When someone opens the door for you … do you say thank you?

When someone offers to let you go ahead of them in the check-out line … do you say thank you?

When someone picks up a glove, set of keys, or a pen that you accidentally dropped on the ground … do you say thank you?

And in all these examples, do you say thank you at the moment the courtesy happened?  Or do you ask for their card so you can send a thank you note 4 – 8 weeks later?

Quickly send personalized thank you letters to donors (© Copyright 2011 - PK Scribe, LLC)

Why treat donors worse than a stranger?

Assuming you answered “YES” to my first 3 questions and you do say “thank you;” and assuming you thank the stranger for their kindness the moment it happens … why would you treat a donor worse than you do a stranger?

That’s exactly what you’re doing if you fail to acknowledge a donation with a thank you letter.  And if it takes you 2, 3, 4 or more weeks to say thank you then that’s also a poor way to treat donors.  

Donors are the people responsible for the research you do … the lives you save in your hospital … the homes you build for the poor and homeless … the children you feed in your soup kitchen … the adults you teach to read so their self esteem sky rockets and they can get a much better job … the wounded veterans you counsel … these donors are the reason your nonprofit can keep its doors open.

And yet donors receive less courtesy than a stranger who let you go ahead of them in a check-out line.   That’s not right.

Send thank you letters and figure out how to send them within a few days of receiving a donation. Many a small charity has figured out how to do this.  So can you ― regardless of the size of your nonprofit.

And for those online gifts and mobile donations add a print thank you letter to your digital note of thanks.  That really packs an impressive punch.  Give donors the courtesy they deserve.  Treat them better than strangers.

Find more help for writing nonprofit thank you letters here.

I’ve written articles on my website, blog posts, created a product on the subject, and written about it several times in my newsletter.  What is this hot subject?

Saying “thank you” after receiving a donation

And today in her blog – Kivi’s Nonprofit Communication Blog – Kivi Leroux Miller shared results of her annual experiment on charities and their expressions of gratitude for gifts received.  

“The point of this experiment is to see what kind of communications response I get in return for unsolicited donations to national charities. This does not include the automated email receipt that I get from the payment processor; I’m looking for communication from the charity directly.

It’s been a month, and I’ve heard from only three of the 10 organizations. This is the same result as last year, when I got four thank-yous in response to 12 gifts. It was a pitiful response then, and a pitiful response today.”

Cheers for the three that acknowledged her gift:

Ashoka
National Parks Conservation Association
Girls Incorporated

The seven who thus far have ignored Kivi’s generosity are:

American Red Cross (listed as American National Red Cross) [Update below.]
Defenders of Wildlife
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Oceana, Inc.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Remote Area Medical Foundation
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

And if you read through the comments on Kivi’s post you’ll find more sad tales of neglect.

To the hard-working ladies and gentlemen at the nonprofits of the world, expressing gratitude must be a priority within your daily operations.  To ignore it or only give it a “When I have time” attitude is costing you a great deal of money.

You anger donors who then spread negative messages about your organization.  This in turn negatively impacts donor acqusition.   And the donors who weren’t thanked often stop giving so your life-time donor value plummets and so does retention. 

This is a very important topic in the minds of donors.  Here are links to other articles I’ve written on this subject along with guidelines on how to write a thank you letter:

Thank You Letters – A Fundraising Courtesy Fundamental

Why You MUST Send Thank-You Letters – The Missing Link in Fundraising Appeals

The ZAPP Guide to Fundraising Letters

Feb 23 update: I applaud Wendy Harmon of the American Red Cross for acknowledging the faux pas.  She posted comments on Kivi’s blog (Feb 20 and 21).  In Harmon’s words, “You got us on this aspect of donor stewardship. What will follow are excuses. A little more than a year ago we experienced a significant reduction in force….”  She went on to say, “…We’ve been aware that this is a hole we need to fill and will most likely put resources towards Network for Good donors as a result of this post.”

I firmly believe that timely thank-you letters for the donations you receive are a priority all year round.  But right now it is a vital requirement. 

Why do I believe telling your donors “thank you” at this time of year is so vital?

1. We’re still in a recession.  Many donors are contemplating their giving decisions more carefully.  And if you fail to QUICKLY send them a personalized thank you letter for their gift then you run a higher than usual risk of offending them.  People have less money to spend and to give.  So when they do decide to give they want to know you care about them.  Failure to acknowledge their gift leaves them thinking: “All they care about is getting my money.  That’s the last gift they’ll get from me!”
2. We’re in the season of giving.  At this time of year most people are a bit kinder to others.  And we tend to expect the same from those we meet and do business with.  So if your nonprofit organization ignores a donor’s generosity by failing to acknowledge their gift FAST; then you stand out in contrast to the season.  And I think you’ll make a stronger negative impression.  I think you’ll run an increased risk of offending and losing donors.

So, send those thank you letters out within a week of receiving the gift if at all possible.  And don’t use a cold form letter either.  Donors can quickly spot them.  Some extra effort this holiday season on your part will build stronger donor loyalty and increase your chance of receiving another donation.

Click here to read a longer article I wrote on writing thank you letters.

To all my fellow Americans I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you’re able to spend it with family or dear friends for a fun and relaxing day.

I also want to express my gratitude to everyone overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly our active duty military.  A major holiday like Thanksgiving is an especially tough time to be away from home and family.  Thanks to all our military for your daily sacrifice and service to our nation.

If you can, I invite you to use one of the many nonprofit organizations devoted to veterans to send a care package or greeting to our military deployed or serving overseas.  Or perhaps you’ll be moved to make a donation and let the charity decide how best to help.  What a great way to say “thanks” for the freedom and safety you enjoy each day here in America.  As a veteran (I served in the Navy) I know what it means to have support from folks back home.