Called
to Give Stewardship Program
Principles
of Donor Appreciation
It
goes without saying that donors and congregations benefit from heartfelt expressions
of gratitude.
Unfortunately,
our gratitude sometimes does go without saying, and donors are left with a feeling
that their congregation does not appreciate their generosity.
The
principles on this handout will help you sort out when and how you can say "thanks"
to the generous people who support your congregation with money and time.
1)
Thank donors continually. Don't wait until the end of a program, event or
process to thank donors.
BASIC IDEA: When a gift is given, thank
the donor.
2)
Thank donors personally.
Formal and generalized public expressions of gratitude are necessary. So are informal,
individualized words of thanks. Use every face-to-face encounter with members
to thank them. Use telephone conversations as opportunities for personalized thanks.
Add personally handwritten notes to form letters or general announcements. The
basic idea is to make gratitude and thanks a general part of the relationships
within your congregation. Use donor's first names where possible. Be specific
about the reasons for your gratitude (e.g., the effect of the gift or your personal
reaction to the giver's generosity.)
3)
Express your gratitude immediately and often. In fund-raising enterprises,
24-48 hours is the preferred turnaround time between receiving the gift and acknowledging
or thanking the donor. That same immediacy can be accomplished in congregations.
Remember this fund-raising maxim about donor appreciation: Thank every donor
seven times, in seven different ways. Check all details for accuracy.
4)
Expand the circle of thanks-givers. Those who do the asking are most likely
the best individuals to do the thanking. But also consider the effect of a pastor's
or key leader's personal gratitude. Think of the impact of the congregation's
thanks when it comes from several different sources. Provide methods - e.g., pre-printed
pew rack cards - that encourage congregation members to thank each other!5)
Plan thanking methods. Think about the goals, resources and methods by which
gratitude will be expressed. Include thanking donors as part of your overall plan
to strengthen relationships in the congregation.
6)
Keep your expression of gratitude fresh and lively. Check the language of
thank-you letters, consider new and engaging methods, ask congregation members
how they prefer to be thanked. See where delight occurs among givers who are thanked.7)
Add appreciation to thanks. Simple acknowledgment of a gift is a
kind of thanking. So are simple words of thanks. But when you add a measure of
donor appreciation - i.e., affirmation for the qualities of the donor, the donor's
motivation, or the donor's hopes - the expressed thanks encourage and bless donors.
8)
Add new methods of donor appreciation. If possible, hold a donor event-
e.g., as simple as a special luncheon or as complex as a special trip - to share
information about the part of God's mission donors have helped fund. Consider
small acknowledgment gifts - e.g., certificates, signed photos, home-baked cookies.
Use e-mail and special mailings.
9)
Gather and distribute thanks. You serve as a gratitude broker when
you gather the expressions of thanks you receive - from churchwide officials,
recipients of the congregation's generosity - and redistribute them to donors,
individually or as a group.
10)
Pray thankfully. During corporate worship, devotional time in meetings or
in your own private prayer, bring your gratitude to God's throne of grace.
11)
Be ready to accept thanks. Be prepared to receive back the gratitude of
givers for the opportunities you have provided for them to live their lives in
God's service. Accept their thanks on behalf of the congregation, and acknowledge
the love and appreciation of those who thank you!
