Gratitude can be incredibly powerful and a thank-you letter is perhaps the easiest way to express it to the donors for a fundraising event. A thank-you letter is used to express the receiver’s appreciation, helps to build a healthier relationship with the donor, and also acts as a receipt. If you know how to write and send an effective thank-you letter for fundraising event, your organization can have an edge over its close competitors in the field of charity competition.
Nonprofit organizations spend a lot of time trying to get donations and grants in the first place. You should regard a thank-you letter not only as a gesture of appreciation but also as a vital component of donor communication.
However, a properly written thank-you letter is more about emotions and feelings and less about being a tax document.
Whenever a donor offers any of your nonprofit organizations a contribution of goods or money in response to a fundraising event, from their kindness, they are making an emotional decision. Supporting a cause your donor believes in makes them feel good and can also mean a lot. A thank you letter for fundraising event is part of that particular expression.
An effective thank-you mail or letter can make sure that the donor continues to have positive feelings. Such a letter makes them feel appreciated and their gift is precious to you. It also shows that their participation is valuable for you in your mission.
On the other hand, a boring and dry thank-you letter does not achieve any of the other purposes. Rather, it becomes a missed opportunity to strengthen your bond with your donors.
What is a Thank You Letter for Fundraising Event?
So, let us now try to understand what a thank you letter for a fundraising event is all about. If your company gets funding of any kind, it makes sense to follow up with a proper thank-you letter. When strengthen your bond with donors by sending them a thank-you note, it will help you to get funds from them in the future. The gesture will also make the donors realize that you appreciate their donations. Thank-you letters also act as proof of a gift and can be also used for taxation purposes. ‘
On many occasions, we know we should appreciate and thank people for helping us out. However, we are unaware of the right things to write in these letters. We will cover some tips to write thank you letter for a fundraising event and also add some samples of such letters in this article. However, the messages and texts should be genuine and come from your heart. So, take out some time and personalize the thank-you letter with your own words.
When is a Thank You Letter for Fundraising Event required?
Several organizations collect donations from fundraising events. These organizations try their best to receive donations throughout the year. A thank you letter for a fundraising event should be written to express your appreciation and gratitude to the donor or donors. You should make sure that the gap between the donation and such a letter is minimal else the effect may not be according to your desires.
The sample letters we have added to this document can serve as a useful guide while preparing the thank-you letter of your organization. The letter will be effective while thanking those people or organizations who have backed your mission.
Tips for Writing an Effective Thank You Letter for Fundraising Event
The following are some top tips for writing an effective thank-you letter for the fundraising event.
1. Send your thank-you letter fast
Do not delay in sending the thank-you letter. The quicker you can send it to your donors, the better it is. A quick thank-you note enables you to increase the donor’s good feelings and removes any kind of buyer’s remorse, which may otherwise come in.
Make sure that you send the thank-you note for the fundraising event within 48 to 72 hours of getting it. It will ensure that:
· Donors will appreciate the gesture immediately
· Donors will remember they donated to your organization
2. Use the name of the donor
Make sure that you do not fail to include the name of the donor in your thank-you letter to them. If you begin your thank-you note for a fundraising event with the words “Dear friend”, it may make your donors feel that you do not care adequately for their actions. This is not the right tone you would like to set for your thank-you letter to them.
The mail-merge feature makes it simple to include personal details and names in your thank-you notes. Although it is a simple thing, it creates a big differentiator in how the donors will feel.
3. The letter should enable the donor to visualize the impact of their donation
Did you include a tale about some animal or some people who will benefit from their donations? Have you included a testimonial from that individual? People are in a more generous mind if they can visualize particular animal or people they have helped.
4. such letters should be sent from an organization
A letter feels and looks the most personal if they are not from an entire organization but an individual.
5. Demonstrate the impact of donation
Your thank-you letter for a fundraiser should be an important component of the donor communication stream. It is also an opportunity to let them know more about the impact of your donation and your mission. Donors would like to know how the money they donated made a difference, so mention how you plan to use it.
6. The letter should be accurate
· Did you make sure that the address and name of the donor are correct or not? Have used the necessary title, such as Mrs., Ms., or Mr.? Did you proofread the letter so that there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes? If appropriate, the first name of the done should be used in the salutation for higher personalization.
7. The thank-you letter should have a friendly and warm tone
Any donor will feel good after receiving a thank-you letter. The tone of the letter should be friendly and warm, not formal and stiff. Whenever you write the letter, visualize a donor or volunteer you appreciate or are fond of. Imagine that you are addressing the letter only to them. Stay away from the use of lofty languages, such as, “on behalf of ABC Organization”. Instead, you should speak to your donors as if they are your friends.
