Another Response Time to Measure: Formal Acknowledgements to Your Supporters

You already closely track your response times to fire and EMS calls. You use this valuable information for improving your services, reporting to local government, etc. You already intuitively know how the slightest incremental response time improvements can make monumental differences in patient health and minimization of property impact in a working fire.

When is the last time you evaluated your response time to your supporters?

Perhaps Jane Doe down the street just dropped off her annual $25 check. Maybe the local grocery store just provided you with supplies for your pancake breakfast. Or your Auxiliary just provided food for a long, tough fire fight. Support, of course, takes any form that positively impacts your bottom line and provides assistance to your team.

Any support for your department should be formally acknowledged within 48 hours of receipt. Without setting this internal deadline, it's too easy for the regular fire departments demands and expectations to get in the way of caring for your supporters. By acknowledging their support within 48 hours, you will demonstrate:
1. How important your supporters are to you
2. How highly you value their support
3. What a wise investment your supporters made in choosing you from among the endless line of requests they receive
4. That you know your Department will not keep moving forward without them

Formal acknowledgment may take the form of a personal note, typed letter or phone call from a volunteer member. The message should express your deep appreciation and comment on the direct impact their gift made. For example, let the grocery store know how much money you brought in from the pancake breakfast and remind them their direct role in making those results happen.

The time, effort and postage invested in making support response time your priority will pay off exponentially in terms of satisfied donors and stronger department operations.

To develop content for formal acknowledgement of your supporters, contact FlashPoint Fundraising President Dawn Svenson Holland today.