Sending out thank you letters during a time when you have just experienced a loss can be quite a task. The last thing you would want to do is sit and try to come up with words to best show your gratitude. Thank you letters are the best way to communicate your appreciation without having to call every person who has contributed.
Thank you letters are sent in appreciation to the person who has donated in memory of the deceased. The donations can be for medical expenses, funeral expenses, or to an organization in memory of the person who has passed away. These letters are usually sent by the family of the deceased to the donor. They need not be very complex and are usually very straightforward and to the point. They can vary according to the person you are sending it to and the donation that has been made.
Read on below to find a few tips that may help you word out the thank-you letter. There are also a few sample formats attached that you could follow.
What Is It?
As explained above, a thank-you letter is something that you write to show your gratefulness to that person for their support during a difficult time. When you experience a loss, you understand how important it is to have people around you who help you get through that time.
However, there are special letters that you must write to those who have contributed money towards any particular need. These can be people who have helped to pay for medical bills if your loved one was hospitalized. They could have helped pay for funeral arrangements since these can be an expensive affair. There are also those kind hearts who contribute to certain organizations or churches in the deceased’s name.
To show your gratitude to such people, you must write a good thank-you letter which shows how much their contribution meant to you.
Why Write a Thank You Letter?
In difficult times when you face the loss of a close one, you need to thank the ones who have spared their time and resources to help you. Writing is known to be one of the best ways you can express yourself. Thanking and showing your gratitude to those who have helped is very important.
A well-worded letter can help the receiver know how much you appreciate them. Some people may have spent some money or have gifted you something. It is important to thank them for their generosity. After receiving such a thoughtful gift, you would want to thank them.
Writing Guidelines
Mode of sending the letter:
Before you actually send the letter, you need to establish the mode by which you are sending the letter. This can be via email or normal post. Though emails have made it easier to send letters since you can do it with the click of a button, the old fashion handwritten letter holds more value. It shows how much you appreciate the donation that you are willing to spend time to handwrite a thank-you letter to them. Hand-written letters are also good in cases where the person does not have an email or is not tech-savvy and does not know how to use modern technology.
Another choice arises after you have decided to post your letters. You must now decide whether you will handwrite your letter or have it typed. Both methods are good and the choice depends on how much time and effort you are willing to sacrifice for the letter. A good rule to follow would be to handwrite those letters to very close individuals whom you want to connect with on a more personal level. Typing out letters is much easier and can be done if you need to send out the letters to multiple individuals. If you are writing a letter to a company or business, it is best to send out an email since it is more convenient.
Choice of language:
When speaking about language, we mean the manner in which you frame your letter. Thank you letters for donations in memory of a loved one will be sent to very close friends and far related individuals as well. The language you use will need to be different for both. For example, if you are writing to someone to who you are close, you need not use professional words and a formal tone. It can be something meaningful and easy to read.
If you are writing a letter to a colleague or someone you do not know very well then you would want to use more formal language. The letter or email you are sending must be professional. It should be direct and to the point but should still sound sincere and heartfelt.
When writing to a close friend, you can be informal and emotional. The letter can be longer and more personal. You can describe your relationship with the deceased and how much they impacted your life. You can feel free to word out your emotions and be open with the person.
When writing to someone you are not close to, try to leave out personal comments. You can write about your relationship with the deceased but keep it to a bare minimum.
How to start:
If you are having trouble finding the right words and sentences to write, you have come to the right place. There are certain keywords that are commonly used in these letters. Here are some sentences that you can use in your letter without sounding too repetitive.
- We greatly appreciate your sympathy and kindness during this difficult time.
- Thank you for your help and support.
- We are filled with gratitude for your thoughts and prayers at this time.
- We are grateful for your contribution in memory of __________ .
- Huge thank you from the family and friends of late ___________ for your generous donation.
- Thank you for donating to _________ in memory of late ___________.
When you are writing the letter, make sure to start with a sentence of appreciation like the ones given above. This way, the person receiving the letter will know what the letter is about right away.
Format of the letter
The format is the order of the letter. For example, if you were to write a letter to someone you are close you, you need not make it informal. This means that you do not need to include the subject line, sender’s address, etc. You can straight away start with the letter.
If you are sending it to someone you do not know personally or to someone you know professionally, you would need to make the format of the letter quite formal. This means that you will need to include the sender’s address, date, subject line, etc.
It is important to note that whether sending the letter via email or post, the format of the letter should be correct. When sending letter to people other than close friends and family, it is very important you maintain that level of professionalism.
Templates of Thank You Letter For Donations In Memory of The Deceased
Here are some pre-drafted samples that you can use. The samples are drafted for different people depending on the relationship you have with these people.
Template #1
This sample is meant for someone you are close to like a friend or family. Note the language and format used in this letter will be more informal and personal.
Dear _________,
Thank you for your presence during this very difficult time. My _______ meant a lot to me and losing them was very difficult for me. I do not know what would have happened had you not been there, but I am very glad to have such a great friend.
I received a letter from the ______ (organization’s name) telling me about the contribution you made in ______’s name. I want to personally thank you for this great gesture. My _____ would have been so happy to know you made such a generous donation to a cause they are so passionate about.
I want to tell you that our family is very lucky to have someone who is such a constant in our lives. We cannot express how blessed we are to have you.
