30 Ideas for Fundraising Success, Part 1

For those reasons, it’s vital to acknowledge your donors, but you shouldn’t sound too institutional in your communications.

In order to make sure you acknowledge donors appropriately, Terpstra said you should check your system and ask the following questions every six months:

• How are you welcoming new donors to you organization?
• How fast are you sending out thank-yous — within one week?
• Are you/can you use First Class postage?
• Are you warm, friendly and appreciative?
• Are you showing the donor her gift’s impact in the thank-you letter?
• Do you include another ask and a reply envelope? (Most organizations do!)

To illustrate the importance of acknowledgments, Terpstra said he has seen several organizations raise approximately 10 percent of their revenue through their acknowledgment programs alone.

The ‘why’ is more important that the ‘what’
“Too many of us are talking about our needs instead of donors’ needs,” Thompson said. “We over-worry about small content issues instead of focusing on what really matters to donors.”