Finishing out strong with a proper THANK YOU! is always necessary and yet, surprisingly, over 21% of supporters reported they were never thanked! (see source below)
In What Donors Want Research conducted by Cygnus Applied Research, Inc./Burk & Associates LTD we get a clearer picture of the importance of showing appreciation:
The Power of THANKS!
- 95% of respondents would be appreciative if a member of the Board called within a day just to say thanks
- 85% would definitely support the charity again if this happened
- 86% would definitely give a larger gift
What donors want most:
- Acknowledgment that the gift was received and you were pleased to get it. Private, direct, one-on-one communication is best, usually following a gift. 92% of those surveyed said that acknowledgment is critically important
Great insights from the CD Nten Benchmark Report Final:
Regarding acknowledgments, 30% of donors reported being thanked immediately after giving a donation, and 18% reported that organizations reiterated their gratitude several times per year, or at least annually (17%). Surprisingly, a significant number of donors (21%) reported that they were never thanked.
The Donor Loyalty Study shows the two best "Thank You!" responses were:
- Personalized thank you note sent to their home (92%)
- Personalized thank you email (92%)
- This study is a great one to click the link...it goes into much more detail! (Section 3 Recognition and Personalization)
Giving appreciation in the form of a simple "Thank You!" is easy. Can you think of any possible reason why we would fail this one simple task?
After my first 5 years of volunteer work with Mercy Ships I went home and threw the biggest "Thank You!" catered dinner party I could for my donors. Inviting over 300 people! I didn't even use this party for another money "ask". How did I do it?
- Saved back enough money for the food & beverage purchase while working a paid job
- Paid for a nice invitation card.
- Asked for help.Invited a fellow chef and his family to come and help me prepare it (and he came from out of state!)
- Asked a close friend of mine to open up her house for the party (She is known for having large affairs of her own. She has a large house on a nice piece of property on a mountain close to the city)
- Asked for help in creating a directory and mailing out invitations
Over 100 people showed up. In hindsight, I could have done more in promoting and engaging. (Social media was not as big back then!) It was exciting. It went well!
Why did I do it? To connect with people that were supporting me for a long time that hadn't seen me in awhile.
- It's hard and expensive to keep coming home to visit from West Africa.
- It was a personal connection using the skills I was best equipped with.
- It showed true appreciation beyond the "Thank You!".
What is your expertise? What special thing could you do to show appreciation beyond a simple "Thank You!"? To me this was something fun. I could add a personal touch to those who cared enough to support me over the years. I enjoyed it!
Without a simple "Thank You!" everything else may not be enough to bring donors long-term satisfaction.
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Thank you for your time and reading this series of posts!
If you have enjoyed these posts please help by sharing!
Thank you for your time and reading this series of posts!
If you have enjoyed these posts please help by sharing!