Thank you once again.
Love always,
_____________.
Template #2
This letter will be addressed to an acquaintance or a far related family member.
Dear _________,
We greatly appreciate your sympathy and kindness during this difficult time. We had received news of the donation you made in ________’s name. We want to express heartfelt gratitude for your generosity. This was a beautiful gesture in remembrance of ________ and we know they would have felt the same way.
We know that you and _______ were very close and we understand that their death has impacted you as well. The generous donation you made will greatly help a cause that _______ was very passionate about.
Thank you once again.
Template #3
This sample letter will be addressed to someone who you know on a professional level like a colleague, business associate, boss, etc.
To,
____________.
Date-
Subject- Letter of appreciation
Dear Mr./ Ms. /Mrs. _________,
Huge thank you from the family and friends of late ___________ for your generous donation. We greatly appreciate the donation you have made and also for the support you and your team have provided our family at this time.
We believe that the contribution you have made to ________ (organization’s name) will positively impact many people and will help so many individuals. We thank you for the kind gesture which will help keep ________’s memory forever in the hearts of those benefiting from the donation.
Once again we would like to express our gratitude to your team for all that you have done during this very difficult time.
Yours sincerely,
Template #4
This sample letter is addressed to a company or business which have closed their business for the day as a sign of respect to the deceased.
To,
(Name of the business),
(address of business).
Date:
Subject: Letter of appreciation.
To the team at (Name of business),
From the friends and family of late __________, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the team at __________ for such a kind gesture. It is very heartening to see what an impact late _______ has made on your team for you to give up an entire day’s work on their behalf.
We greatly appreciate everyone who is a part of your team and would like to share our deepest gratitude to each one of you.
Thank you once again for a beautiful gesture which we as a family will always remember.
Yours sincerely,
Template #5
This sample set is addressed to a friend of the deceased whom you do not know personally but who has made a donation in memory of the deceased.
Dear Mr./ Ms./ Mrs. _________,
We have never formally met but I have heard a lot about you from _________. Late ______ would narrate countless stories about you and the numerous adventures you have had in the past.
We are writing this letter to show our appreciation for the generous donation you have made in __________’s name to __________(organization name). We both know how passionate they were about the cause and about helping all those in need. We want to thank you for your support during this time. Though you were not able to be with us physically, we felt a lot of comfort in knowing you have been keeping us in your prayers.
We wish to meet you soon and finally be able to put a face to all the wonderful stories.
Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
XXXX
Template #6
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
With this letter, we would like to inform you that we have received the sum of XXXX on XXXX (Date). We would like to thank you for your recent memorial donation in memory of your beloved mother. We would like to inform you that your donation will be used in the development of a new block of our old age home. With the development of this new building, we can now give homes to the needy.
Your generous action will bring a major change in the lives of old people. We truly appreciate your kind action and donation in loving memory of your mother. From all the members of our old age home, we would like to thank you once again for supporting our old age home. Sending condolences to the family.
Sincerely,
Name of the Sender
(Signature)
Template #7
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
Hope this letter finds you in good health. I want to express my sincere gratitude for your help in arranging the funeral of my husband. Thank you for your support in handling my kids. I am truly grateful for all your support and help.
Yesterday, I got to know that you have made a donation to the blind school in honour of my husband. The blind school management informed me that they will use donations made in memory of John in getting a child operated. I would like to thank you for the same. I am extremely blessed to have a friend like you. John must be so proud of your gesture from heaven.
Once again, thank you very much for all your love and support.
Yours Lovingly,
_____ (Sender’s Name)
Template #8
Subject: Thank You Letter for _____
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
We would like to express our grief at the loss of your aunt. With this letter, we would like to thank you for your kind donation. We have recently received a memorial donation in the name of your beloved aunt in our NGO.
Our NGO offers a small token of thank you by sending a thank you card with a picture of the deceased. We request you to please share your address details so that we can send our thank you card and the picture of your beloved aunt. We also plant a tree for every donation received in memory of someone special. We have planted a tree at the ____ in memory of Ms ____.
Thank you, once again, for all your support and contribution. We request you to convey thanks to all the members of your family for such a kind action.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Template #9
Subject: Thank You Letter for _____
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
On behalf of the whole Church management committee, I would like to express my deep condolence to you and your family members. The loss of losing someone is heartbreaking and unbearable but all this is the action of God. We want to thank you for your generous donation of XXXX amount on XXXX (Date) towards the Church trust in memory of your beloved wife.
We will be using these funds towards the arrangement of food for all the needy people. We want to thank you again for your generosity and thoughtful donation. We hope you get teh strength to get over the loss.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Template #10
Dear _____ (Name of the Recipient),
With this letter, I would like to thank you for coming to my daughter’s funeral in spite of being occupied by work. Your presence gave me a lot of support and warmth.
I would like to mention that yesterday we received a letter from ____ mentioning that you have donated a sum of ______ on _____ in loving memory of my daughter. I want to express my gratitude towards your generous and kind donation in the name of _____. The letter mentioned that your kind donation will help in creating a better future for needy children.
Thank you for being such a great friend and for standing by my side, always. I am honored and grateful to have you. Once again, thank you for all your support.
Yours Lovingly,
_____ (Sender’s Name)
