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[Word Wise] Good Thank You Letters Do These 3 Things
November 20, 2013

Word Wise Newsletter

Copywriting Basics and Writing Techniques to Help You Write Better

Volume 9, Number 10 ... ISSN: 1933-9690

Dear fellow writers and professionals,

Welcome back to Word Wise! Once or twice a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with practical and useful writing tips and copywriting basics to use whether you’re a marketing professional, nonprofit leader, or copywriting newbie -- to help you write better.

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FEATURE: Good Thank Yous Do These 3 Things
A donor thank you letter is the perfect opportunity to cultivate a relationship with a supporter and show she’s personally important to you. Send it immediately (within 72 hours of receiving a gift). And plan it with care and thought. Effective thank yous do 3 things:
  1. Specify
    Specify the amount of the gift and what it will be used for. This is an ideal way to open your letter. You’ll jog donors’ memory about their gift and reinforce your cause. Plus, you’ll provide them with a tax receipt.
  2. Show
    Show how the gift is being used. This is where you can explain what you do (your mission) through examples of real-life people (your ministry stories). Weave together concrete examples that demonstrate how the donor’s gift meets a need and impacts lives.
  3. Salute
    Salute your supporter. Explain how important she is to you and how much you appreciate her partnership. This "hats off" at the end of your letter reinforces the good your donor has accomplished, paving the way for her to give again.

(Read the full article here.)

Quick Tip: Move Thank You Letters to the Top of Your To-Do List


If you’re running a business, a nonprofit, or doing ministry, you have a list of 624 things to do, especially at year-end. Crafting a meaningful donor thank you is probably close to #624.

Don’t let it be. A thank you letter is a way to cultivate friends, not just one-time customers or donors. Writing a thank you will take only a few minutes. It’s an investment in a long-term relationship – and an easy one.

Create a new thank you letter for all customers or donors during a specified time period (such as year-end.) Send it within 72 hours of making a sale or receiving a gift. And where possible, hand sign it.

More About Writing Thank You Letters

What Your Donor Thank You Must Have What I Learned About Thank You Letters From a 5-Year-Old 3 Things Your Thank You Must Do

Finally ... A Wise Word

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity. It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all."

William Faulkner (1897-1962), American writer and Nobel laureate

Read more wisdom for writers and leaders.



That’s it for now. See you next time!

Good writing matters,






Kathy with Nonprofit Copywriter
Email me with your comments and questions! www.nonprofitcopywriter.com

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