https://bloomerang.co/resources/webinars/ Your thank you letter is the first step toward RETAINING a donor. Join Gail Perry, MBA, CFRE – just in time for the holiday season – for tips on how to NAIL your donor thank yous!

1. How To Write A Killer
Thank You Letter
12/3/15
1pm Eastern
The presentation will begin shortly.

2. Before We Get Started
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Our guest presenter »
Gail Perry, MBA, CFRE
Gail is an international fundraising
consultant, trend-spotter, speaker,
trainer and thought-leader.
Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach,
developed over the past 25 years as a
non-profit philanthropy expert, has
helped organizations raise hundreds of
millions in gifts.
Her book, Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn
Board Passion into Action (Wiley/AFP)
has been called the “gold standard
guide to building successful fundraising
boards.”

5. How to Craft a Killer
Thank You Letter
Gail Perry MBA CFRE
@gailperrync gp@gailperry.com

6. Our Agenda Today
Crafting a Killer Thank You Letter
• Assure your nervous donor that she made a wise
investment.
• Make your donor SO VERY HAPPY that she gave to
your cause.
• Make your donor feel like she did the RIGHT THING.
• Acknowledge the CONNECTION between the
donor and the success of the organization
• Bring joy to her heart – and to her life.

7. Special Resource for Today’s Attendees
61 page workbook:
Skyrocket Your Fundraising With
a Systematic Major Gifts
Program!
http://www.gailperry.com/resources-bloomerang

8. Your thank you says to
the donor:
“You Matter.”
https://ifundraiser.wordpress.com/
2013/08/18/thank-you-you-matter/

9. The donor said:
“I give regularly to many
other charities, but no one
has ever thanked me
personally.”
https://ifundraiser.wordpress.com/
2013/01/31/thank-you/

10. “Forget about thanking.
Think instead about
congratulating people for the
difference they are making, what
they have achieved.
Don’t be grateful, be humble: our
job as a charity is to help people
do their good in the world.
Not the other way around.
Matthew Sheerington

11. 7

12. 8

13. Satisfied donors
give again and give
morethe next
time they are
asked.

14. What’s in a GREAT
thank you letter?

15. • It is personalized in some way 51%
• It acknowledges how the gift will be used 30%
• It is handwritten 16%
• It is signed by a member of the board 13%
Penelope Burk
What donors feel makes a thank
you letter superior:
Penelope Burk

16. A really prompt TY note
impresses your donor. It
indicates to her that
your organization is well
run.
And in this day of
nervous donors, that
gives you a significant
leg up.
Prompt gift acknowledgement influences
44% of study donors’ future giving
decisions
38% of study donors receive a thank you
letter within two weeks, 54% within a
month, 8% within two months
~Penelope Burk
Make it really really prompt.
Penelope Burk

17. • Focus attention on
something that can
demonstrate measurable
results.
• Most donors are worried
that their gifts will not be
spent wisely.
• You can assure them by
talking about the impact
this money will make.
“Thank you for your gift to the PCC
Farmland Fund. You are a part of a
growing community (in all senses)
of progressive businesses who
understand the importance of
protecting our food at its source.
Your gift will go directly to help
protect the Shipley Fields.”
-PCC Farmland Fund, Seattle
Talk about HOW the money will
be specifically used.
Penelope Burk

18.
“Acknowledge the long
term partnership your
donor has with your
organization.”
And celebrate it.
Acknowledge the donor’s
previous giving.
~Penelope Burk

19. • It’s your opportunity to help the
donor feel good about what
she has done.
• Be sincere.
• Show some thoughtfulness
• Try to connect with the donor
instead of staying so distant.
“ I can’t begin to thank you enough
for . . .”
“We are absolutely thrilled to have
your support again this year.”
“Because of your gift, a family will
have . . . (or a kid will get . . . ; or our
water will be cleaner.”
‘Your gift is helping to improve the
lives of . . “
Be sure to communicate
excitement, gratitude and warmth.
Penelope Burk

20. • A great letter starts with a
great opening sentence.
• Try starting out with an
unusual opening line.
• Don’t say “Thank you for...”
and NEVER say “On behalf
of…”
“Music nourishes and enriches
our lives. We are proud to be the
only professional orchestra in the
city to offer a principal series of
high caliber concerts to the
public free of charge. But we
would be unable to do so
without…”
You’ve got to grab the reader’s
attention.
Penelope Burk

21. • “A letter without a
personal address leaves
the donor feeling that the
organization is conscious
of the gift but not the
individual behind the
contribution.” (Burk)
• Do not use “Dear Donor”
or “Dear Friend.”
Personally address it.
Use a personal salutation.
Penelope Burk

22. • Viewed as a sign of respect.
• Shows the “writer was
thinking about that donor in
particular when she signed
the letter.” (Burk)
• Is the only personalized
aspect of the
correspondence on a typed
letter.
Personally sign the letter.
Penelope Burk

23. • Board of Directors
• For example, an arts organization can have
the artistic director, the conductor or even the
prima ballerina sign the letter.
76% of study donors said getting a
personal letter from someone who has
benefitted from the charity’s work is
very meaningful
Someone from the highest
ranks of the organization signs
the letter.
Penelope Burk

24. I can’t think of
ANYTHING more
powerful than this,
can you?
Try sending another letter from a
grateful recipient.

25. • “I just heard this story
which I want to
share with you.”
• “And mean it too.
• “Authenticity
counts.
Tell a story.
Richard Turner, ifundraiser /

