It’s no secret that generous donations can propel a business to success faster than any other growth strategy. But here’s the challenge—worthwhile donors are hard to impress and even harder to pin down. And say you finally won over a donor, and their contribution made all the difference. What’s the logical next step here to retain and impress them?
Thanking them, of course. Donors can be selective about where they invest their time, money and resources. A winning and thoughtful thank-you letter can be the key to keeping them engaged.
A well-crafted thank-you letter seems like a thing of the past, but it remains a powerful tool in building powerful donor relationships. Plus, with the right tools, you can automate the issuing and delivery process, managing thank-you notes in real time, faster and better than before.
If creating ‘thank you’ letters is not your forte, it’s cool—we did the homework for you. In this guide, we’ll share the top benefits of writing thank-you letters to donors, handpicked tips to get you started, and a free ready-to-use template!
The Advantages of Sending Thank-You Letters
There’s a thousand ways to say thank you these days. But, in the corporate world, a well-crafted thank-you truly goes a long way. Especially if you work with donors, a thank-you letter is critical during the stewardship stage. Here are just a few perks business can enjoy by writing them.
It puts gratitude on paper
The truth is, donors can choose to support a range of businesses. When they decide to choose yours, you should definitely thank them for it. After all, donors help empower your business in real time, and want it to succeed—which is something to recognize, with a tangible thank you.
They value the donor
Let’s be honest, donors play a huge role in making or breaking a business. They are pivotal to your growth, so make it known in your thank-you letter just how much you value their time and efforts. Be sure that donors are always aware and engaged from your company, so they can continue supporting your mission.
A great nurture strategy
Thank-you letters are a smart way to onboard and retain donors. By praising their contributions, and including the facts and stats to prove it, they will feel appreciated and needed, which adds more value to your relationship and ensures they invest again and again.
Top-level donor stewardship
A successful donor stewardship means the donor has a seamless experience with your company. They are directly involved in your brand story, and thanking them adequately can increase their donation rate—which makes it easier to keep your business going at full steam.
Craft the Best Thank-you Letter for Donors: 9 Effective Tips
Personalize the letter
If you are a successful business, you probably will collaborate with more than one donor. Therefore, personalizing your thank-you letter is key. Addressing the donor by their name and highlighting their most valuable contributions to make it extra personal and relevant.
Nail the timing
It sounds weird, but there is a perfect timing to send your thank-you letter for donations. Ideally, this is done in the first 24-72 hours of receiving the donation. It’s the ideal time to thank and reassure them of their investment, while making them feel appreciated instantly. Remember, they have ‘donation memory’ and will always value a thank-you letter before investing again.
Personalize the sender
When you’re sending a thank-you letter to donors, you want it to be personal and feel familiar. That’s why it’s better to send thank-you letters in your own name, rather than your organization’s. Donors appreciate the ‘people factor’ and want to hear ‘thank you for all you’ve done’ from a real person, ideally someone with a higher rank in your company.
Add proof of impact
Another thing companies must feature in your thank-you letter for donations is a statement of impact. After thanking donors, explain in detail how their contribution made a real impact at your company and beyond. Donors want to know their money and resources go to good causes and make a difference. This is where you can align your company’s mission with the tangible success results donors contributed to.
Consider donor’s lingo
Thank-you letters are meant to celebrate donors, in their own language. Using targeted messaging like “Because of your unmatched support” or “Your donation made X possible” can make them feel acknowledged in a way they appreciate. While adjusting your tone, be sure to speak more from the donor’s side, rather than adopting a “we/us” tone. Get straight to the meat and potatoes, leaving the fluff out of your copy.
Reference earlier donations
If a donor has contributed to your business before, make sure to tie it into your thank-you letter.
Featuring donation history and success stories keeps donors open to collaborate with you again, and certain they are investing in the right cause. Such references will only apply to recurring donors, whereas for first-time donors, you’ll need a different, more personalized letter.
Encourage more contact
Imagine a donor is so moved by your thank you that they want to learn even more about your organization. Make it easy for them to do so by including contact information for the letter sender, along with links to your website, social media, and email (if the communication is electronic).
