Soapbox Engage Blog

Every year, my mother continues to give one member of our extended family a gift for the holidays. Why? Because this one cousin always sends my mother a thank-you note in return. Something about this exchange creates a transaction of value for both parties - Mum gets the warm fuzzies of dopamine, and my cousin gets gifts.

As the rush of holiday giving begins to slow, organizations will continue sending requests for donations. It's easy to get lost in this flood of calls-to-action and requests.

How can you stand out from your competition? How can you be just like that one relative who is remembered every year? A well-timed, heartfelt thank you email that shares value with your donor and shows appreciation really does go a very long way!

Make thanking your donors part of your organization's New Year's Resolutions and year-round practice with just a few easy steps.

Table of Contents

• Why send donor appreciation emails
• How to compose the perfect nonprofit thank you email
• Continuing the conversation beyond a thank you note

Why Send Donor Appreciation Emails

Statistically speaking, thank you notes serve several purposes. When a donor gives, they feel good and enjoy being a part of something larger than themselves. Sending a timely thank-you email appeals to these positive feelings. It continues to build a relationship between your donor and your organization (just like the aunt and favorite cousin relationship I mentioned initially). A well-timed thank-you note can elevate you to "favored-cousin status" in no time.

Thank you notes increase the likelihood of future gifts

Did you know that return donors often give again within three months? A timely thank-you email keeps the line of communication open and increases the likelihood that a one-time donor will become a repeat donor.

An email leading your donor to connect with your cause, hear real stories, and recognize how their donations helped solve real problems will strengthen that connection. Engaging them in your story and including key links in your email makes it easy for the donor to stay connected.

How To Compose the Perfect Nonprofit Thank You Email

Knowing that a thank you will set your organization apart and strengthen the donor relationship is a great start and a powerful reason to thank your supporters. But writing a great thank-you note might feel a bit daunting at times–if that's you, you're not alone!

An effective donor thank you contains five main parts. While these sections may be adjusted, changed, and personalized to fit your needs, most thank-you notes include:

The Salutation: Whom are you thanking?

First paragraph: Be specific about what they gave

Second paragraph: How the donation helped the organization and the cause

Third paragraph: When can the donor help in the future, offering a why with a call to action. It can be helpful to include contact information and links here to ensure an open line of communication

The Complementary Closing: The name, position, and organization to acknowledge the gift

Are you still envisioning a blank notecard and all of the confusion you felt writing those thank you notes as a child? We've got you covered! Even with tons of templates to choose from, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Below are some key things to include in your next thank you email. The most important thing to remember as you compose your email is to deliver value to your donor through sincere appreciation.

Keep your thank-you emails timely

Just like thanking Aunt Marge for that new sweater, there are some general thank-you rules. Being timely with your gratitude is a must.

Being prompt with acknowledging not only reaches your donor while it is relevant, but in this case, it helps to reach them before other organizations do. This not only shows how meaningful their gift was but also keeps your organization at the forefront of their mind, even while they're receiving requests from other organizations.

Keep it concise (short and sweet)

Thank-you emails don't need to be long and flowery to get the job done. Both you and your readers have busy schedules. Keeping things short and sweet increases the likelihood your donor will read the entire email and fully engage with it. Choosing the right words can keep things brief while being impactful.

Make sure they know who you are

A well-composed email isn't worth anything if your recipient never reads it. We all know it is easy for an email to get lost in the landslide of ads and spam. Ensure your organization is clearly visible as the sender, so people are more likely to read your emails.

Also, use the subject line to your advantage. This doesn't mean you have to think of a catchy title or slogan. Just make sure it conveys that you are giving thanks rather than sending another donation solicitation.

Acknowledge who they are

Once your email reaches the right recipient, make them feel special. It is essential to follow actionable steps and ensure your donor feels appreciated for who they are and what they did. While the gift is the reason for the email, don't let it be the only reason. Helping the donor feel like part of a bigger picture, and a part of a whole is what keeps them returning.

Though a quick thank-you email is fantastic, one way to really stand out from the masses is to send handwritten thank-you notes to your supporters. It might feel old-fashioned, but it really does convey gratitude and respect.

Acknowledge what they've done

The IRS has specific requirements for necessary information for contributions over a certain amount. Having various forms of templates for each phase of the donation helps differentiate the tone and function of your letters and will likely impress your donor with your thoughtfulness and consistent communication.

