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TY Thursday: Post-Donation Thank-You–on Your Website!

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post-donation TY pageCongratulations! You’ve cultivated your donor, and she has just gone online and made a generous gift. Now, post-donation, you want to thank her as personally as possible, as soon as possible.

But how?

Your First Chance to Show the Love

Just because a donor has made a gift to your organization, it doesn’t mean you have won their heart. Not forever. Maybe not even for today.

You’ve heard of “buyer’s remorse”? That feeling  you get when you’ve finally plunked down your credit card or signed on the dotted line and agreed to a purchase…and then you say, “Wait a minute, did I just make a big mistake?”

Donors to nonprofits go through that too. They give on impulse, and then they wonder, “Did I really do the right thing? Is that nonprofit really what I want to be supporting with my hard-earned money?”

The moment they give, you want to send them a message that says, “Yes! You did the right thing.”

Your Website Can Be Your Thank-You

All online fundraising tools will let you send a receipt to your donor automatically, to let them know their donation actually went through. But that’s the equivalent of the cashier handing you a receipt after a purchase. It’s minimal and impersonal. Your nonprofit can do better than that!

Some tools will let you customize the receipt. If yours allows you, definitely say “Thank you, Dennis, for giving $100 to Social Justice Organization. You’re already helping to save the world in this way!”

Some tools, like PayPal, won’t.

But–PayPal will let you return the donor to your website after he or she makes a donation. So, why not set up a post-donation thank-you page that shares all the love with the donor, right there on your website?

11 Things You Can Do on Your Post-Donation Thank-You Page

The thank-you page on your website can give your donors more than just a verbal “thank-you.” Here are 11 things you can do there to give the donor the feeling, “I made the right choice when I gave to this organization.” (The first nine are from Joanne Fritz  and the last two from Tina Jepson of Causevox.)

  1. Invite donors to follow you on social media. 
  2. Invite donors to watch a video.
  3. Invite donors to volunteer.
  4. Gather info with a little survey.  Ask just two or three questions on the thank you page, such as how they found out about your charity, why they donated, and how they want you to communicate with them.
  5. Connect your donor with resources.
  6. Gather feedback.  Explain to your donor that you always want to improve your service and ask her to help by leaving feedback about the donation process itself.
  7. Provide testimonials from the people you serve.  There’s no better way to reassure the donor that his decision to give was a good one than by listing a couple of testimonials from the people you help.
  8. Invite donors to something special.
  9. Remind your donor of an additional way to give (as charity: water does in the thank-you page pictured above).
  10. Add an email newsletter subscription option.
  11. Highlight impact.  By closing the loop on the donation, you ensure that your donor knows that your organization is making a difference because of their investment in your cause.

It doesn’t take any more technical knowledge to set up a post-donation thank-you page than to add any other page to your website. So, why not give it a try? See if your donors appreciate it!

TY Thursday: Open the Doors to Donors

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opening doors

Should you invite your donors to visit your programs? How open should the doors of your nonprofit be?

We’re not talking about a donor appreciation event here, or another fundraising gala. The question is, should you give the person who has donated to your organization the chance to see the organization at work, and how?

Yes, Invite Them In

Tina Jepson of Causevox has suggested:

Allow donors to get to know your organization on a more personal, intimate level by offering a behind-the-scenes look at your nonprofit operations with a tour, lunch and learn program, etc.

(This is #13 on her list of 20 thank-you ideas your nonprofit can try. Check out the whole list!)

Ann Green thinks holding a donor open house is a way to “do something special for your donors.” And F. Duke Haddad of the Salvation Army agrees.

In truth, the only way you can receive 100 percent feedback and emotional ties is by having someone visit your organizational facilities to meet the cast of those in your organizational orbit.

I have to agree, too. Donor appreciation events are fine–and they give the donors the chance to meet one another, so they double as networking events. That’s a tangible way to say “thanks” to your donors!

But appreciation events are separate from the daily life of your nonprofit. Attending those events won’t let the people who support your organization see their gifts in action.

And seeing that is what will motivate them to make that next gift.

Not So Fast!

Before you rush to propose to your organization that you open the doors, however, think about it from the program staff point of view.

