Elements of Effective Donor Thank You Letters

Sample Copy and Creative Ideas to Build Acknowledgment Letters

Aug 13, 2009 Molly Schar

Nonprofit organizations can freshen up acknowledgment letters with new ideas. These thank you letters are recognized as highly effective fundraising tools.

Donation thank you letters are much more important than many nonprofit organizations realize. The thank you letter – also known as the acknowledgment letter – brings the donor back to the moment in time when she wrote her check. It confirms for her that she made a good investment. An ineffective or – worse – offensive thank you letter can convince the donor right there and then not to give again.

Formats for Donor Thank You Letters

Most acknowledgment letters are formatted as business letters on an organization’s standard letterhead. Consider these ideas for making the acknowledgment more personal:

  • Put it on executive size letterhead
  • Hand-write the envelope
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph (this conveys a more personal rather than business message)
  • Have the signatory write a short message at the bottom – this works even if the signatory does not personally know the donor
  • Send a thank you card instead (not a postcard)

Who Should Sign Nonprofit Thank You Letters?

Nonprofits sometimes have different staff or board members sign the letters according to the size of the gift made. This is done in many cases because the volume exceeds the capacity of the organization’s top executives.

To encourage donors to give again and upgrade their gifts, nonprofit organizations might consider using board members to sign thank you letters. It may be a challenge to coordinate, but it is a good way to engage board members in fundraising and donors respond to the signature of leadership volunteers.

Lead Paragraphs of Donation Acknowledgment Letters

Sometimes powerful quotations are used as a lead paragraph. In this case, the quotation is often italicized, bolded and centered on the page.

Most organizations choose to just jump into the body of the letter. Often, short, one-sentence paragraphs can pull readers in. Here are a few examples:

  • Today, you saved a life.
  • Your gift was immediately put to work in our new facility – we served 492 meals yesterday alone.
  • You will never know the names of the children you are helping, but you put a smile on their faces.
  • You are a hero for the thousands of young adults who will visit us this year.
  • Your generous donation is allowing us to offer more life-saving programs than ever before.

Body of Nonprofit Thank You Letters

Use two or three additional paragraphs to express sincere warmth and confirm the intentions of the donor. Do not attempt to boil down every program the nonprofit offers or list statistics. The thank you letter is not an attempt to sell the donor again. Consider this sample body copy:

Thank you. This year, some four thousand children will learn how electricity works as part of the Blessington Learning Museum’s “Jolts!” program. While they are here, they’ll meet the colorful cast of characters in our petting zoo and write personal mission statements. In a way, you’ll be right here with them because it’s your donation that allows the Museum to offer these programs.

You’ll also be here when we host dozens of teachers in our “Beef Up Your Curriculum” camp in the summer, and you’ll return with them to their classrooms in the fall.

For inspiring children to learn when perhaps they don’t even realize that it’s happening … thank you!

Nonprofit Donation Tax Language

In most cases, the donor thank you letter also serves as a tax receipt. It is common to add this language in the “footer” in smaller print. Include a number for donors to call if they have any questions. For example:

Thank you again for your gift of $750 to Blessington Learning Museum on March 13, 2009. Blessington Learning Museum is a 501(c)3 organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by the law. No goods or services were provided in exchange for this donation. Please call Mary Smith at 555-750-1750 with any questions.

Of course, if goods or services were provided (such as some membership benefits, a gift of appreciation or an event ticket), this must be noted. Check with a legal or financial expert for specific situations.

Refreshing your thank you letters is something that should be done regularly to keep content fresh. Next time, consider using more creative language to keep donors excited about the organization.

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The copyright of the article Elements of Effective Donor Thank You Letters in Non-Profit Management is owned by Molly Schar. Permission to republish Elements of Effective Donor Thank You Letters in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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