Frightfully Good Fundraising, Part 5: Leave Donors Spellbound

You know how to entrance donors by telling a great story in your appeals. You’ve worked on building a bewitching website that inspires donors to give. Reporting donors’ impact is a powerful component of your communications strategy.

But what about your donors’ receipts? Have you created great receipts that bewitch your donors?

Every little piece of communication you send your donors should be written with a donor’s experience in mind. Make your donation receipts more magical by including:

A Thank-You Picture or Video

Want to make a big impression without spending a ton of money? Film a simple (like shot-on-your-iPhone simple) video of someone from your organization sharing a sincere thank-you message. Alternatively, have someone like a client or staff member take a photo holding a handwritten “thank you!” sign.

This is an instance in which not spending money on highly-produced video or professional photography could be an exceptionally useful strategy. The more “human,” real, and authentic you can be with these videos or pictures, the better. Be sure to update them semi-regularly so repeat donors don’t get bored!

Make a Simple Impact Statement

Donors give to you for one reason: they want to make a difference in the world. Tell them how their donation will accomplish that! Include a simple impact statement—one or two sentences, tops—in your receipts. It fuels the good feelings donors experience after making a gift, and it’ll make them feel great about what they’ll accomplish.

One thing to remember, though: if you tell donors they’ll make an impact with their gift, they’ll want to know that you followed through. Be prepared to send a follow-up message reporting how you used their money!

Let Them Know You’ll Keep in Touch

Building relationships with donors can only happen if they read your communications. One of the best ways to ensure that happens is also one of the simplest—tell donors you’ll be in touch!

If you can establish with your donors that you’ll send them news, updates, and information about your work, they’ll be more likely to open and read your emails and letters. Be careful, though: if you tell donors you’re going to be in touch, they will expect you to be in touch. Follow-through is critical!

These three simple receipt elements cost nothing (or almost nothing) to implement and make a great impression on donors. Think of it as a love potion for your supporters—one great receipt and they’ll be enchanted!