26. • Make your donor feel like an insider.
• “Find a new anecdote to tell. It will make you
proactive and you’ll find you use the stories in
talking to people too.
• “Currently I tell a lovely two liner of a teacher
called Francis from Kenya who has noticed the
performance of children he teaches has
improved since the introduction of solar lights
and how “they now love books”.
Re-do Your Thank You’s Each
Month With Fresh Content.
Richard Turner, ifundraiser /

27. • Don’t say. “Your gift will help us do XYZ.”
• Instead say:
• Your gift will help make XYZ happen.
• This is true donor-centered thanking!
Give the Donor Credit for YOUR
Work

28. • Pre-printed cards are impersonal and mass-
produced.
• They tell the donor that her gift is not significant
enough to warrant a personal letter.
51% of study respondents said that the thing
that makes than a letter superior is that it is
personalized in some way.
~Penelope Burk
Send a real letter,
not a pre-printed card.
Penelope Burk

29. • It’s a thank you letter, not a
veiled solicitation!
“According to charities, only 7% ask for
another gift within the body of thank
you letters, but 21% include a pledge
form and/or return envelope with the
thank you letter (hint, hint)!
Do NOT ask for another gift.
~Penelope Burk

30. • “Thank you letters with
enclosures requiring action
are interpreted as letters
with ulterior motives.”
• It’s not a time to gather
data about your donor.
“86% of charities include some
kind of enclosure in thank you
letters, such as surveys,
newsletters, invitations or gifts.”
Don’t ask the donor to do
anything at all!
~Penelope Burk

31. “Poorly constructed
correspondence makes donors
wonder whether they have
supported the right organization.
No spelling or grammatical errors!
~Penelope Burk

32. • Use a warm tone
toward the donor (vs.
a lofty formal, distant
tone).
• Use casual writing.
Write in a “can-do” positive
tone.
~Penelope Burk

33. • Don’t say “without the
generous support of
people like you” or similar
or generalizations.
• Use first and second
person; “I,” “we,” “you.”
It’s important to speak directly to
the donor – not to a group of
people.
Penelope Burk

34. • You DON’T need
lengthy explanations
of programs or
services.
• A simple
acknowledgement is
better.
Do NOT continue to “sell.”
Penelope Burk

35. Brevity is a
decided
advantage!
“You must have heard the cheers from Donna
Karfunkle this morning when we told her that you
are funding “Music, Art and Math.”
Her excitement was matched by our own deep
appreciation for your belief in and support of our
work.
Donna, an extraordinary Woodmere docent who
works with children, will be coordinating the project
with A.M.Y.6 and is, indeed, the mastermind
behind the entire concept.
We look forward to being able to share the
program’s success with you next year. In the
meantime, our regards and sincere thanks.
Sincerely yours,
Be concise and to the point.
Penelope Burk

36. Take 5 minutes to write a quick
handwritten note – IN ADDITION to a
formal printed letter.
Handwrite if:
• You know the donor
• She has been giving a long time
• She is a leadership donor.
• She is well known in the community.
• The gift is of exceptional value.
Sometimes handwrite your
letters.

37. • Get an alert report of incoming donors who give a
significant amount
• Arrange a handwritten thank you from a senior member of
staff (what that donation level is depends on your
organisation).
• Give someone responsibility to allocate thank you’s to
senior staff.
Have a senior program staffer
write a handwritten letter.
Richard Turner, ifundraiser /

38. Dear Mrs. Hamilton,
We needed you and you were there.
We are so grateful for your donation which has been
allocated to our new literacy program for street youth. A report on the
growth and impact of this program will be sent to you in January, but
if you want to speak with us anytime before then, please contact our
Development Director, Joyce Bird, at (555) 455-9825.
Thank you for your generosity and your confidence in our work.
Sincerely,
Robert Sable
Board of Directors
A wonderful thank you letter:
Penelope Burk

40. A wonderful thank you letter:

43. Gail’s Checklist: Thank you letter DO’s
• Be really, really prompt
• Get the donor’s name right
• Have a high-ranking person personally sign the letter
• Show some emotion
• Convey gratitude
• Wear your heart on your sleeve
• Refer to how the gift will be used
• Acknowledge past gifts
• Personalize the salutation: Dear Mr. Smith
• Send several TY notes from different people
• Send additional thank you letters from board members
• Send a TY letter from someone helped by your organization
• Sign it with a real signature
• Be positive and upbeat
• Be concise
• Include a contact name and number if the donor has
questions
• Handwrite it if you know the donor well
• Begin with an innovative or creative sentence that charms the
donor

44. Gail’s Checklist: Thank you letter DON’Ts
• Start out with “on behalf of”
• Ask for another gift
• Use thank you letter jargon: “we are deeply grateful for your
continued support”
• Start out with Dear Friend
• Ask anything else from your donor right now
• Misspell their name
• Have errors in grammar, punctuation or misspellings
• Go on and on. Ditch the verbosity. Do be concise
• Don’t keep “selling”
• Don’t ask the donor to do anything (like complete an enclosed
survey, for example)
• Don’t be formal or lofty
• Don’t be vague about how the money will be used
• Don’t sign it yourself if you can get a higher-ranking person to sign
it

46. Resources and Free Fundraising Tools
• How to Craft a Killer Thank You Letter (Gail’s blog)
• The 10 vital rules of thanking, pleasing and keeping donors –
Katya Andreson
• The art of saying thank you – Richard Turner
• Why asking and thanking is all wrong – Matthew Sherrington
• Don’t Ask. Don’t Thank. The Agitator, Roger Craver
• Fired-Up Fundraising NEWSLETTER
Gail Perry MBA CFRE
@gailperrync FiredUpFundraising.com

47. Questions?

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