Key Pointers for Expressing Gratitude

“I never, in a million years, would have ever expected a hand-written, personalized thank you note from the pastor.” Have you ever had anyone thank you for thanking them for giving? If not, it’s probably because you have never thought about, nor implemented, a process of thanking donors. For years, I have recommended that pastors reach out to donors of all kinds with a short, heartfelt thank you to those who generously give.

Here are some pointers and thoughts about crafting a thank you card, letter, email, or text…

• Get to the point! It’s about saying thanks, not telling them how great your church is.
• Make it brief. People are busy these days, and they won’t read more than a paragraph or two.
• Personalize it. The most successful responses use the person’s name. That is a start, but make their gift come alive by helping…
• Connect the dots for them. Briefly share what their gifts do in helping advance the Kingdom of God, making our world a better place to live in. When people see what their gift is doing, they are more apt to give again.
• Make it interesting. Tell some real-life story that makes the note readable. Say NO to boring letters and emails!

Say thank you often and to everyone! Don’t stop by only thanking first-time donors. Thank everyone! Carve out thirty minutes to an hour each week specifically for thanking donors.

Here are a few segments to consider thanking…

• First-time donors – One of your goals is to start a conversation with these donors that will lead to the next gift given, and ultimately, that donor will realize the joy of generosity.
• Top-tier donors. The average church sees 15% of their donor base give 50% of all that is given. These people put the gas in your tank for missions and ministry. Why not write a personal note of thanks to one from this key group each week?
• The faithful but forgotten. Who is your widow’s mite giver? Why not pick someone in your church who gives faithfully year after year? Send one note a week saying thanks and praying for that person who gives faithfully no matter what the amount.

Publicly say thank you regularly and often. Every offering time should be a time to thank those who donate to your church. You can also say thanks through your Social Media posts. Showing gratitude to those who help fuel your missions and ministry will help increase giving.