A 13-Point Checklist for Writing Better Thank-You Letters to Donors

If you think donor thank-you letters are fundraising 101, think again: recent research has shown that just 40 percent of nonprofits tick the right boxes when thanking their donors.

Yet the lack of a gift acknowledgment and poor communications are two of the major reasons donors stop giving. The good news is that by following a few simple guidelines, you can make your thank-you letters light-years better.

Here’s my 13-point list to help you write thank-you letters your donors will love:

1. Send one. The cardinal rule of donor thank-you letters is to send one. Mystery donation tests still show that just under half of nonprofits either don’t bother to send a gift acknowledgment or wait too long to do so.

2. Act fast, but with heart. If you can get a warm, personal, and engaging thank-you letter out the door within five to seven days of receiving a donation, you’re going to be far more effective than the organization that sends a heartless template letter that arrives in 48 hours. But don’t delay longer than a week.

3. Make it personal. Begin with a salutation like “Dear Lisa,” or “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” as opposed to “Dear Friend.”

4. Engage from the start. Forget about “on behalf of”; use an exciting lead to your thank-you. Visit my free thank-you letter clinic on the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII) for before-and-after examples.

5. Note what they gave. Be sure you include the amount of the gift received.

6. Be appropriate to the situation.

   • If this is a repeat gift, add thanks for the donor’s past generosity and indicate all it has made possible.

   • If the gift was made to honor someone else, do not thank the tribute recipient—instead, say that a gift was made in his or her honor, and note the good it will do. Send a warm and personal thank-you letter to the person who made the tribute.

   • If the donation was made for a specific reason, such as a membership renewal, a response to a holiday appeal, a memorial, or capital-campaign support, note that. And if the gift was for a capital campaign, focus on all the good the new building, machine, or wing will do.

   • If you need to reference something specific, such as a small gift—sometimes called a premium—or photo enclosed with the letter, do so.

7. Don’t leave them hanging. Tell the donors when and how they will next hear from you. For example: “In your upcoming member newsletter, we’ll keep you posted on the many good things you’re making possible.”

8. Offer a way to connect. Note that the donor can contact you with any questions, and provide a phone number. If you also give a contact email, do not use a generic address; specify a real, live person.

9. Mention your website. If you have space in the letter, include a simple call-to-action to drive the donor to your website. For example: “Keep up with all the ways you’re helping at yourorg.org.”

10. Use a postscript. Say something new or timely in your P.S., such as referring the donor to recent online videos, a holiday message, an opportunity to visit or meet with you, etc.

11. Sign it right (and call if you can).

    • 99 percent of the time your thank-you letter should come from the top, and that means your organization’s chief executive or president.

    • Hand-sign each letter if you can. If you have too many donors, decide on a threshold based on the size of a gift and the number of letters you or a board member will hand-sign, plus a giving threshold for donors to get a (highly effective) thank-you phone call.

12. Edit like a pro by making sure you:

    • keep the letter short—one side of a standard piece of paper, or three to four paragraphs plus a postscript.

    • add the required language about tax deductibility.

    • use the word “you” more than “we” and “our.”

    • say “thank you” more than once.

    • share with the donor “all your gift makes possible...”

    • proof your letter using your spelling checker and then print it and read it out loud, word for word.

13. Know your gratitude letter dos and don’ts.

    • Do not include an additional “ask” for more money, but including a reply envelope is fine—we haven’t seen a drop in retention among donors who receive those envelopes.

    • Don’t add a message urging the donor to upgrade to monthly giving or another program. Save those messages for an appeal.

    • Do include other-than-money asks, such as invitations to volunteer, tour your programs, visit, give you feedback, attend an event, etc.

Lisa Sargent is a Connecticut-based fundraising copywriter and donor-communications consultant specializing in direct mail and email.