 national organizations joined together to train Russian teachers on ethics and teaching methodologies. Bruce has been a featured guest on major television and radio shows and has held private meetings with foreign presidents, as well as key leaders in the U.S. government.

Bruce has a long history of practical ministry service. He launched Heart for Africa, which mobilized First World volunteers to plant more than 500,000 backyard vegetable gardens for orphans and the hungry. He also launched a movement to recruit more than 1,000 college students from 11 nations to conduct AIDS training in high schools. He led major tribal and racial and religious reconciliation conferences in Uganda, Namibia and South Africa. Currently Bruce is leading a new initiative, Teach Every Nation (TEN) called to partner with leaders, ministries, and global teachers to train tens of thousands of untrained pastors and teachers in the Global South.

Bruce is happily married to Darlene and they are blessed with three children and 10 grandchildren.

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Dr. Bruce Wilkinson