As we move into the last quarter of the year, the focus for many nonprofit organizations is on year-end fundraising. But before you ask for more, have you properly shown gratitude for all you’ve received?
Here are five strategies to use today to make sure your donors and supporters feel appreciated.
- Pay attention to what comes after the “for”. Saying “thank you for your donation” is nice. But it’s better when you can thank a donor by describing the impact they made. Thank you for opening our doors to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Thanks for advancing critical research to help patients just like Anne. Thank you for doing your part to make greenspaces free and available to more people. What else comes after the “for”?
- Don’t forget the person behind the DAF. Stocks, donor-advised funds and IRAs are just some of the ways donors can make a gift to you. But, when the check comes from a financial institution and not an individual, automated stewardship practices can break down. Learn how to identify and steward donors who give to you indirectly.
- Make it personal. For those donors who have gone above and beyond for your organization, how can you show them gratitude in a way that is personally meaningful to them? Here are some inspiring examples: Larry’s Tree, We Miss Her Too, An Auction Bidding War Gone Right
- Thank your board and committees. Your volunteers spend countless hours leveraging their connections and expertise to advance your mission. Take the time to let them know just how important their work is. Who else do you need to thank?
- Don’t forget your staff. While nonprofit staff are often overworked, don’t overlook the power of letting them do some thank you calls or social posts. When staff get the chance to talk about why their work is meaningful to a supporter of that work, both parties get their inspiration buckets refilled. Other ways to wow your staff
Even more stewardship inspiration can be found on our blog!