You might choose to send a receipt separately to convey a genuine appreciation rather than a legal formality. While you should mention the specifics of a donor's gift in a gift acknowledgment, the key focus is to make the person feel special, appreciated, and valued beyond any dollar amount.

Leaning into that personal tone and how this specific gift will allow for bigger initiatives is essential. Continuing to make that one gift part of a bigger picture, making that donor part of a group and a cause will make the contributor feel valued far beyond their giving amount. (Nobody likes to feel like a freshly-cashed check.)

Link their donation to the big picture

Because donors want to feel included in the cause, clearly conveying how their gift fits into the bigger picture is essential. Feeling those warm fuzzies comes from seeing how that donation joined others to gain strength, power, and purpose.

Providing donation transparency can increase future fundraising success. Clearly communicating how you used each dollar establishes trust in your organization and deepens emotional ties to your cause.

The big picture can be framed as a story, accompanied by videos and pictures. It can be charts and graphs, visual representations of how the money was allocated and what it accomplished.

Let your donors in on what happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the future. Effective storytelling is an essential strategy for thanking and engaging your donors to create those connections and keep them returning.

Consider saying thank you for other contributions

Thanking your donors for monetary contributions is a must. However, building a relationship that eventually results in financial contributions might take some time, but it's well worth the effort.

Consider drafting additional thank you emails for non-monetary contributions like volunteered time, gifts in kind, and other contributions.

Feeling appreciated for even the smallest of contributions can let the person know how valuable their actions are to your organization and the cause. The kindness of people willing to donate in a variety of ways is what keeps a nonprofit headed toward its goals.

Fostering this budding relationship by acknowledging gifts in all forms can lead to more people learning about your cause and future donations.

Include a call to action in your thank-you emails

Stories stay with people long after they send a check. As people become invested in your story, it must have a purpose, a reason they should genuinely become invested. Consider what you want them to do next when they're moved by your story. Work from there to create a call to action.

Is your call to action (AKA: CTA) for the reader to subscribe to future emails? To become a repeat donor? To learn more about your latest campaign?

Once you establish what you want from your reader, make it clear and easy to do by using a visual that stands out, color choices to make the call to action obvious, and making your directives clear.

If your goal is to establish a repeat donor, the wording in your CTA needs to motivate your reader. You are already expressing your gratitude, including action words can rally your already interested party to become a repeat donor.

While it might be counterproductive to just blurt it out in a thank you email, making that recurring giving button obvious and "leaving it right here… hint, hint" can allow the giver to feel in control of the idea.

Continuing the Conversation Beyond A Thank You Note

Consider how you can maximize contact with your donors by continuing communication after sending your thank you email. Opting to send donation requests, receipts, and thank you emails separately offers several opportunities for a giver to remember your organization.

Providing links for email subscriptions, newsletters, and recurring donations can also result in more engaged donors. About 25% of recurring donors will make another one-time donation in addition to recurring gifts. That statistic alone makes it worthwhile to continue engaging donors.

Tailor communication to fit the donor preferences

While emails from a template are quick and easy, they don't always fit each generation's style. Knowing some essential information about your donors and how to best engage them throughout the year can help your organization prepare to tailor thank you messages that fit.

Statistically, Millennials are likely to give through forms and mobile-friendly links they can easily use on mobile devices. Gen Z also prefers app-based giving options. Baby Boomers typically prefer letters (even printed emails) or handwritten notes. Noticing key donor details can help you use generational statistics to tailor your thank-you's to create an even bigger year ahead!

Now that you're well on your way to a stellar thank-you note strategy, here are three more resources to keep you moving toward your fundraising goals.

• 6 New Years Resolution Ideas for Nonprofits: Even if you're not into resolutions, the first of the year is still an excellent opportunity to do a "systems check" for your nonprofit." It's an ideal time to ensure you're on the right track and progressing toward the right goals at the start of the new year. This blog has some resolutions and assessment areas your nonprofit can use to set the best trajectory for the new year.
• Nonprofit Website Builders: Pros & Cons of Popular Platforms: How can you optimize your website with the most robust features and best possible user experiences? It all starts with the nonprofit website builder. If your organization has grown beyond out-of-the-box solutions like Wix or Squarespace, it's time to consider a more robust solution. This blog will help you understand the pros and cons of popular nonprofit website builders so you can choose the best one for your nonprofit.
• Boost Your Nonprofit Merchandise and Membership Sales: Nonprofit merchandise can help boost donations, build your brand, and educate people about valuable causes. Check out this blog for expert advice about adding an online store to your fundraising and brand awareness strategies.