Thanking your donors is one of the most important things you can do as a non-profit. It might seem easiest to take the money and send a quick thank you email and dash off to find more donors. But taking time to do a thank you the right way will save you a lot of pain down the line. Here are some reasons you might want to consider investing some time in thanking your donors.
1. It gives you another chance to tell your story – the more ways a donor hears your story, the more times they see where their money is going the more likely they are to give. Take this opportunity to thank them for all they have done, and to show them how they are making a difference, but let them know that the fight isn’t over. Share ways of getting involved, or of making an ongoing donation.
2. They’re tired of being asked – for every time someone donates make sure there are at least 3 times where you are sharing a story, thanking them for supporting you or just outright sharing your current projects. People are pestered all the time for contributions. You want your donors to want to contribute because they feel that you value them by taking time to thank them, and educate them on what you’re doing.
3. It’s easier to keep donors than find new ones – It will take you at least five times as long to get donors than it will to keep old ones. New donors are also less likely to make the big donations you want. Keep your old donors and see if you can build small donors into bigger donors over time, through trust and constant thanks.
4. Show them where their money is going – transparency is always necessary in the non-profit world, but especially after donations. Donors want to see what their dollars did. Show them, send them updates and photographs tell them how their money helped change lives, appeal to their emotional side. That’s what keeps them donating.
With all that said, take some time to sit down and write a heartfelt thank you letter. Include pictures and stories. Include those things that would warm your heart, it will certainly appeal to your donors. And remember, it’s easier to keep a donor than to get a new one.
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