Making donors feel special - because they are!

You do good work. Your organization is making a difference. But if you weren't funded - - Can't you hear the brakes screeching! Without funds, the work stops. So make sure your donors know that you need them and that you appreciate them.

For every gift, send an electronic thank you, a printed thank you and a hand-written thank you. Large gifts should also get a phone call. Send updates on the good made possible. Host a Thank-you gathering. Send birthday cards and holiday cards. Let donors know they matter as people - not just as pocketbooks.

So, you hear it every where. Say thank you. Make it personal. Tell the story. But some of us just cn't picture what that means. So here is one example - annotated.

Send me your examples. Let's learn for each other.

Sample thank you:

Dear «Salutation», Use the donor’s name. “Dear Friend” or any other generic term is very off-putting. You are building a relationship. If you were on a date, your heart would sink if the person across from you said, “I’m so glad you could come tonight, - - umm, friend.”

So many people are thankful for you! Open with a genuine compliment. This is about the donor. Your organization does good work, but you couldn’t do it without them. Make that clear.

Here are just a few of the people you helped when you gave to Farmer Foodshare: Tell a story about the good your donor made possible. Let me repeat. Tell a story.

First, a little boy named Tommy is thankful for you. Tommy is eight years old, and you will never guess what he wanted more than anything else: four more red peppers. He had come to Student U Family Night with his mom, and she had selected food for the family, food provided by Farmer Foodshare and Student U. As she went to checkout, our Farmer Foodshare staff noticed that Tommy kept looking longingly at four remaining peppers. When our staff member asked if he would like the peppers as a gift, he ran to ask his mom. She came back with him, tears in her eyes, and said, “Thank you! Tommy wanted those peppers because we have a large family. He was afraid the peppers we had would not be enough. Now there will be peppers for everyone.” At eight years old, Tommy already knows about scarcity, but he also knows about the joy of sharing.

Sharing helps everyone win!

You made that possible.

Then, you helped Farmer Jillian. She’s a trained dietician and a fourth year farmer. She works 6 ½ - 7 days a week – every week. Her husband helps after work and on weekends. Just starting out means there is little room in the budget for heavy machinery, so this petite farmer has cleared land, planted crops, laid drip lines, weeded, and harvested mostly by hand, and she’s produced lovely veggies and loads of micro-greens that Farmer Foodshare buys to share with area agencies that serve local folks in need.

You made that possible.

At the Take & Eat Food Pantry in Pittsboro, our Food Ambassadors meet with a group from the Senior Center. The seniors pick up produce that has come fresh from the Farmers Market. The Food Ambassadors give demos on economical ways to prepare yummy dishes with that produce, and the seniors share recipes, stories, and family traditions. Good food. Good times.

You made that possible.

Thank you! These are just three of hundreds of good things you made possible. With your continuing help we can continue to support small, local farmers and feed our neighbors in need. Thank you! Thank the donor again and summarize what they make possible.

Come see us at the Farmers Market! End with a call to action that does not ask for more money. Think of that ‘date’ analogy. This is where you make it clear this a relationship that matters to you and you want it to continue.

Warm regards,

This letter should be hand-signed. Add a hand-written note as a PS.