Templates on How to Write a Donation Thank You Letter
Who doesn’t like feeling appreciated? Saying thank you is a key part of everyday life – and also extremely important when you’re embarking on your fundraising journey to say thank you to the people who have contributred.
When you start a fundraiser and see donations rolling in, you will also have a list of donors. This allows you to develop relationships with those who have supported your cause. And good communication with donors doesn’t just make them feel appreciated, it can even lead to future donations.
Donor-Centred Fundraising, a book by Penelope Burke, found that 85% of participants would donate again if they received a personal thank you.
Therefore, saying thank you to donors is an absolute must in making them feel appreciated but also growing your fundraising networks. It’s really easy on GoFundMe to thank your donors, but consider sending a personalised email, letter or message too. We’ve put togrther a guide on how to writre a personalised thank you, along with letter templates.
Five tips for writing a donation thank-you letter
1. Being prompt can lead to more donations
When someone donates to your fundraiser, think of it as the beginning of a conversation. A timely thank you demonstrates your dedication to the cause and shows gratitude for the help you’ve already received. If you can, send a thank-you letter within 48 hours of receiving each donation.
2. Be sincere and you will inspire people to give
Instead of simply saying “thank you” to donors, find ways to make your letter come to life. It could be as simple as including an inspirational quote that’s relevant to your fundraiser or offering a brief personal story.
Questions you may consider include:
- What did their donation mean to you personally?
- How will their donation impact the beneficiary?
Phrases to use that aren’t just “thank you”
- “We couldn’t have done it without you”
- “Your donation has made [insert reason for fundraiser] possible”
3. Show your supporters how their donations will be used
An important part of your thank-you letter is showing exactly how the donation has contributed to your fundraiser. Show donors that their money is going to good use. Describe what each donation has helped you accomplish and keep your donors in-the-loop about future plans.
Phrases that show a donor’s impact at every donation level:
- “This $10 will help pay for school supplies for my new students”
- “Your $50 donation gave me just enough funds to pay for my dog’s new prescriptions”
- “Your generous donation of $250 enabled my family to get a hotel room while our daughter received emergency surgery at a specialist hospital”
- “This $1,000 will buy a water purification system to bring clean water to over 20 families”
4. Add a personalised touch
Generic thank-you letters can hurt the relationships you’ve developed with your donors. Instead, use a few simple tricks to make them feel like a VIP donor. Instead of focusing on the dollar amount of their donation, highlight that the value of their support is beyond monetary.
Easy ways to personalise a donation letter:
- Use the second person “you” and the first person “I” and “we”
- Address the letter to the donor’s full name
- Include the donation amount and the date it was given
- Explain how their donation made an impact
5. Reread your letter
To make sure your thank-you letter is well received, read it out loud before you send it. Would you want to receive this message? You want your letter to sound casual and friendly, but it should also be thoughtful and of errors. Spell-check everything you write.
Use these donation thank-you letter templates
Here are some simple templates to start with. Be sure to add a personal touch, customising each letter for its recipient.
Thank-you letter for donation template
Dear [donor name(s)],
I want to take the time to thank you sincerely for your donation to [fundraiser name]. As you know, we started this fundraiser to [insert reason for fundraiser], and your $[insert donation amount] contribution on [insert date of donation] helps us get one step closer to our goal.
Thank you again for your generosity and support,
[handwrite your name and fundraiser name]
Thank-you letter template for fundraiser event attendance
Dear [attendee name(s)],
I appreciate you making the effort to come to our fundraising event for [fundraiser name]. We had an amazing turnout and we managed to bring in $[amount] more in donations! Your attendance and support have played an important role in our fundraiser’s success — thank you.
With your contribution, we’ll be able to [insert reason for fundraiser]. Your generosity and support is an encouraging reminder of why I started this fundraiser — to help [beneficiary name].
With gratitude,
[handwrite your name and fundraiser name]
Donation thank-you letter template for a business
Dear [business name],
I want to extend my sincere gratitude for [company name]’s contribution to [fundraiser name]. [company name]’s generous gift will have a major impact on helping [insert reason for fundraiser].
On behalf of [beneficiary name], I want to thank you for helping us make a positive difference. Your support encourages our continued commitment to reaching our goal.
Thanks again for your generosity and support,
[handwrite your name and fundraiser name]
Donation thank-you letter template for friends and family
Dear [name],
I want to genuinely say thank you for your kind donation to my fundraiser recently. As you’ll know, [fundraiser cause] is incredibly close to my heart because of [insert reasons]. It really meant a lot to me when I saw you’d supported and I wanted you to know that.
Your donation will help [beneficiary name] in a variety of ways and it means the world to me that you’ve contributed.
Thanks again and best wishes.
[handwrite your name and fundraiser name]
Other ways to say thank you
Along with sending personalised thank you letters, there are a number of other ways you can also show donors your appreciation.
Firstly, you can use GoFundMe to send thanks to donors once they’ve donated through your GoFundMe account. The benefits to this are that it’s extremely fast and you can do it almost immediately as the donation comes in.
You could also think about periodic thank you messages on your group chats or email mailing lists of friends and family. Even if members haven’t donated, a share or view of the page still helps to get the message out there. Sending a “thank you for all your support” message every so often can help to bring your fundraiser back to the forefront of people’s minds.
Also, regular updates on your GoFundMe page help for a multitude of reasons. Your kind donors will want to see what you’ve been doing and how the fundraising efforts are coming along, so post each time you hit a fundraising goal or target, host an offline fundraising day, do that sporting event etc… but also, you can post general thanks in the update section for your donors too. This can be personalised with pictures to make it engaging and be sure to consider what the amount raised at that point will do for your chosen cause in practical terms. Not only does this keep donors in the loop and make them feel appreciated, but it keeps your fundraising page fresh and active.
Showcase your gratitude to build relationships with donors
Thanks for reading these tips on writing the perfect thank-you letter. It’s never too early to start cultivating relationships with your donors and a donation thank-you letter is the first step. If you’re looking for other unique ways to show your gratitude, take a look at these 20 affordable ways to say thank you to donors.
For more crowdfunding advice, take a look at these tips and ideas. At GoFundMe we offer fundraising, so you can keep more of the money you raise. Start your fundraiser today.