Your Thank You Letters May Need a Tune-Up

A maintenance reminder message popped up on my car’s dashboard this afternoon. I’m one of those diligent types who always keeps up with the recommended schedule of oil changes, tire rotations, and filter cleanings. I know I’ll pay the price for it later if I don’t.

The same is true of acknowledgment letters, but yearly tune-ups rarely amount to more than a rewrite of the letter. It’s not a bad place to start, but it’s not the full diagnostic either. 

Fortunately, I’ve got a quiz to determine if your organization’s thank you letters are zipping along without a problem or if it’s time to fix that weird clanking sound.

How many points will you get?

Acknowledge every gift (1 point). You know this.

Do not ask for another gift when thanking (1 point). There is a time and a place for second asks, even third asks, but your thank you letter isn’t it. 

Be timely (2 points). That means donors must receive an acknowledgment within two days for an online gift and two weeks for a mailed gift . That’s two weeks from the day the donor put the gift in the mail, so you have to account for transit time in both directions! Give yourself two points if you adhere to both of these timelines; one point if you’ve got one down but not the other; zero points if you need to work on both.

Make it personal (1 point). I’m not talking about a note scribbled at the bottom of a form letter. I’m talking about a unique, handwritten message or an email that engages a new donor by asking what motivated them to give (and then writing back when they actually tell you). 

Tell a story (3 points). This is easier with restricted gifts but it should still be done for every contribution. You get a point for doing this. Got a photo to illustrate the story? Give yourself a bonus point. Is the story a first-person account of how your nonprofit helped the person and they’re the signer of the letter? You earned a second bonus point!

Pay tribute to tribute gifts (1 point). When someone makes a gift in honor or memory of someone, you must acknowledge it to the honoree or to their family, unless otherwise instructed. 

So, how did you do?

7-9 points = 🥇

4-6 points = 🥈

2-3 points = 🥉

1 point = 🅰️ for effort

0 points = 🤦‍♀️