1. Acknowledgment Best
Practices for Any Size
Shop
Lynne Wester
@donorguru

3. • Acknowledgments have two core purposes:
Thank the donor for their gift. Make them feel good about
giving.
• The most important elements of acknowledgments
are timeliness and accuracy.
• Acknowledgments are about the donor, not the institution.
• Receiving an acknowledgment should be a
consistent and positive donor experience.
•PURPOSE OF
ACKNOWLEDGEM
ENT

5. Tax Receipt for
Online Gift
Incorporates Video
and Social Sharing

6. Printed Tax Receipt

7. Acknowledgements/Thank You Letters
Good Online Thankyou
Missing personalization

8. Acknowledgements/Thank You Letters
Good Printed
Thankyou
Strong opening line
Use of Visuals
Template but
personalized

9. TIMING
Acknowledgments must
be timely.
Receipts should be
received within 72
hours.
Good
3 weeks.
Better
2 weeks.
Best
1 week.

10. PROMPT VS
PERSONAL

11. FORMAT FOR PRINT
• No window envelopes
(looks like an invoice)
• Avoid labels.
• If gift is made online,
it should be thanked
online.
Good
8.5x11 document.
Better
Preprinted card /personally
signed
Best
Personalized monarch
stationary or handwritten.
A handwritten note at the bottom
of letter is also great choice.

12. Nothing good
ever comes in a
#10 envelope
Jury summons
Eviction notice
Bills
Rejection letter
Junk mail
Solicitations
AARP offers

13. •Thank the donor not the gift
•Genuine and Personal
•Short 3-4 sentences
•Tell a story to connect donor to
the impact
•Demonstrate impact
•Add a handwritten note
Tips for Writing

14. Demonstrated Emotional Connection
Personalized and Meaningful
Gratitude language
About the Recipient
Use Emotion words
Story First

15. Don’t
Generic Text
Brag About Organization
Asking Language “THASK”
Sound Cold or Academic
Mixed Messages
Lead with Numbers

16. • Organizational Leadership
• Volunteers
• Recipients
• Researchers
• Grateful Patients
• Others?
Who should
sign?

17. Does it have
to be a
letter?

18. TEXT THANKS!

19. Use humor and personality

21. ThankView Video
https://hcc.dubb.com/v/9XxX6Z

22. First Time Donors

23. Milestones in Giving

24. Milestones in Giving

25. Loyal Giving

26. Acknowledge
ments – Key
Takeaways
• Difference between a tax receipt and an
acknowledgements
• It should be meaningful, personalized and
timely
• Writing acknowledgements should take 10-
15% of one FTE’s time
• Everyone can be included in the process
• Acknowledgements can be more than a
printed letter
• You can and should acknowledge how a
donor gives (first time, milestones, loyal,
etc.)

27. CONTACT INFORMATION
Lynne Wester
www.donorrelationsguru.com
lynne@donorrelationsguru.com
@DonorGuru

28. THANK YOU!
D O N O R R E L AT I O N S . CO M