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Step By Step Fundraising Ideas Brought to you by August 2004 The Two Most Powerful Words in FundraisingThere’s a series of television commercials currently running for a bank rewards program. It features people who find an unusual way to get out of awkward situations. My favorite is the one where a man and woman are sitting in a fine restaurant when the lady brings up “the talk.” Ladies, you know the one, the “where is this relationship going” speech. The woman in the commercial comes right to the point, “When are we getting married?” The poor guy gets the “deer in the headlights” look on his face and says of the first thing that comes to mind, “Thank you!” Well his girlfriend is so surprised and thrilled to hear these golden words she completely forgets the whole marriage talk. This illustrates in a humorous way the power of those two little words, Thank You. Showing appreciation is especially important in the non-profit
arena. The majority of supporters, both volunteers and financial
donors, get no physical reward for their contribution. The easiest way to show appreciation is a simple verbal word of thanks. This is especially true for volunteers. After putting in a long day at an event, a simple thank you could make all of the hard work worth it. Letters and thank you cards are the most traditional form of saying thanks. Another way to say thank you, for both volunteers and donors is with small gifts. You may see this on public television drives. They have different levels of gifts for different levels of donations. This is something you might want to consider for your next direct mail campaign. On the other hand, you may want to give something small to all your donors. Your supporters will be pleasantly surprised to get a small token of your appreciation, even if it’s something as simple as a photo or card. Why is saying thanks so powerful? Everyone has a psychological need to feel wanted and appreciated. Appreciation is such a little thing; you can’t touch it or see it, but you can feel it in your heart. Saying thank you to each other keeps the circle of goodwill and gratitude alive. Receiving appreciation also makes the donor feel more involved and important to your cause. They will become loyal supporters and be the best spokespersons, when they feel appreciated. It’s because of such kindness that our non-profit endeavors are making a difference in the lives of others. With this in mind, I would like to thank all of you for your continued fundraising efforts on behalf of so many worthy causes! And thanks for letting me be your coach, in this fun, crazy and yes rewarding world of fundraising!
To Your Continued Fundraising Success,
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