Every donor you keep is a treasure. It costs more to find a new donor than to retain a previous one. The more often a donor gives, the more loyal they become to your cause and the greater the lifetime value to your organization. So, saying thank you all throughout 2018 is not just a good idea. It’s money.

Need ideas to show your donors some love? Here are 14, just in time for Valentine’s Day, from Sandy Rees.

What makes a good thank you? Here are  5 easy steps to great acknowledgments, courtesy of The Donor Guru, Lynne Wester. (And also, check out my checklist for the ideal thank-you letter.)

If you prefer to look at a template, Network for Good offers this one to adapt to your donors’ needs.

Give up the spotlight! Don’t talk so much about your organization.

If you focus on gratitude, if you focus on love, if the focus is donor-centric, there’s something in it for the donor, they’re going to go, “Wow, that was really nice” (as Claire Axelrad tells us in this video from Bloomerang).

Ann Green is right: Even if someone donates online, she should get a thank you by mail or phone. If you haven’t sent a thank you letter to your year-end donors, do that now! http://ow.ly/h2L730hSWQS 

Now, remember these wise words from Tom Ahern:

Thanking someone promptly for a gift is just good manners: the bare minimum. Thanking is necessary, not sufficient. It does not equal “donor-centricity.” Thanking alone will not lead to better retention nor any predictable increase in future support.

Actions thank louder than words. Check out my guest post for John Haydon and at the end, you’ll find five ways you can thank donors like you mean it.

Besides saying thank you to renewal donors, you could also welcome new donors on board.

And the next time you ask for money, include the words Thanks in advance–especially if you’re asking by email! (A tip from our friends at The Agitator.)

Thanking donors makes you happy, so do yourself a favor and start putting these great thank-you tips to work today.