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The Power of an Authentic Thank You Letter

Growing up I would take yearly vacations to visit my grandmother in Texas. During these visits she would arrange visits with her friends and their grandchildren for play-dates. These arranged visits resulted in lunches, opportunities to swim in their pools and even excursions to amusement parks.  At the end of the day after each visit my grandmother would have me write a thank you letter for my experience. I started the task reluctantly as I didn’t see the point in writing thank you notes for play-dates. Once I took out the construction paper, crayons and markers I was able to remember the fun experience of the day and let that person know how they made an impact on me.

Today I take the task of writing a thank you letter to a different level. As someone who has worked with nonprofits for years I have donated my time, recruited volunteers, worked with underpaid staff who have given their all and have solicited donations. In each of these scenarios it all comes down to giving and the act of acknowledging the gifts.

How to Write an Authentic Thank You Letter:

1. Speak from the heart
Aside from thanking them for contributing to your organization, let them know how you feel personally about their contribution.

2. Include an image or photo of the impact of their gift.
If it is a donated object such as a toy or car, show them who or what is using it. Photographs and keepsakes are mementos that remind people why they give and will likely result in giving back more.

3. Have more than one person write the letter.
The best thank you notes I’ve ever gotten have been from classrooms of students whom each had a unique perspective on how I had impacted their lives. Create a group activity at the beginning of a board meeting, in a classroom or other gathering for participants to say thank you from their own point of view.

4. Send letters from the road.
If you are going on vacation or to a conference in an interesting city, take a list of your top donors and board members and send them postcards from the road. The art of sending postcards reminds people that you are thinking of them on your journey.

Those who support your organization do so because they believe in you and your work. In turn, it’s important for you to retain their support by acknowledging their gifts and time. Be sure to keep track of your correspondence in your donor management database.

Do you have a tip on a writing authentic thank you notes? Leave a comment and share it with us.

 

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