The following is advice from Giftworks. They have some wonderful ideas to help you better connect with your donors.
Posted: 06 Jun 2012 10:25 AM PDT
So much of our work in development
relies on the contribution of time and money from others. It seems like
there’s always another thank you letter to write! And it feels like
you’ve already written more than your quota for a lifetime! Here are some
ideas for keeping those thank you notes and letters fresh:
Remember that each thank you is
a “personal” note to the individual volunteer
from you (or someone in the organization the volunteer will recognize—the
executive director, a board member, or the project’s head). Although you
may incorporate common elements in all the letters, make sure when Sally
receives the letter she feels it is a personal letter from you. (No mailing
labels this time.)
Start out with a celebration of
what’s been accomplished (not mailing 500
letters, but receiving $6,000 in gifts in response to the letters.)
Mission accomplished! Together we made it
possible for 30 homeless students to attend
a week- long summer camp. That’s ten more
"happy campers" than we were able to send last year!
Move right into how the
volunteer’s efforts made the achievement possible.
Without you, it never would have
happened. By helping us provide sleeping bags, back packs, pillows,
toiletries and towels—and pay tuition, you enabled our campers to come to camp
with all of the supplies that every other camper is provided by their
families. These children would never otherwise have the opportunity to
attend such a camp and make new friends and wonderful memories. This is a
week off the streets, away from the shelter, with nutritious meals, caring
supervision, fun and games, all in a Christian atmosphere.
In fact, Jamie, a 12-year old from
last year’s camp, wrote a thank you note saying “Thank you -- if you guys
didn’t pay for me to go, I wouldn’t have had the time of my life!”
Show the connection between the
project and your agency’ mission.
In our work to improve the lives and
futures of the homeless children in our community, the
Camp Donegal project is just one of the
ways we create opportunities for the 300 families our programs touch each
year. This is truly a project that changes lives, and it depends on
your generosity.
Close with thanks again, mentioning both the current experience and the ongoing support
the volunteer offers throughout the year.
We thank you for your help with Camp
Donegal this summer and for your ongoing support of our work all year.
Add a P.S. Invite a
contact.
I’d love to hear from you about your experience with the
campers, or if you are interested in participating as a regular
volunteer. You can reach me directly at -------.
Try a few new ideas to inject life into your thank you letters!
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