Are Donors Even Reading Your Emails? 13 Pro Tips to Help You Write Better Emails
Recently on our team Slack channel, our coaches shared that we send a lot of these tips to our clients about how to write an effective email, so I...
You may be tired of hearing yourself write. What I mean is, that same repeated thank you message might take seconds to write, because you have it down, but you might be feeling bored out of your mind.
I believe that the heart and intention we put into something we write is as valuable as our words. If you’re feeling bored and uninspired, then that card will not contain the warmth and connection you want to have for the intended receiver.
To help you refresh and feel inspired in your thank you language, we did a language exchange in our Veritus Community Hub, where our VGA participants, alumni, and clients share ideas and ask questions. Like those holiday cookie exchanges, where you bring one kind of cookie and walk away with a variety, people contributed thank you language, so that everyone could walk away with new and creative ways to thank their donors. They all gave me permission to share it with you here. I’m sure you have many more thank you’s to write, so feel free to steal what you like and make it authentically your own.
Remember that, along with being thanked, donors feel inspired and connected when they are told how they’re making a difference. There are some great ideas below of how direct and indirect services organizations speak to impact, even in a short thank you note. Make sure you also take some time to write those up for your own organization.
Here’s some inspiration to help revamp your “Thank You” language:
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On a live VGA community call, Tori Marshall, MGO WFAE, shared that something else to consider is that you are not always the *only* right person to say ‘thank you.’ What is the passion and motivation behind your donor’s giving, and who else could speak to that most directly? Tori shared that she has donors who give because of their passion for the climate and her organization’s climate change coverage. Fortunately, her Climate Change Editor is open to writing thank you notes. She has him write some as a “special treat” for these specific donors.
Cheryl McCormick, CEO Athens Humane Society, shared that in addition to writing her own notes, she has board members join her in writing thank you’s to donors giving over a certain threshold. This is not a new idea, but you may have been avoiding it because you are worried it will be even more work as you wrangle others. The trick is to make it easy for others to help. Have a meeting with an individual or group and explain the expectations and process. Give them the list of donors with contact information, a script, and the deadline so they know exactly what to do. Cheryl was kind enough to share with us the letter she has her board members tweak and use:
I hope this has been helpful and has renewed your inspiration for thanking your donors!
Did you know that we talk about you often at Veritus? Almost daily, one of us puts a note in our internal Slack channels about how one of you has inspired us and made a significant difference in a donor’s life. I hope you can stop for a moment in this busy season and remember that so much of the success of your mission comes from your willingness to have courageous connections and relationships with donors. Your work each day is an investment in our planet, and I am so grateful for your commitment to making the world a better place.
Now, it’s time to create that cheat sheet of thank you language! Remember to bring in your authentic voice and speak to how donors impact your mission.
Lastly, when writing your thank you’s, it’s easy to feel rushed to just get the task done. Or maybe there are a million other things that are demanding your attention. I encourage you to put on some calming music (I love soft jazz). And add in some thoughts of loving kindness toward your donors. Then allow that warmth and the generosity of your heart to show through in your words.
Karen
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