Do you send heartfelt thank -you letters to donors of your cause or organization ? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Figuring out how to properly express donor appreciation can be challenging. This is especially true if you have a lot of letters to send and limited time to spend on creating them. Some good thank -you donation letter examples can help you get the job done faster, while still getting a sincere message across.
In this article, we’ll share several thank you for your donation examples to help you express your donor recognition quickly. We’ve also provided our top 10 donation thank -you letter examples to further guide your efforts. When you get to the end, you should be a thank -you letter -writing pro!
Whether you need some guidance for thanking one donor or a thousand , this guide should have you covered. From templated examples to specific phrases to use, everything you need should be right here.
First, let’s explore why you should take thanking donors seriously. Keep reading to get started!
Table of ContentsCharities spend a lot of time trying to get donations, but the worst thing they can do afterward is forget to thank their donors . For one thing, people who’ve donated in the past are highly likely to donate again, especially if they feel acknowledged for their contribution. For another, thanking the ones responsible for your organization ‘s success is simply the right thing to do.
If you receive a personal donation from a friend or family member, such as money for rent or a new car, it’s even more important to thank them properly. Even though you aren’t representing an organization in such a case, your personal integrity is on the line. Thanking people shows that you don’t take them or their generosity for granted. It should go without being said that thanking someone for a donation is extremely different than goodbye to a coworker or employee, so a basic thank-you template should be kept in mind.
Before we get a bit more granular on how to write longer donation thank-you notes, let’s start with a few examples of short messages.
You can use these as-is or customize them with specific details or anecdotes to make them more personal and heartfelt.
Now that you have some examples, let’s dive into more detailed thank-you messages!
Later in this article, we’ll give you some specific examples of appreciation letters for your generous donors. But first, let’s look at a basic letter template you can use to create your own.
Here’s how a basic thank -you letter should be set up:
That list might be a little confusing at first. Here’s what it means in more detail:
Every letter starts in more or less the same way: probably with a “dear [recipient’s name],” or “hey [name]!”
The important thing is to make the salutation at the beginning feel warm and personal. Use the recipient’s first name unless your organization ‘s culture is more on the formal side.
The first thing you should do in the body of your thank -you letter is thank the donor !
Be as specific as possible in expressing your gratitude . Tell the recipient exactly what they’re being acknowledged for and what cause it’s going to support.
Next, go into more detail about the impact the donation will make for the organization and its cause. Be specific about who’s being helped and what’s being accomplished. This has the added bonus of reminding the donor why they contributed in the first place, which may lead to a future donation .
If you have a little more space (or time) to write in, you might go into even more detail. Consider telling a specific story about a person or situation your organization stepped in to help. Describe how the donor ‘s contribution is making a difference in vivid terms.
This part isn’t complicated. Just say “ thank you ” again in closing. For example, “Thanks again for your support!”
Last but not least, you should sign off using your real name whenever possible. No one gets excited about receiving a letter from a faceless organization , no matter how much good they’re doing in the world. People like hearing from other people , so conclude your letter with your name and role in the organization .
Of course, you may be needing to thank someone for a personal favor they did for you, rather than a donor to an organization you work for. Even so, the same steps here should work for you. Just remember to go into more detail and make it even more personal when thanking someone for a kind gesture; however, unless you are extremely familiar with them, don’t close with something as personal as ‘with love’, and certainly do not phrase it as if you are saying goodbye to a coworker.
Make it personal when thanking someone for a kind gesture.
Now that you understand the importance of thank -you letters and you’ve explored a template for writing them, let’s get into some concrete examples. When reading these sample letters, replace the words in [brackets] with your own words that make sense for the situation.
Dear [first name],
Thank you for being one of our top donors to our annual fundraiser for [your organization ‘s cause]. Your concern for [ organization ‘s goal] is above and beyond. Thanks to your continued support, we’ve been able to help [list who, what, or how your organization is helping].
Thank you again,
[Your organization ‘s name]
Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss [name],
We truly can’t thank you enough for your generous gift to our building fund campaign . Your support will allow us to continue providing low-cost resources to the people in our community who need them most. People like you truly make a difference in the world, and we’re incredibly grateful!
Warm regards,
[Your organization ]
I just wanted to reach out and personally thank you for being an ongoing monthly donor to [your organization ]. People like you are the reason we can continue supporting [your cause], and we truly can’t thank you enough.
Dear Sir/Ma’am,
Thank you for your commitment to support [ organization ] on a monthly basis. Just this month alone, we’ve been able to [list how your organization has helped]. Thanks to your support, [people you help] will be able to continue to receive help from us.
Thank you ,
[Your organization ]
Thank you for attending our recent silent auction fundraiser ! We hope you had a great time, and we truly appreciate your contribution. Thanks to you, we’ll be able to [how your organization intends to help].
Hoping to see you next year,
[Your organization ]
Dear Mr./Mrs./Miss [name],
We were delighted to have you attend this year’s event in support of [your cause]. Thank you very much for coming, and thank you especially for your generous donation to [ organization ].
Warm regards,
Dear [person],
Thank you so much for helping me with my medical expenses. My recovery from the accident has been slow and costly, but thanks to your donation , I should have all the expenses paid by the end of the year!
I truly can’t thank you enough!
Thank you for paying my first and last month’s rent at the new apartment I moved into. It was very kind of you, and I feel truly blessed by your generosity . Now that I’m at my new job, I’ll be working on paying off my debts and building my savings. Thank you for helping me get this apartment without increasing my debt!
Thank you so much for giving me your old car! I was in quite a bind after mine was totaled in that accident. I feel so grateful to be able to get to work without paying for an expensive taxi. As you know, I’ve been struggling to get by, and your car is an enormous blessing.
Thank you !!
Dear [person],
Thank you so much for giving to my GoFundMe campaign ! The last few months have been really tough as I’ve struggled to get by after my accident. I feel so blessed that so many people came together to support me when I needed it most. Thank you for playing such a big part in my financial recovery!
Warmest regards,
While we worked hard to provide you great letter copy above, everybody’s needs are different. As such, we have created an AI Assistant tool that can write all of your thank you note copy for you! This feature is provided at no fee, so please sign up for Handwrytten and try it today!
Between our thank -you letter template and these top 10 thank -you letter examples, you should have everything you need to jumpstart your donor communication ! Whether you need to express your thanks to a single generous giver or communicate to a group of donors, writing a professional thank -you letter is the best way to do it.
Personalization is more than just addressing donors by their names. It’s about acknowledging their specific contributions and demonstrating that their support matters. So, handwritten notes for nonprofits plays a pivotal role in Donation Thank-You Letter campaigns. By sending personalized thank-you letters through direct mail, organizations can convey genuine appreciation to donors in a tangible and heartfelt manner. This approach fosters a stronger sense of connection, trust, and loyalty, ultimately enhancing the donor’s engagement and long-term support for the cause.
Writing your letter is one thing, though. How should you send it, especially if you have a large group of people to thank ?
That’s where Handwrytten comes in. Our machines can automatically create authentic handwritten letters on your behalf for your donors. Sign up here to get started!