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- Thursday May 29- Gratitude
Thursday May 29- Gratitude
Ephraim Gopin
May 29, 2025
Hi !
⬆️ We’re movin on up: What’s cookin this week
In this week’s enews…
One way to boost retention and giving
5 ways to make donors feel good about their gift
Learn from the good: How to say thanks to corporate partners
Must watch video: All the direct mail tips
Strategy Insider: We’re not that different
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORM
The solution to last week’s Triple E (enews easter egg): Normisms. George Wendt, who passed away last week, played Norm on the sitcom Cheers. If I had to rank my alltime favorite TV characters, Norm is number two, only behind Archie Bunker.
This week I’m finishing up what I started last week. Many of you are dealing with the biggest pain point- low retention and not raising enough money. This week I offer a solution which will boost retention, improve giving and help your organization grow.
🧭 To the east side: Great gratitude game
Please read the above quote again. It’s based on years of research conducted by one of the foremost nonprofit experts, Dr. Adrian Sargeant.
I know how hard you work on every fundraising appeal you send out. First draft, second draft, 5 managers and the CEO all chiming in with edits and changes, third draft, fourth draft, send for final approval, make a few more small changes, get final approval.
At the end you have what you think will be a winning appeal. You send it out, email, post on social and wait. Donations start coming in. You’re relieved.
But the journey’s not over. You’re just at the start. Because now you have to execute the thank and report part of the donor cycle. And it’s the thank part where so many nonprofits fail.
It’s a major factor why, in my opinion, the donor retention numbers in our sector suck.
As Dr. Sargeant points out, if the gratitude you share after a gift is warm, heartfelt, friendly, full of love and ongoing, it will be memorable.
And when it’s memorable, that will positively influence donors to give again the next time you ask.
Donors recall the thanks you sent- or lack thereof. If it’s businesslike (opening line: “Thank you for your donation of $150”) it will fall flat. Donors won’t feel good about their gift. They won’t feel the joy of philanthropy.
Instead they’ll feel like it was all a business transaction. And that’s when they leave.
You need to ask: What type of experience are you giving your donors?
I wrote last week that now is a GREAT time for fundraising. Wanna raise more in 2025 and beyond?
Up your gratitude game.
🏢 To a deluxe apartment: The time to grow is now
Fundraising expert Mark Phillips says: “They are not one of your donors. You are one of their charities.”
That’s a quote you should print and hang in as many places as possible in your organization’s offices.
Donors have choices! They don’t HAVE TO stick with you. Which means it’s up to you and your team to build the relationship and keep the donor giving year after year.
I deliver trainings to nonprofits and one of my favorite topics to present is gratitude. When it’s done properly it works!
Because retention and raising money is such a big pain point for many of you, I want to share with you a part of my gratitude training. Below are 5 different ways to say thank you.
Important to note: The below ideas can be used for donors of any size, not just major givers.
Video: No need for a Spielberg production! Open your phone, record a personalized, warm thank you and send. Could be delivered by the ED or one of your nonprofit’s beneficiaries. Something different that will stand out. (But if you wanna see a Spielberg production… Bowling Green built a new arena. Here’s the video they made to thank donors.)
Photo: Send donors a photo from work being done in the field. It’s something tangible for them to hold and see. Add a note telling the story of what’s going on in the picture and its impact. Bonus: A donor came for a site visit? Send them a picture from their visit with a heartfelt thank you note.
Zoom: You can’t always meet donors for coffee. Set up a 10-minute chat with them over Zoom. Thank them, share the impact of their gift, update about the organization’s work. A chance to make them feel good about their gift without having to leave their living room.
Gift: Send donors a small gift. (If possible, something made by one your beneficiaries.) Add a handwritten thanks card. When considering a gift, you want to send something thoughtful and personalized. Maybe you know what hobbies and interests a particular donor has. A little gift related to that shows you know them and will definitely be memorable.
Donorversary: I really feel that every nonprofit should do this. Look in your database. Find the date of a donor’s first donation to your organization. Send the donor an email wishing them a happy donorversary! Thank them for partnering with your organization to solve a problem and impact people in the community. Bonus: Send a short video/GIF of your staff wearing party hats, blowing party horns and throwing confetti in the air to celebrate.
