4192016 Creating More DonorshyCentered Thank You Letters One Nonprofitrsquos Success [Examples] | Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog

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J Merriman on left

Creating More Donor-Centered Thank YouLetters One Nonpro trsquos Success [Examples]Posted By Kivi Leroux Miller on Sep 10 2013 | 2 CommentsWith so many nonprofits getting thank you letters wrong writing a great

one that focuses on the donor and not your organization is a great

marketing and fundraising strategy All-Access Pass Holder J Merriman

of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful shares how tweaking their thank you

letter got an immediate response ~ Kivi

Guest Post by J Merriman of Keep Truckee MeadowsBeautiful

In 2014 Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful will celebrate 25 years of

cleanups and beautification projects in Northern Nevada Our volunteer

projects are well-known and well-attended in the community but in the

last year wersquove really been trying to brand our disparate programs

(Truckee River Cleanup Day Christmas Tree Recycling etc) and bring

them all under a KTMB umbrella of education community alternatives

and economic development With this approach we are hoping to make

the cleanup aspect less necessary

I started out in journalism 15 years ago and the nonprofits Irsquove worked for have been all over the map issue-wise

My job at KTMB as communications manager is basically the same though database emails social media website

speechespresentations blog photovideography and putting it all together for storytelling KTMB is fun because I

also get to be outside a lot planting or recycling trees and doing cleanups

The Nonprofit Marketing Guide webinars have helped me in so many ways now that Irsquom part of such a small staff I

feel like my experience and background give me so much and the webinars fill in all the necessary details For

instance I now have contact with our (completely engaged) board which is new (on both counts) The webinars

about working with and training boards have been invaluable

But one webinarrsquos feedback was just so immediate I had to share the results with Kivi and Kristina and they asked

me to share with you too

We donrsquot have a formal development department at KTMB (our staff is three people) so thank-you letters are now

part of my every Thursday When I started a year ago I knew the thank yous were industrial and as a

photographer my solution was to add photos But I kept the wording pretty much the same

After taking Writing Thank You Letters That Inspire Future Gifts I updated the letter more We donrsquot have the money

to include actual photos or other add-ins but we took a lot of before-and-after photos during our Great Cleanup in

May and I thought theyrsquod make for a powerful message Herersquos what you changed

Instead of being generic the letter now shows results tells how the gift waswill be used and is has more

personalized information about the gift itself ndash workplace giving event donation etc Again I had an idea we needed

to update and Kivirsquos webinar gave me a clear plan and fix-its

And it worked I sent out the June 27 thank-you letter to a former board member who gave on a state-wide donation

day (Nevadarsquos Big Give) When I checked the mail next shersquod sent the thank you letter back with a check enclosed

and the amount was more than shersquod originally sent

We almost never get to see such immediate positive results for our work and it was so fun to run around the office

for a few minutes yelling ldquoThank You Letters That Inspire Future Giftsrdquo Usually the only excitement around our office

is an escaped cow looking in the window

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4192016 Creating More DonorshyCentered Thank You Letters One Nonprofitrsquos Success [Examples] | Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog

httpwwwnonprofitmarketingguidecomblog20130910creatingshymoreshydonorshycenteredshythankshyyoushylettersshyoneshynonprofitsshysuccessshyexamples 24

But thatrsquos probably just our office

Here are the letters

October 2012 (BEFORE)

December 2012 (with Photos Added)

4192016 Creating More DonorshyCentered Thank You Letters One Nonprofitrsquos Success [Examples] | Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog

httpwwwnonprofitmarketingguidecomblog20130910creatingshymoreshydonorshycenteredshythankshyyoushylettersshyoneshynonprofitsshysuccessshyexamples 34

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Training and Advice Available at Amazon Available at Amazon

Share This Post On

June 2013 (with Photos and Text Revisions)

J started her career in journalism 15 years ago but made the switch to nonprofits after realizing the larger scope for

storytelling and that people actually want to talk to you For the last year shersquos been the communications manager

at Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful the Keep America Beautiful Affiliate in Nevada

Comments for this thread are now closed times

2 Comments Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog Login1

Share⤤ Sort by Best

bull

Vanessa Chase bull 3 years agoWhat an amazing transformation of Js thank you letter Its great that they chose to paint such a vivid picture and really emotionally engagethe letters recipient

bull

J Merriman bull 3 years agogt Vanessa Chase

Thanks Vanessa Im going to have to come up with a new one soon I think everyones got this one now )

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Recommend

Share rsaquo

Share rsaquo

Author Kivi Leroux Miller

4192016 Creating More DonorshyCentered Thank You Letters One Nonprofitrsquos Success [Examples] | Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog

httpwwwnonprofitmarketingguidecomblog20130910creatingshymoreshydonorshycenteredshythankshyyoushylettersshyoneshynonprofitsshysuccessshyexamples 34

Search This Blog

Search for

Training and Advice Available at Amazon Available at Amazon

Share This Post On

June 2013 (with Photos and Text Revisions)

J started her career in journalism 15 years ago but made the switch to nonprofits after realizing the larger scope for

storytelling and that people actually want to talk to you For the last year shersquos been the communications manager

at Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful the Keep America Beautiful Affiliate in Nevada

Comments for this thread are now closed times

2 Comments Kivis Nonprofit Communications Blog Login1

Share⤤ Sort by Best

bull

Vanessa Chase bull 3 years agoWhat an amazing transformation of Js thank you letter Its great that they chose to paint such a vivid picture and really emotionally engagethe letters recipient

bull

J Merriman bull 3 years agogt Vanessa Chase

Thanks Vanessa Im going to have to come up with a new one soon I think everyones got this one now )

Subscribe Add Disqus to your site Add Disqus Addd Privacyὑ

Recommend

Share rsaquo

Share rsaquo

Author Kivi Leroux Miller