| The Two Most Powerful Words in Fundraising
By Sandra
Sims
A recent series of television
commercials for a bank rewards
program features people who
find an unusual way to get
out of awkward situations.
My favorite is the one where
a man and woman are sitting
in a fine restaurant when the
lady brings up “the talk.” Ladies,
you know the one, the “where
is this relationship going” speech.
The woman in the commercial
comes right to the point, “When
are we getting married?”
The poor guy gets the “deer
in the headlights” look
on his face and says of the
first thing that comes to mind, “Thank
you!” Well his girlfriend
is so surprised and thrilled
to hear these golden words
she completely forgets the
whole marriage talk.
This illustrates in a humorous
way the power of those two
little words, Thank
You.
Everyone has a psychological
need to feel wanted and appreciated.
Appreciation is such a little
thing; you can’t touch
it or see it, but you can feel
it in your heart. Saying thank
you to each other keeps the
circle of goodwill and gratitude
alive.
Showing appreciation is especially
important in the non-profit
arena. The majority of supporters,
both volunteers and financial
donors, get no physical reward
for their contribution. They
don’t usually expect
one. They are there because
they want to give, and make
a difference. What they do
want is for their efforts to
be meaningful and appreciated.
The easiest way to show appreciation
is a simple verbal word of
thanks. This is especially
true for volunteers. After
putting in a long day at an
event, a simple thank you could
make all of the hard work worth
it.
Thank
you letters and cards
are the most traditional
form of saying thanks. Another
way to say thank you, for
both volunteers and donors
is with small gifts. You
may see this on public television
drives. They have different
levels of gifts for different
levels of donations. This
is something you might want
to consider for your next
direct mail campaign.
On the other hand, you may
want to give something small
to all your donors. Your supporters
will be pleasantly surprised
to get a small token of your
appreciation, even if it’s
something as simple as a photo
or card.
Receiving appreciation also
makes the donor feel more involved
and important to your cause.
They will become loyal supporters
and be the best spokespersons,
when they feel appreciated.
Copyright © 2005,
Step By Step Fundraising
/ Sandra Sims - Reprinted
with permission.
Sandra
Sims has been fundraising for
various charities for over
10 years and is dedicated to
helping non profits raise more
for their causes. Visit her Step
By Step Fundraising website
to get your free copy of the
special report.
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