Valentine’s Day will be here soon, and what a perfect time to thank your donors and show how much you appreciate their support.

If you haven’t expressed gratitude since you sent your year-end thank you letters, you need to do that soon. Aim to thank your donors at least once a month.

You may not choose to acknowledge Valentine’s Day, but do something fun and creative to show appreciation in February. The holidays are over, but winter isn’t, and we could all use a little pick me up right now.

Here are some ideas.

Create a thank you photo

Make your donor’s day with a great photo. Here are a few examples of thank you photos.

Send  thank you photos via email and social media, use one to create a card, and include one on your thank you landing page.

If you have the time and resources, you could also create a thank you video.

Share an update or success story

In addition to saying thank you, share a brief update or success story. Emphasize how you couldn’t have helped someone without the donor’s support. For example – Thanks to you, Jessica won’t have to sleep in a shelter tonight.

Send a card

Handwritten notes mean the world to donors.  If you don’t have the budget to send cards to everyone, send them to your most valuable donors. These may not be the ones who give you the most money. Do you have donors who have supported your organization for more than three years? How about more than five years?  These are your valuable donors.

Another idea – Send a small number of thank you cards every month, ensuring that each donor gets at least one card a year.  Spreading it out may be easier on your budget.

Thank You 101

Make 2015 the year you do a better job of thanking your donors.  Thank your donors right away and send a thank you note/letter or make a phone call.  Electronic thank yous aren’t good enough.

Be personal and conversational when you thank your donors. Don’t use jargon or other language they won’t understand. Write from the heart, but don’t be overly sentimental. Give specific examples of how your donors are helping you make a difference.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to mail handwritten cards, is there a way you can change that? You may be able to get a print shop to donate cards. You can also look for additional sources of unrestricted funding to cover cards and postage.

Maybe you need a change of culture. Getting your board, all staff, and volunteers involved in thanking your donors will make a huge difference.

Keep thinking of ways to surprise and delight your donors! Get creative.

10 ways to thank your donors

7 Ways to Build Rapport with Donors Using Creative ‘Thank You’s

You can’t say thank you enough. Do it at least once a month. Create a Thank You Plan to help you. How to Create a Thank You Plan

How are you thanking your donors?

Photo by Patrick Hoesly