Bringing donors in to observe the program could disrupt what you’re supposed to be doing with and for the clients that day.

It could thrust staff into a role they haven’t prepared for and don’t feel good about performing.

It could be a liability issue, if there’s any chance the donors could harm or be harmed. Or it could backfire. Let’s be honest: not every day in the life of your nonprofit is something you’d like donors to carry around with them when they think about their donation dollars at work.

At the very least, it’s going to create extra work. So, if you’re going to invite donors to visit, the way you bring them in is crucial. There needs to be something in it for the staff and the program participants, too!

How to Open Your Doors and Be Happy

Here’s one of the best suggestions I’ve heard for how to bring your donors to the programs: Have a volunteer day.

Figure out something that actually needs doing (not a make-work project). Invite donors to pitch in along with staff and clients to get it done. Give them chances to relax and just talk together.

You, the development officer, should circulate, make introductions, and answer questions as they come up. Take a moment somewhere along the way to thank the donors for what they have already given and what they are giving today, by showing up.

If you have a client who wants to tell his or her story, give them a chance. But please, don’t micro-manage the event. The donors are not there to see you. They’ve come to see what a good organization they’re supporting, and feel good about themselves.

Have you already invited your donors to volunteer at your organization? What advice would you share about planning ahead and making the day a happy one?

TY Thursday: Don’t Ask for Money! Unless…

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before fundraising letter

Before you write that appeal letter…

Are you working on your end-of-year fundraising appeal already? Good for you! Lots of nonprofits start thinking about their appeal letter in November…or even December. You are already ahead of the field.

Now, stop.

Yes, I said stop! There’s something more important for you to work on right now than your fundraising letter–something that will actually help you raise more money than your appeal letter.

Now is the time to thank your donors.

Why Thanking Donors is Your First Priority

Donors who aren’t thanked don’t give again. It’s as simple as that.

The sad fact is that MOST of your first-time donors won’t give again. Across the U.S., fewer than 20% of donors who gave to a nonprofit organization in 2014 renewed their support in 2015. That means four out of five donors gave once, then walked away.

Why? The biggest reason donors say they don’t renew their gift is lack of communication. They didn’t hear from you that you appreciated their gift, or how you used it, or whether or not they made a difference.

A good thank-you letter begins the process that makes your first-time donor into a loyal friend (and makes your longtime donor a fervent advocate for your work).  So, if you didn’t send a thank-you letter last year–or if your letter read like a tax receipt and not a personal note–then drop everything and thank your donors today.

Beyond the Thank-You Letter

“But wait,” you say. “We already thanked the donors. We sent out a letter in January.”

Again, good for you! Especially if your told a story that immediately made the donor feel happy that they gave. And doubly so if you sent one thank-you letter to the first-time donor  and a different letter to your donor who decided to renew. You made them feel they were not just an ATM: they’re people you know.

But that was January. This is October.october

If you haven’t been personally in touch with your first-time donor all 2016, they may have forgotten the nice impression you made. They may have forgotten they ever gave to you. They may even have forgotten who you are.

And your long-time donor may be thinking less of you, too. You’re their cousin who they haven’t heard from for ages, who suddenly shows up at the door asking for money. They may still love you, but they may feel a bit used. You need to build that relationship again.

3 Ways to Thank Your Donor, NOW

Before you ask for money again, here are three ways you can thank your donors personally.

  1. Pick up the phone. Even a voicemail from someone at your organization–a Board member, especially–will reignite the donor’s warm feelings. If you can have a live conversation, that will give you a chance to find out more about why they gave, and what would persuade them to give again.
  2. Shout out on social media. Post a message on your donor’s Facebook page, for instance, letting them (and their friends!) know how important their gift has been.
  3. Send them a video. Do you own a smartphone? Then you have a video camera in your pocket. Donors will be surprised when they see your face and hear your voice!

Ideally, you would thank your donors throughout the year (and here are twenty ways to do that in 2017). But it’s not too late to show your gratitude and make your donors proud this year.

Before you send out another fundraising letter, stop and thank your donors, as warmly and as personally as you can. More of them will give. More of them will increase their donations. And more of them will think and speak well of your organization, this year and in the future.

 

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