3 ways to make your thank-you message powerful

If your fundraising program is nothing but a series of asks, you will struggle to be sustainable. Fundraising becomes profitable as donors give and give again.

And they give again a lot more if you thank them well.

Here are some ways to improve your thanking, from Clairification, at Donor’s Lament: You Didn’t Thank Me Properly:

1. Begin with something different. You could always start your thank-you with something like: Thank you for your kind gift of $50, received on July 17, 2024. But why not start with something amazing and surprising that will keep them reading. Like: Your gift just rescued a puppy.
2. Include body copy that’s different. Make the donor feel good about what they’ve done. Don’t use your in-house jargon or your amazing stats. Tell a story that will connect the donor with the action.
3. Put your donor at the center. The topic of your message is what the donor did. Not all the things you have done. It’s about them, not you. Talk about specific accomplishments the donor made possible.