If you’re gonna send handwritten letters/postcards, please be like my friend Francesca. She’s the CEO of the United Way of Bruce Grey and this is what she does:
On the left are the envelopes she uses to send handwritten cards to donors. See the colored ones? Those will stand out in people’s mailboxes! As she told me, “Donors have told me that when they see that envelope they automatically know it’s from me. And they rush to open it!”
In the middle are two of the custom cards she uses. On the right is a handwritten note. Francesca writes hundreds of those personalized cards each year. That’s how ya show great gratitude!
Gratitude isn’t a four letter word. And it doesn’t have to come only after a gift. It can be sent at any time, year round.
When great gratitude becomes central to your fundraising and marketing efforts, you’ll see a change. A good change. One that leads to growth and thrival.
☁️ In the sky: Learn from the good- Gratitude to corporate partners
In this section I will share with you something good being done by a nonprofit that you can learn from.
Mitzvah Circle was founded by Fran Held over 15 years ago. Mitzvah Circle fills the gaps and provides essential items not covered by government assistance. I visited their offices and warehouse a few summers ago and can tell you that Fran has built an amazing organization.
One of the things Fran does really well is create partnerships with local businesses and corporations. Every time staffers of those companies come to Mitzvah Circle to volunteer, Fran posts a thank you on LinkedIn.
She tags the company. She posts pictures. She used the story of one (Elizabeth) so the company knows exactly who’s being helped.
Fran does this every time corporate partners visit the warehouse to volunteer. One great way of publicly saying thank you!
🥧 We finally got a piece of the pie: A little of this and that
In this section I’m going to share with you great content I’ve picked out that you can learn from.
A ton of direct mail tips and best practices. A must watch video! (SOFII)
Ideas for peer to peer fundraising campaigns (Hilborn)
Best practices to create landing pages that convert (Hubspot)
How to leverage data to enhance your storytelling (FusionSpan)
15 nonprofit enewsletters you should subscribe to and learn from (1832 Communications)
💲 Now we’re up in the big leagues: Strategy Insider- Who’s your competition?
In this section I’m going to share with you how I build strategies for nonprofits. Each week I’ll share another piece and over the coming months you’ll see how everything fits together.
“We’re very unique and there are no other organizations like us.”
I hear this often. And although you may think you’re one of one, what matters is what your AUDIENCE thinks. Are you really that unique?
Example: Your organization woks with homeless moms and their kids. You don’t just provide shelter but life skills training, job training and job opps, help with living independently and more.
Given everything you provide you might think you’re different than other organizations. But if you asked people on the outside, would they say you’re unique or would they “lump you together” with other homeless shelters in your city?
This is why my deep dive includes a competitive landscape analysis. I look at other organizations who could be considered “competition.” I’m looking to see how those other organizations…
present their mission and work on their website
use social media to engage their audience
use media opps and video to explain their work
What I want to see is how each nonprofit “similar” to the client is looking to engage and connect with people. I take that information and work with the client to help sharpen their differentiators- how they’re unlike those other organizations.
This helps with how they present themselves on their website, emails, social media, blog posts, video, media opps and more. People hear those differentiations and then can make a better decision about who to support.
So far I’ve shared with you my deep dive into fundraising, marketing, platforms, interviews and competition. Next week I’ll be discussing the Board.
🧑🤝🧑 It’s you and me baby: NORM!
Personalization. It’s not just about using my name to open a letter or placing my first name in an email subject line (though both of those are important!).
Fundraising and marketing are about building relationships. Get to know people, engage and connect with them, learn about them.
What does that look like? Know their interests. Likes and dislikes. Why they interact with your organization.
This means knowing what content people want to read, what captures their attention. Knowing more about your donors allows you to personalize your interactions with them.
My son recently traveled to Boston. The mug below is the present he brought back for his old man. He knows me very well! He visited the bar and knows how much I love the show.
As he told me two days ago, “Pour one out for Norm.”
Personalization is more than just a first name. Your organization’s goal should be to get to know people well enough that you can truly personalize every interaction with them. Do that and you’ll see success.
Cheers!
Back at it next Thursday. Have a great weekend!
P.S. I had a mix of 80s music playing while I worked on the enews. 80s music forever!