The Power of a Thank You Note

There are a number of reasons a thank you note is powerful. Nothing else can communicate genuine relationship better than a handwritten thank you note.

1- APPRECIATE GENEROSITY

When someone has chosen to meet with you or to join your ministry team as a financial partner, they have sacrificed time and maybe their own money. Their sacrifice should be appreciated by you. A thank you note shows that you've thought about them after the meeting together, you appreciate their sacrifice of time, and you genuinely care about them as an individual. 

2- COMMUNICATE RELATIONSHIP

The time it took to create a thank you note shows how important this partner is to you. It's not as quick for you as sending a text or writing an email, it took time and effort on your part, and most people truly appreciate that for what it is - thoughtful. While you might be thanking them for a financial commitment, a handwritten thank you note communicates that you care more about the person than you do about the money they're giving.

Nothing else can communicate genuine relationship better than a handwritten thank you note.

In your thank you note, try to include something that's as personal as possible. Mentioning something you joked about or talked about, besides the mission, will quickly communicate that this note was written specifically for them and couldn't have been intended for anyone else.

3- GENTLE REMINDER 

Maybe you send someone a thank you note immediately after meeting with them face to face. When they receive the handwritten thank you note a few days later, it will be a gentile reminder that you'll be calling to hear about their final decision of what amount to give in just a couple days.

4- ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL TOUCH

When fundraising, you need plenty of relational time with each new donor, we call these moments "touches". It's typical to make a plan to achieve 4-6 touches with each person in order to gain a new financial partner. These touches can include: intro letter, phone call to schedule a meeting, time in the meeting, thank you note, and another phone call to follow up. 

Allowing a handwritten thank you note to be another relational touch with this individual will continue the relationship you're beginning. The value of multiple touches will be seen in the long term as you choose to continue this relationship with them.