How Charities Can Make Donors

Feel Appreciated for Their Contribution to the Cause?

Donors are quite important for charities and as such it is necessary to make them feel that their contributions are recognized as well as appreciated by the organization. Such appreciation will inspire them to continue investing in your charity and help you accomplish your objectives.

Value of Positive Communication with Donors

You can show your appreciation regarding contributions donors are making in communications you make, whether such communication is through emails, newsletters, in-person, over phone, through social media, on your web site, during events or by way of fund-raising letters. 

Communication – Utilize Positive Content and Tone

The content as well as tone needs to be such that donors feel they are important to the cause and there should be less emphasis on bragging about organization's achievements.

How to make donors feel appreciated and recognized for their contributions?

Emphasize How Important Donor is To Your Cause

If you had a conversation where the other person is talking most of the time about himself or praising himself then you will certainly feel bored. You will also develop a feeling that the person thinks of himself as more important.

Stop Using “We” and “Us”, Put Emphasis on “You”

Despite this fact many charities make the mistake of talking about their achievements. As for instance, struggling families rely on us, we are doing great work, or to make progress in our work we need your continued support. Such approach can easily turn off the donors and develop a feeling of being excluded. To avoid such problems you need to use an approach which helps to make them feel appreciated as well as important. Accordingly, any communication with donors whether it is through emails, online or in person should revolve around the topic of how their donations have helped the charity. 

Some examples of the kind of language you need to use in your communications would include:

• Your contributions helped us feed 20,000 families this year.
• Thank you for providing continued support and guidance.
• Your generosity is unparalleled.

Recognize Their Contributions

Charities need to thank donors for their contribution to the charity. There should be a note of appreciation in every communication you have with donors. 

Never Forget to Thank Your Donors

The fund-raising asks, your web site and the newsletters you send should thank the donors for their earlier gifts, support, advice and referrals. This way you will be able to make the donors develop a sense of appreciation and feel inclined to contribute more towards your charity. Help Donors Develop a Feeling of Association with the Charity. You need to put in the effort to create an environment where donors feel they are part of the organization and actively participate along with your staff as well as volunteers to help the organization accomplish its goals.

Make Donors Feel Its “Our Organization”

This can only be possible when organization puts in the effort to build a positive relationship between the charity and its donors. If such association can be developed then donors will refer to the charity as “our organization” instead of the “organization donor supports”. In such situation you will be communicate with donor in a similar fashion and ask for support by referring to the charity as “our work”, where donors will be well aware that the term “our” includes them also.

Precis

Finally, we can say that charities can ensure that donors continue their contributions by appreciating their involvement with the organization and considering them as part of the cause they support.