Church Executive MAXIMIZING YEAR-END GIVING | Page 8

3 WAYS TO THANK
YOUR DONORS
Creating a culture of generosity all year long
By Troy Pollock
As we prepare for the end-of-year giving season, it is easy to get wrapped up
in planning a holiday service or trying to hit end-of-year budget numbers. As
a result, sometimes we forget to stop and thank those who have generously
given to our church.
Saying thank you feels like an obvious follow-up to any good deed, but
you’d be surprised how often this is put off until someone on staff has the
time. However, giving thanks is a biblical imperative as well as a key driver
of growth. Donors that feel appreciated are simply more engaged and more
likely to give again.
app from Pushpay, for instance, you can send
personalized thank you messages to donors
based on the specific fund they donated to — all
within a few minutes.
Here are a few ways to display gratitude in
a meaningful way as you thank and nurture
people within your community:
Personalize thank-you messages
No matter how much someone gave, it’s
important to think about how they’ll feel when
receiving a thank you note. Will they feel
acknowledged and respected? Or will they feel
like an anonymous donor whose gift was just
one of hundreds?
While maybe it’s not feasible to handwrite
personalized thank you notes for everyone who
has ever given, technology can certainly help
you deliver personalized and meaningful thank
you messages. Make sure you include personal
touches such as their name, what fund they
contributed to, and how their donation will/has
made a difference.
Deliver timely messages
The sooner you thank your donors the
better. In fact, “Donor-Centered Fundraising”
by Penelope Burk tracked donors who received
personalized messages of gratitude over 14
months. Researchers found that donors who
received a thank you phone call from a board
member within 24 hours of giving went on to
give 39 percent more in future campaigns than
donors who were not thanked in the first 24
hours. In fact, after 14 months, those who were
8
CHURCH EXECUTIVE • M A X I M I Z I N G Y E A R - E N D G I V I N G
Say thank you — and nothing else
It’s important not to ask for more in a thank-
you note. Thank-you notes that ask for more
money or volunteer time are ingenuine and seen
by most as tactless.
Let this simple communication be about
the giver, their donation, and the impact
it has on your ministry. To ask for more
while thanking someone undermines your
organization’s gratitude. Be genuine and
focus on them. That will go a long way with
your donors and it supports a culture of
generosity within your church.
For more information on donor development
and ways to nurture generosity, download the
Digital Giving Trends eBook or visit the
Pushpay Blog.
called within 24 hours of giving were donating
42 percent more than when they originally
started. While you might or might not see these
kinds of results, it’s clear that thanking givers
in a timely manner makes a huge impact.
No matter the size of your church, delivering
a timely thank you can be relatively easy
using digital tools. With a custom church
Troy Pollock is Chief Ambassador at Pushpay.
Pushpay provides a donor management system,
including donor tools, finance tools and a custom
community app, to the faith sector and non-
profit organizations. Our leading solutions simplify
engagement, payments and administration, enabling
our customers to increase participation and build
stronger relationships with their communities.
churchexecutive.com