It’s amazing how two little words can make a huge impact! As a nonprofit organization, the key to create more giving is to share gratitude for any current giving by being personal, explicit and demonstrative. Yet, few organizations take the time after the donation to say thank you in a meaningful way, embracing donors and volunteers in gratitude. There are a few ways to make this happen easily.

Be Personal

Thank you notes can be incredibly powerful. A hand-written message using the donor’s name, donation amount and the impact you expect will come from their involvement is critical in building long term donation relationships. The power of personalization gives the donor a feeling they are not just a number or a dollar bill, but a cared for and meaningful part of a bigger solution to solving a problem. You can even take this technique a little further by using variable print within the thank you card, inserting each donor’s name and contribution right into the printed piece. Write their names in the clouds as a gratitude! (Plumb Marketing have a great machine for this!)

Be Explicit

When thanking your donors, add a real story and image of the impact donations make. These special pieces of content give the donor a feeling of really making a difference and they will continue to give over time. One example of the power of this technique was when one of our non-profit clients came to us asking for ways to appeal to a donor base to give more than they had in the past. We counseled them and suggested sharing the story of one benefactor to their services and a snap shot of that individual, before and after. 38% of a donor group who usually gave $100 each year gave $1000 instead. Wow.

Be Demonstrative

A gift to share gratitude is one of the longest lasting techniques for creating giving relationships. 89% of recipients remember the name of an organization from which they have received a gift two years later. If you have an annual giving program, the longevity of gift giving is critical to any appeals program. Drawstring bags and water bottles are top of the list for gifts in the non-profit sector. To see the top ten best gifts for non-profits, click here .

Do you need more ideas to ramp up your fundraising and appeals programs? We are here for you. Set up a complimentary one hour discovery session with Plumb Marketing and take advantage of our 20+ years of experience with non-profit appeals.