How about some great ideas for thanking your donors that will keep you showing sincere gratitude while building a solid connection and future relationship? check it out!
Category: Donor Thank You Letters
5 Keys To Make Your Donors Feel Special
Showing gratitude and making your donors feel very good about the impact they are having is the answer to fundraising success. Here are 5 steps to donor success.
Thanking Your #GivingTuesday New Donors
Everyone agrees that #givingtuesday is a new donor goldmine but that gold will quickly disappear if you’re not instantly welcoming and thanking those wonderful peeps qui
MAGIC WORDS FOR FABULOUS YEAR END FUNDRAISING RESULTS
Use these magic words in your year-end emails and love your fundraising results because these words really do work!
Live Review of Those NonProfit Cards and Letters
The Mailbox is absolutely full of the nonprofit cards and letters now and here at Blockbuster we’re taking some time today to go over and pick out best ideas to borrow now in time for year-
Craft Your Best Annual Appeal Letter Ever With these Proven Techniques
Craft Your Best Annual Appeal Letter Ever With these Proven Techniques!
More tips from Blockbuster to craft the best of the best annual fundraising appeal! All kinds of hacks, tweeks and proven techniques that will work for you and your mission.
ULTIMATE DONOR THANK YOU CHECKLIST
You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term.
Thank you letter checklist
You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term. Lisa Sargent has compiled an essential thank you letter checklist for the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration website, www.sofii.org.
Here are some important questions to ask about your thank you letter. Hint: All your answers should be “yes!”
1. Is your letter personalized? Do you mention the gift amount?
2. Do you start with something other than “Thank you for your gift”? Use an exciting lead.
3. Do you tell your donor when and how they will next hear from you?
4. If this is a repeat gift, do you also thank the donor for their past generosity and continued contributions or support?
5. If this is a gift membership, do you thank the giftee and talk about what this kind of gift makes possible? And do you send a thank you letter to the giftor as well?
6. Do you say something new or timely in the PS? Upcoming opportunities to meet with you make a perfect PS.
7. Do you include a contact number or email for your donor to use if they have a question?
8. Do you need to thank them for something specific? Examples of this include a membership, a holiday gift, or a memorial.
9. Do you reference something specific such as a gift you’ll be sending or a certificate you have enclosed?
10. Do you mention your Facebook or social media page in your letter? Include a call to action directing them to your page.
Now that you have confirmed that you have included all the essential information, here are some additional guidelines for writing a successful thank you letter.
1. Keep the letter short. It should be three to four paragraphs plus your PS.
2. Include required tax deductible language.
3. Use the word “you.” Don’t use “we” or “our,” because they make it happen and your thank you should focus on the donor.
4. Thank them more than once in the letter.
5. Proof your letter. Read it out loud and have someone else check it for grammar and spelling.
6. Hand sign them all if you can. If you have too many donors, determine the dollar amount that you will hand sign. Phone calls are also great additions when thanking your top donors!
7. DO NOT include an additional ask or a request to upgrade to monthly giving. Instead, it is acceptable to include a reply envelope.
A WINNING NEW DONOR WELCOME KIT
Most new donors will never give again, 70% to be more specific! So how do you keep them and turn them into loyal advocates for your cause?
Follow these brilliant steps from the New Welcome Plan Save the Children has put together! It Works!
And put together a welcome plan now in time for those #GivingTuesday new donors you are going to acquire this year!
Do You Know How to Improve Your Renewal Rate by 400% ??? 20 Questions
How many charities are your donors currently supporting? How quickly should you thank a new donor? Do you believe that thanking a new donor within 48 hours can equal a 400% improvement in renewal rates? But wait, should you include an “ask” in your thank you letter? And do sad or happy photos raise more money? Watch now and find out what you might not know as researched and believed to be true by the experts!!!
All this and more now! More info here: http://www.aherncomm.com/20-questions-free-downloadable-test-re-best-practices-donor-communications/ The Donation Communication Test by Tom Ahern
Are You Celebrating Your Donors?
Time to CELELBRATE! Celebrate Your DONORS and Celebrate Donor Milestones!
Got really inspired by Donor Relations Guru’s blog, “Celebrating Donor Milestones-Reasons to Ring the Bell” and you’re gonna love these inspired ideas! And better than that, so will your donors! Celebrate with me and watch now!
How to Dominate Direct Mail
How to Dominate Year-End Direct Mail
Success in direct mail cannot be achieved through a great letter alone. Even if you have the most compelling story written in an impeccable, easy to read letter, it won’t do you any good if it is not read by your supporters. This is why understanding direct mail is so important.
Direct Mail Tips and Tricks
Tune Your Timing
It is very important that your timing is right. At times during the year, there is a lot of mail in boxes everywhere – holiday cards, Black Friday deals, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and more! Make sure that your mail piece hits at the best time possible and stands out from the rest.
Expert Help
Make sure you are working with your mail service people. You need to discuss schedules, exact dates of when you want your pieces to drop, and really get in sync. The last thing you want to do is think you have everything ready to go on time and find out that your piece will take an extra several weeks to mail. It could very easily be a very busy year for them too!
Details, Details, Details
Make sure you have a very detail oriented assistant or team of people to help you look over your package and check every detail. This includes the letter itself, but also the reply card, envelope, mailing list, and anything else you are including. More eyes are the best policy to avoid mistakes!
Donor’s Eyes
Look at your direct mail piece as your donor will look at it. Remember your primary objective – what do you want them to do. Have you asked them often enough? Does your #1 benefit hit your donor right between the eyes? Have you made it clear what you want them to do and how they fit into your organization?
First Impressions
Does your mail piece encourage your donors to open it right now? Is it exciting? Try using colored envelopes or putting a short phrase on the envelope that will make your donors want to open it up right away. Obviously, make sure all of your donor’s information is correct on the envelope as well.
Reply Card
Include a reply card! Is your response device in your letter and does it include a summary of your letter? Without a response device, your supporters won’t be able to easily send in their donations. They may not even realize you are asking for a response at all.
CrowdFunding Success With Dazzling Stories
Dazzling Storytelling Means Crowdfunding Success
If you are looking for a successful example of crowdfunding using stellar storytelling, look no further than The Smithsonian’s campaign to “Save the Ruby Slippers!” The Smithsonian conducted this campaign to preserve Dorothy’s Red Shoes on Kickstarter in October 2016 and raised $300,000 in just a few days!!!
Of course, “Save the Ruby Slippers” is a great campaign because we can all relate to Dorothy’s shoes and what they mean to our childhood and our image of home. So what else can learn from The Smithsonian’s success?
What made this crowdfunding campaign a success?
- They told us what would be involved in the conservation.
- They told us why The Smithsonian needed us.
- They answered questions about where their funding comes from.
- They explained what was happening to the slippers.
- They showed pictures of how they would be preserved.
- They explained why it was important.
- They told us what goes into the process of conservation.
- They talked about the amount they needed and backed that goal up by explaining what was included in the budget and how much each item cost.
- They talked about their own history.
- They explained where the slippers would be displayed.
Did they stop when they reached their goal?
No!!
When the Smithsonian reached their $300,00 goal, they were ready to stretch the project. They announced they needed $85,000 to conserve and display the Scarecrow costume.
And, they thanked their donors. They thanked them for getting them to the goal and explained that the slippers would now be kept sparkling for future generations. They made sure that donors felt like team members who had accomplished a great success.