After someone buys from your fundraiser or sends in a donation, it’s important to properly thank them for their support. The best way to do this is with a thank-you letter for the donations. A thank-you letter, or email, is a very powerful tool for any fundraising group. It helps to engage and retain supporters as well as make them feel appreciated for the contributions they made.
A well-crafted, sincere letter can turn a one-time supporter into someone who regularly supports your fundraisers, volunteers with your group, and shares information about your cause with the community. However, a great thank-you letter involves more than just saying “thanks”. It has many parts that all contribute to the main goal of the letter: conveying gratitude and showing the impact a donation has made.
So, how exactly do you write the perfect donation thank-you letter? Read on to learn our top tips and find a few examples you can use and customize for your next fundraiser.
Why Are Donation Thank-You Letters Important?
The main goal of a thank-you letter is to convey how grateful you are for a person’s support. Expressing appreciation in this way shows that your group cares about the people who support you and the effort they made to contribute to your cause.
After all, there are many groups out there in need of help, but these people chose to support you. Sending a thank-you letter helps to ensure your donors know they made the right decision.
They make supporters feel valued
People who feel appreciated are more likely to advocate for your cause to friends, family members, social groups, and local businesses. This increases the community’s awareness of your group and lets them know when you need further support.
It also reminds supporters that their donations are being put to good use and that they made a real difference by giving to your group. People that see the impact of their donations are much more likely to donate again in the future.
They nurture your relationships with people in the community
Keeping in communication with supporters helps you build a relationship with them. By sending a thank-you letter, you are starting the process of moving a supporter from being a one-time giver to an active member of your group. It encourages people to keep engaging even after the fundraiser has ended.
6 Tips on Writing a Thank-You Letter for Donations
1. Be prompt
Don’t wait until a few weeks after your fundraiser has finished to send out a thank-you letter for donations. Typically, the faster you get them out, the better. When someone has purchased an item from your fundraiser, the best time to send a thank-you letter is when you deliver their order. If someone has sent in a donation to support your group, try to get the message out within 72 hours of receiving the donation. This guarantees that supporters feel an immediate appreciation for their help, and it extends that good feeling the person has from contributing.
You can also do multiple different thank-you messages throughout your fundraiser. Encourage sellers to give a verbal “thank you” while selling and delivering. They can also post one on social media. This is especially a good idea if you want to put off sending that personal letter or email until the fundraiser is complete or until you have an update to share. After all, you can never say “thank you for your support” enough.
2. Add a personal touch
When writing your letter, address it with your supporter’s name. Just having a generic greeting at the top makes people feel like they’re part of the crowd instead of a meaningful contributor to your group.
Along that same line, you should have your letter be sent from an actual person. Letters feel more personal when they’re from a single sender. So, don’t end yours with “Sincerely, (Group Name)”. Instead, have each one be from the seller who interacted with the customer or from the group leader.
These are small things, but they make a big difference in how your supporters will perceive your letters and thus your group.
3. Remind supporters how their donations will be used
We’ve already stressed the importance of showing donors how their contributions made a difference. When writing a thank-you letter, you can do this by reiterating the goal of your fundraiser, by telling them how close you came to that goal, and by communicating what your next steps will be.
Also, consider including information about where they can go to see periodic updates on your current project or any upcoming events. That way they can continue to see the effect their donations had on your group.
4. Use the right tone
You want supporters to feel good after reading your letter, so keep the tone warm and friendly. Avoid being too formal or using a lot of jargon. You want the letter to sound like it was written by a good friend, not a co-worker or a stranger.
Also, put the focus of the letter on the supporter and their contributions, not your organization. Use the word “you” more than “we” or “us” to avoid making the letter sound like a sales pitch instead of a sincere expression of gratitude.
5. Keep it concise
When a thank-you letter gets too long, the recipient is less likely to read it. Make a list of 3-5 main points you want to include and stick to them. That will help you keep it short and sweet. Overall, we recommend a thank-you letter being no more than one page.
If you want to let your supporters know where they can find more information, you can include your group’s website and social links in the footer or remind them to sign up for your monthly newsletter.
6. Focus on gratitude
The most important thing to remember when writing a thank-you letter for donations is the goal of the communication. You’re sending this to express your gratitude for a person’s donations and contributions. Keep the focus on that. Don’t make it another request for assistance. That can always come later.
The Breakdown of a Donation Thank-You Letter
Introduction
The introduction sets the tone for the rest of the letter. This is where you greet and address your supporter. As we already mentioned, make sure to address the recipient by name. The introduction is an opportunity to personalize your letter as much as possible and make the donor feel that it really was written with them in mind.
Body
This is, by far, the most important part of the letter. This is where you include all those important details we mapped out during the “tips” section above. Remember to emphasize the impact of your supporter’s contributions and minimize any extra pieces of information that aren’t relevant.
If you can, try to incorporate stories and quotes from people in your group or community who will benefit from the donation.
Conclusion
The end of the thank-you letter is where you want to include your call to action. As we already said, you don’t want this to be another ask for donations or assistance. However, there are several other requests you can make at this time. You can ask them to sign up for emails or newsletters, ask them to get in touch, or remind them to follow your group on social media.
Sample Thank-You Letter for Donations
Here are a few sample templates to get you started. Be sure to customize each one, so it better fits your group, your fundraiser, and your supporters.
Sample Letter #1 – After Fundraiser is Complete
Dear (Supporter’s Name),
Thank you for your support of (Group Name) during their (Fundraiser Name). Your contribution really (short statement of impact). The goal of this fundraiser was to raise (Goal Amount). With your help, our group was able to raise a total of (Total Amount Raised).
Thanks to you, (include more information on the impact of their donations, who is being helped, what is being accomplished, and what will continue to be accomplished in the future).
(Insert story or quotes from someone who will benefit from your fundraiser. This is also a good place to add any extra information about your group or organization.)
Thanks again for your generosity and support,
(Seller Name/Group Leader Name)
Sample Letter #2 – While Fundraiser is Still in Progress
Dear (Supporter’s Name),
We are very appreciative of your contribution to (Group Name)’s (Fundraising Name) and wanted to take the time to thank you. Here at (Group Name), we value each and every supporter and appreciate all the help they give to our group.
With your support, we are one step closer to our goal of (fundraiser goal amount). The money raised will go toward (fundraiser purpose). (Detail why your organization is raising funds for this purpose. If you are a school, explain how your current fundraiser benefits students and/or teachers. Clearly outline the plan for completing the project.)
You are truly making a difference for (Group’s Name) and (core group the fundraiser is helping i.e. school kids, band students, etc.).
If you have any further questions about this fundraiser, about how your donation is being used, or you just want further information on how to continue to work with (Group’s Name), please contact us. We are available at (phone number) or you can visit our website: (website URL).
Thanks again for your generosity and support,
(Seller Name/Group Leader Name)