8. A noteworthy individual should sign the thank-you letter
The person who is writing the thank-you letter could be an executive director, a board member, a beneficiary of the donation, or even a volunteer. However, some thank-you notes could be also from a person who uses the services of your organization, such as a student who gets a scholarship.
9. Use donor-focused language
A thank-you letter is meant to acknowledge your donors instead of singing your praises. The focus of such a letter should be the donors and their contributions. You should use the word “you” more than “us/we”. Mention what the donor’s contribution has achieved, instead of what your company does.
10. The letter should not be generic
Typically, these thank-you letters should not be in a generic form, written, and then forgotten. Do not let the thank-you letters become routine work and boring. Unless there are numerous donors, your nonprofit organization should write a separate unique thank-you letter to each of them. The donor also realizes the letter was exclusively meant for them.
11. Stay away from using empty jargon
Nonprofit organizations have much sector-specific jargon, which has a lot of meaning if you are working in the field. However, these terms are meaningless if a person is not in that field. So, make sure you do not use that jargon in your external communications.
That includes your thank-you letters for fundraising events. After all, an average donor does not connect to words such as “capacity-building grant”. Rather, they understand phrases like “raising funds to build a new hospital” or offering shelter to homeless people.” It means writing something so that they are excited about it.
12. Each thank-you letter should be personalized
You should ensure that your letters have a personal tone instead of a standard thank-you letter. Add custom texts for each recipient to achieve this. For instance, you can do the following:
· Add a picture of the recipient who has been interacting with your event or organization.
· Use a different colored pen to sign each thank-you letter by hand.
· Take help of other employees to handwrite all the letters.
Sample Thank You Letter for Fundraising Event
Sample Letter 1
[Month Day, Year]
[First Name Last Name]
[Organization Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State, Zip Courtesy Title]
(Mr./Ms./Mrs.) Last Name,
I would like to thank you for your generous contribution of $_______ on behalf of ABC Organization. Your financial assistance will help us to continue with our goals and assist the needy people in our community. It is the benevolent act of people like you that have made it possible for our organization to help the community an excellent place to live.
Thanking you again for your support!
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
Sample Letter 2
[Month Day, Year]
[First Name Last Name]
[Organization Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State, Zip Courtesy Title]
(Mr./Ms./Mrs.) Last Name,
Thank you for agreeing to be a donor of this year’s ABC Benefit to be held on [Date] at [Location]. Securing donors for this crucial fundraiser is particularly crucial this year since we are facing stiff challenges during this economic crisis.
Your sponsorship of $______ will boost the confidence level in our mission. You will receive recognition and thanks as a sponsor in the event program. You will also receive two complimentary tickets for the event. We are looking forward to seeing you there.
Our sincere thanks and gratitude for your generous support!
Regards,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
Sample Letter 3
[Date]
Dear Mr. / Mrs. [Last Name of the Donor],
We sincerely appreciate your support of the [Name of Fundraiser] fundraiser. Your donation was a wonderful act. The contribution meant that we will now be able to achieve our goal to provide more meals to the poor children in the locality.
If you ever need our assistance for your charitable cause, do let me return the favor. Thank you once again for all that you did for our organization and the community.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
Sample Letter 4
Dear Mr. / Mrs. [Last Name of the Donor],
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your magnanimous donation towards the [Name of Fundraiser] fundraiser and your $[donation amount] on [Date of Donation]. Your assistance will help us to reach a step closer to our goal.
Thank you once again for your support and generosity.
Warm Regards,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
[Fundraiser Name]
Sample Letter 5
Dear Mr. / Mrs. [Last Name of the Donor],
We highly appreciate your efforts to attend our fundraising event [Fundraising Name]. The turnout at the event was amazing and we have managed to raise $[Amount] more in donations. Your support and attendance have played a vital part in the success of our event.
We will be able to [mention your reason for the fundraiser event]. Your support and generosity are an inspiring reminder of why initiated this fundraiser – to support [Beneficiary Name].
With gratitude,
[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
Sample Letter 6
Dear [Organization Name],
We wish to extend our sincere thanks for [Organization Name]’s contribution towards [Name of Fundraiser]. Your generous donation will have a great impact on supporting [Mention reason for fundraiser].
We wish to thank you for assisting us in making a positive difference on behalf of [Beneficiary Name]. Your assistance motivates us to continue our goal to reach our goal.
On behalf of [beneficiary name], I want to thank you for helping us make a positive difference. Your support encourages our continued commitment to reaching our goal.
Thank you once again for your support and generosity,
[[Your Signature]
[Your Name]
[Fundraiser Name]
