A Thank You Letter that Says "Wow!"
9/6/2017
A Thank You Letter that Says “Wow!”
I made my donation electronically and easily. My first impression was a good one. But when I received the thank you letter a week later, that’s when I really had my socks knocked off (and that’s quite a sight).
Here’s the opening paragraph:
Dear Cesie:
You opened your heart in memory of Arthur Hendrick, and as a result you are helping kids and adults with disabilities to thrive. I am so fortunate to have met both Arthur and Ann through my work with their daughter, Meg Hendrick Downs, who is one of Greater Richmond ARC’s favorite volunteers. How very special the Hendrick family is!
Let’s unpack this:
1. They spelled my name correctly. As I result, I wasn’t distracted or slightly annoyed. Getting someone’s name right is a big deal.
2. The first four words grabbed me emotionally. “You opened your heart…” clued me in that this was no ordinary thank you letter.
3. It was personal. Someone took the time to personalize the first paragraph. Hint: it didn’t take them hours to do so. That special touch delivered an emotional punch that had me in tears.
4. There was one last surprise. Near the end of the letter (1½ pages, which is a little long but I was hooked), I was invited for a tour. And then this line, “Arthur was especially fond of the ARCpark, which he visited with Meg shortly after it opened in 2015.” At every turn, this letter was personalized seemingly just for me.
Compare this to a pre-typed thank you card that my husband recently received:
Fill in the blank, hand written: Dear Tom,
Thank you for your recent gift of $____ (amount hand-written). Because of your generosity, [name deleted for obvious reasons] provides students, faculty and university staff a welcome place to gather [and by this time I have fallen asleep]… It ended with a hastily written “Many Thanks!” with two barely discernible signatures from two mystery people.
What a totally different giving experience. With the Greater Richmond ARC, I was emotionally hooked from the first line. I am ready to give again because someone took the time to be personal and help me feel invested.
Organization #2: What would inspire me to give again?
Fundraising guru Tom Ahern says,
“Your communication will comprise the entire experience most donors ever have with your charity…Every communication you send a donor – digital, print, by phone or in person – is also an encounter.”
As people of faith we are called to be thankful (if you’re having a hard time remembering where it says it in the Good Book, check out Psalm 100 or Psalm 139:13-17). Sometimes being thankful takes a little effort. The thank you letter you send to people in your congregation or organization can either leave them saying, “Meh” or “Wow.” Let’s hope that your thankfulness always elicits a loud and enthusiastic, “Wow!”
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. Over the past fifteen years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise over three million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. She’s ready to have a little fun at a playground. Swings anyone? She was the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012. Her position with the Conference is funded through a generous grant from the Collins Foundation. She is available to consult with churches. You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/inspiringgenerosity.
If someone has forwarded this to you and you would like to subscribe to "Inspiring Generosity," click here. Miss an issue? Click here.
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Here’s the opening paragraph:
Dear Cesie:
You opened your heart in memory of Arthur Hendrick, and as a result you are helping kids and adults with disabilities to thrive. I am so fortunate to have met both Arthur and Ann through my work with their daughter, Meg Hendrick Downs, who is one of Greater Richmond ARC’s favorite volunteers. How very special the Hendrick family is!
Let’s unpack this:
1. They spelled my name correctly. As I result, I wasn’t distracted or slightly annoyed. Getting someone’s name right is a big deal.
2. The first four words grabbed me emotionally. “You opened your heart…” clued me in that this was no ordinary thank you letter.
3. It was personal. Someone took the time to personalize the first paragraph. Hint: it didn’t take them hours to do so. That special touch delivered an emotional punch that had me in tears.
4. There was one last surprise. Near the end of the letter (1½ pages, which is a little long but I was hooked), I was invited for a tour. And then this line, “Arthur was especially fond of the ARCpark, which he visited with Meg shortly after it opened in 2015.” At every turn, this letter was personalized seemingly just for me.
Compare this to a pre-typed thank you card that my husband recently received:
Fill in the blank, hand written: Dear Tom,
Thank you for your recent gift of $____ (amount hand-written). Because of your generosity, [name deleted for obvious reasons] provides students, faculty and university staff a welcome place to gather [and by this time I have fallen asleep]… It ended with a hastily written “Many Thanks!” with two barely discernible signatures from two mystery people.
What a totally different giving experience. With the Greater Richmond ARC, I was emotionally hooked from the first line. I am ready to give again because someone took the time to be personal and help me feel invested.
Organization #2: What would inspire me to give again?
Fundraising guru Tom Ahern says,
“Your communication will comprise the entire experience most donors ever have with your charity…Every communication you send a donor – digital, print, by phone or in person – is also an encounter.”
As people of faith we are called to be thankful (if you’re having a hard time remembering where it says it in the Good Book, check out Psalm 100 or Psalm 139:13-17). Sometimes being thankful takes a little effort. The thank you letter you send to people in your congregation or organization can either leave them saying, “Meh” or “Wow.” Let’s hope that your thankfulness always elicits a loud and enthusiastic, “Wow!”
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. Over the past fifteen years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise over three million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. She’s ready to have a little fun at a playground. Swings anyone? She was the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012. Her position with the Conference is funded through a generous grant from the Collins Foundation. She is available to consult with churches. You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/inspiringgenerosity.
If someone has forwarded this to you and you would like to subscribe to "Inspiring Generosity," click here. Miss an issue? Click here.
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.