Inspiring Generosity

1/18/2023

The Tale of Two Thank You Notes

June Laves @ pixabay

Before we get to today’s post...did you get your free 2023 Stewardship Calendar? I, for one, am always looking for a good bargain. It’s updated, easier to read, and has links to blogs that will help you throughout the year. Hooray for the (did I mention) free 2023 Stewardship Calendar!

Now…down to business.

If you are a regular reader, you know how much I love thanking donors and people who give. I love it because it’s the right thing to do and it can make you feel good too. It’s a classic win-win.

However, not all thank yous are made equal. Frankly, some are better than others. Sometimes it helps to see an OK thank you next to a really good thank you. And thus, here is “The Tale of Two Thank You Notes.” With that title, I think I just might turn this into a classic novel.

To begin with – these are two organizations that I love and whose missions I believe in. I have worked for and am a sustaining donor to both. I’m all in.

Organization #1: As has been the practice, we send out Thanksgiving gratitude cards to legacy donors (those who have left Org. #1 in their wills or estate plans). This year, we decided that it would be a good idea to get the Board involved and have them help sign the cards. You can see the result below.

Bottom line: Unless I recognized the names of these Board members, I would have virtually no idea who this card was from (thankfully, there was a return address label on the envelope). I’m not really sure why I was being sent a card since there’s no mention of our leaving a legacy gift to the organization. Identifying these signatures is nearly impossible. As a person receiving the card, it looks like this was a chore and rushed. Dang, I should have coached them better.

Organization #2: A month later, I received an unexpected Christmas card. In it were two different heartfelt thank yous from two employees of the organization. You can see it below.

What made it different?

1. It was obvious that the two people (thanks JP and Peter!) took time to write to me.
2. I was not one of a bunch of people who had to be hurriedly thanked to make a deadline.
3. They thought about what they were saying.
4. It felt (and was) personal.

Which of the two do you think I will save and savor?

It’s great to send thank yous. It really is.

Remember though, what you say in that thank you note can keep your donor or giver wrapped in a warm glow for a very long time.

Don’t rush the thank you.
Be in the moment.
And be grateful.

Want some ideas on how to write the perfect thank you letter?
Take a look at:

Opening Lines: More Important than You Think
A Thank You that Broke (Some of) the Rules
Four Ways to Write a Right Thank You Letter
A Thank You Letter that Says "Wow!"

Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise over three million dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. She thinks it's never too late to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here’s the Rev. Al Green leaving it all on the table with “A Change is Gonna Come.”

You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com or on Facebook or at CesieScheuermann.com and one more…cesieds@horizons.net.

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Cesie Delve Scheuermann

Cesie Delve Scheuermann is consultant in grant writing and stewardship/development working with the Conference. From 2008-12 she was the Conference Lay Leader for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference.