If your business relies heavily on donors and fundraising to keep the doors open or to support new innovative research, then it’s important that you keep those donors coming to you every year. One way to do that is to show them how appreciative you are of their support. A thank you letter can go a long way to securing their support in the future. Here are three tips on how to send the best thank you letters.
Demonstrate Impact
When donors choose your organization over others to support, it’s because they believe in what you’re doing. You can show them how their support has impacted your work. This is a chance to forge a personal connection between the donor and your organization. By feeling as though they’re part of the process and making an impact themselves, the donors will be far more likely to continue to support you in the future.
Don’t Do it Electronically
Email has taken over other traditional forms of communication. However, this isn’t always a good thing. While some may tout that emails are more cost-effective, there are technologies available to easily send paper mail without a gigantic effort. More importantly, handwritten letters are more personal, and you should always aim to add a personal touch. Again, this forges a connection between you and the donor and makes him or her feel like a part of your organization. He or she is far more likely to read a piece of paper than an email that can become lost amid the plethora of emails he or she receives in a day.
Write it by Hand
It may be tempting to just type out your thank you letter on a computer, but by handwriting the letter, you’re not only adding a personal touch to it, but you’re also showing the donor that you took the time and effort to personally reach out to him or her. He or she will appreciate the gesture, and in this day and age where everyone is using computers, your handwritten letter is going to stand out in his or her memory.
Enticing donors to keep funding your organization can be an exhausting job in itself. One way to forge that personal connection between donor and organization is through a thank you letter. Handwritten and on paper will always make your letters memorable. With these tips, you can make that connection and keep that donor’s support throughout the coming years.