Don’t make it anything else
It might seem like a good selling point to try and score another donation through your thank-you letter, but it’s not. A thank-you letter is just that, a letter to lay out your praise to the donor and gratitude for investing in your brand story. Let donors have their moment—there is a time and place to make an ask later on.
Make it stunning
Donors can be quite visual, so it’s smart to lay out the change they’ve made in visual format. Featuring quotes from attendees, photos of events, videos, and outcome breakdowns make it easy for donors to understand why their contribution was worthwhile.
Sign personally
As we mentioned before, donors want to be personally invested in a brand in order to support it. In other words, they want a person behind the brand, not an organization. Using a personal signature in your thank-you letter is a great gesture to assure the donor you took the time to write to and acknowledge them.
Writing a thank-you email? Check out our guide to the best fonts for digital signatures.
When to send thank-you letters to donors
Donations come in all shapes and sizes, and they aren’t always a done deal. There are a few occasions when sending a thank-you letter for donations makes absolute sense. This includes instances when you receive any of the following:
- Online donations: When donors give online, but there is no automated acknowledgement sent.
- One-time donations: A single, standalone contribution from a donor.
- Recurring donations: Ongoing contributions set monthly, quarterly or annually.
- In-kind contributions: Non-financial donations, including goods, services, or expertise.
- Pledge donations: Donors who promise to contribute a specific amount by a certain date.
- Fundraising contributions: Includes donations made through peer-to-peer fundraising.
- Sponsorships: Financial donations, often meant for events or programs.
- Donation-tied event attendance: Donations given through event ticket sales or auctions.
A Practical Template for Your Thank-You Letter
| [Date] [Name] [Organization] [City] [Country] [Postal Code] Subject: [Use a warm and appreciative greeting and subject line] Salutation: Dear [Donor’s Name] Opening: [Express gratitude immediately] Acknowledgment: [Recognize the donation, its impact, and the problems it solved] Personal reinforcement: [Reinforce the mission of your Organization] Closing: [Wrap up your appreciation, add a personalized CTA, & share contact info] [Your Name & Title] [Organization Name] [Email] [Phone] [Website] |
The Final Result
| Subject: Thank You for Your Unmatched Support Dear Mr. John Doe, We’re deeply grateful for your generous donation to [Organization Name]. Your support played a vital role in providing essential resources to learners in need. Thanks to your contribution of [Donation Type or Total Amount] we can make a meaningful impact on education. Your generosity helps us provide meals and equipment for students, fund educational programs, and ensure that every eager learner—regardless of circumstances, location, or background—has access to quality knowledge. At [Organization Name], we believe that every act of giving brings us closer to a world where knowledge is truly empowering and accessible to all. With dedicated supporters like you, we can continue creating lasting change where it counts most. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity—we couldn’t do this without you! To stay updated on our impact, please follow us on our [Website/Social Media links] or reach out anytime at [Contact Information]. With gratitude, [Jane Doe, Project Education Manager] [Organization Name] [Email] [Phone] [Website] |
The Sertifier Way: Manage ‘Thank You’ Letters for Donors Like a Pro
Whether it’s coming from companies or individuals, donations to your business are always worth the gratitude and acknowledgment. Not only does it help maintain long-term business success but also gives donors the validation and appreciation they need to stay on board and keep investing.
Forget manual letter sending—Sertifier makes the process easier, saving you time, effort, and resources. Our dedicated platform helps global NGOs and stakeholders automatically track, send and manage thank-you letters to valuable donors, ensuring no donor is left behind.
On top, our customizable templates help you personalize thank-you messages, build them from scratch, and reinforce donor contribution accordingly. Meanwhile, our automated delivery ensures you can start issuing thank-you notes immediately after every donation, without holdbacks.
Finally, Sertfiier seamlessly integrates with any existing donor management systems, ensuring you can deliver personalized donor notes at scale in a click of a button. Optimize efficiency and keep your donors close—start building the ‘thank-you’ letters they want to see!
