Werth-It Fundraising Blog

I realized I’ve been remiss in sending out thank-you notes, and as I was writing a couple, it occurred to me that not everyone knows how to write one.  I thought I’d post a few tips about it.

In fundraising, there’s a lot to be thankful for.  We thank our donors for their financial gifts, but we should also thank them when they do something that advances our fundraising.  Therefore, you should thank people who introduce you to potential donors, who arrange for a gift from their company, who ask others to give, and who host an event to raise money.  Those are just a few reasons: there are many more.

What does a thank-you note look like?  It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be just a small card, with or without the words “Thank You” on it.  In fact, unmarked cards let you express a variety of sentiments, so you can use them as sympathy cards or anniversary/birthday greetings as well.  They can have your organization’s logo, a picture of someone involved in your work, or they can be generic cards from a store. 

What should a thank-you note say?  It doesn’t need to be lengthy.  In fact, it can be just three sentences.  The first sentence thanks the person, the second is more specific about what they did, and the final sentence can conclude with a wish for the future.  For example, let’s say that a donor introduced you to another potential donor:

Dear John,

Thank you so much for introducing me to Mark Rogers.  I think you have a good instinct about people and he seemed very interested in our work.  I will follow-up and keep you posted about what happens.

Thank you,

Katherine Wertheim

Or perhaps a donor opened her home to a group of friends to hear about your organization:

Dear Elizabeth:

Thank you so much for hosting our “Get to Know Us” event last Thursday.  The food was wonderful and it was terrific that you gathered so many of your friends together to hear about our efforts.  I’m so glad that your friend Gretchen was inspired to support us, and I’m grateful that you gave me the opportunity to meet her.

Best wishes,

Kathy Wertheim

If you’ve been bad about sending thank-you notes, it’s never too late.  You can reference what the person did and how much it meant to you, and how you still think about it even now.

If you have questions about fundraising or need help in training your board of directors in asking for money, please contact me, Katherine Wertheim, CFRE, at katherine@werth-it.com.