Have you ever participated in a “Thank You” campaign?
Well, even nonprofit consultants serve on nonprofit boards. As a board member myself I joined in with other board members for this event.
Let me give you a little background: This nonprofit foundation conducts an annual telethon to raise money for services to children. One of the main fundraising events consists of a radio telethon and a television broadcast telethon. Collectively over a million dollars is raised.
There are approximately 2,000 donors. Some donors choose to pay their pledge over a twelve month period. The job of the board for this event was to call ALL individual donors and do nothing but say: Thank You! That is it. No high pressure sales pitch. No leading question asking the donor if they might want to increase their pledge but just a simple but very much under utilized method of making sure there is a connection between the donor and the organization. There was no script to read, just a list of people’s names and numbers, not even the amount given was indicated.
The reason: EVERY GIFT COUNTS!
In two hours I called at least seventy people. Even if I got an answering machine I left a message telling them I was sorry I did not reach them in person but I just wanted to thank them for their gift and let them know it truly does make a difference in the lives of children.
Of the people I spoke to in person, most were taken aback and some even shared the reason they gave in the first place. The executive director of the program was also making calls and we shared notes the following day and both were energized by what we experienced.
So, what about your organization? Have you thanked your donors lately without asking for something in return?
DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to provide legal or accounting advice, or to address specific situations. Please consult with your legal or tax advisor to supplement and verify what you learn here.
