You think the ask is the most important part of fundraising. It isn’t. The thank-you is.
Researcher Penelope Burk spent over two decades studying what donors actually want. Her findings are eye-opening.
Forty-five percent of donors said an outstanding thank-you letter inspired them to give again. Twenty-three percent said they gave MORE generously because of the quality of the acknowledgment they received.
Read that again.
Your thank-you letter is a fundraising letter. It’s just dressed in nicer clothes.
As fundraising pioneer Hank Rosso famously put it: “Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” Your thank-you is where that joy either gets reinforced – or quietly dies.
Here’s what works: Make it personal. Warm. Specific. Don’t write “your generous investment supports our mission.” Write “because of you, we just knocked on 500 doors in the district.”
Make the donor the hero. “You made this happen.” “You remembered when it counted.” People crave that. Give it to them.
Skip the formal sign-off. “Sincerely” is a handshake. Try “With gratitude” or “Because of you” instead.
Don’t sneak in another ask. A thank-you with an ask buried at the bottom isn’t a thank-you. It’s a pitch wearing a disguise. Donors notice.
And for your bigger donors? Pick up the phone. Leave a voicemail if you have to. Send a personal text. Treat a $100-a-month donor like the $1,200-a-year donor they actually are.
The math is simple. A donor who feels genuinely appreciated gives more and gives longer.
You already did the hard part. You got the gift. Now say thank you like you mean it.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections