Planning A Thank You Campaign

Cross-posted from our Squidoo page.

One of the most basic rules of etiquette is to say "thank you" when someone does something nice for you. The same rules apply for fundraising. Donors are more likely to give to your organization again if they sense that their contributions were noticed and appreciated. There are many ways to conduct a successful thank you campaign, including:

-Sending personalized e-mails or letters to donors after the gift is received. It's very important to avoid sending automatic responses to gifts. Donors will not appreciate this.

-Setting up a phone-a-thon. These can take a lot of work, but the effort is usually worth it. Some people consider phone calls more personal, so these can be very effective.

-Send shout-outs on social media sites like Twitter or Facebook. Going online can combine the best of public praise and a personal contact.

-Create interactive thank you pages. These provide a more exciting and unique option than a traditional thank you note. Creativity is always appreciated!

-QR codes. These black-and-while graphics that look like bar codes can link people to a website using a smartphone.