Simple Acts Can Have Forever Impact With Your Donors

My husband and I recently decided to make a charitable gift in honor of the week our dog spent at his parents' house while we took a vacation. We tried a new charity this year for the gift in their honor, Little Paws Dog Rescue. Little Paws is where we adopted our dog from. Animal charities are also near and dear to my in-laws' hearts. 

Within three days of mailing the check, we received the note above in the mail. Kim is the founder of Little Paws. Her 5-10 minutes spent preparing this thank you note had a forever impact on our plans for future gifts to the organization. Kim offered clear impact information: out gift helped  a heart-worm positive dog staying with a volunteer foster family. In the same envelope was a small receipt we could easily add to our tax paperwork.

Last year when we went on vacation, we made a gift to another nonprofit close to their hearts to say thank you for dog-sitting . The check we wrote last year was promptly cashed by the charity. After that, our interest in their organization was apparently important enough to them to become lost in a black hole of no more communication. The request we made to have an acknowledgment of the gift sent to my in-laws was ignored. Eleven months after the fact, we have no idea what is going on with the nonprofit we made an investment in.

Guess which of the two organizations we will be making gifts to in the future?

Little Paws understands an existing donor is an organizational asset worth investing time and effort in to show appreciation. 

If you don't have them already, I strongly recommend investing in note cards or postcards with your department's logo. Give them to a volunteer or volunteer's spouse particularly good with following through on details. 

Some gifts may come to you completely unsolicited-what an honor! Some gifts may come to you through your annual meal at the fire station. Some gifts may come through your direct mail campaign. However they arrive, promptly and specifically thanking the donor is one of the best investments you can make in furthering your incredible mission. 

What's working well at your department in terms of showing appreciation to your donors? Please comment below. 

An Attitude of Gratitude: Outreach Ideas for Your Department

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wishuponacupcake/

With Thanksgiving just over five weeks away, now is a great time to think about how you can apply an attitude of gratitude to your department's overall outreach.

With Christmas/holiday cards, wishes and gifts coming in multiples each day in December, why not distinguish yourself by utilizing Thanksgiving to thank those who have strengthened you during 2010? 

A few ideas you might start working on now to apply an attitude of gratitude to this Thanksgiving and strengthen your fundraising efforts and overall operations in 2011 in the process:

1. Have your officers personally sign a Thanksgiving card for each of your volunteers. Include at least compliment for the volunteer on something they've done well with the department in 2010.
2. Prepare a note for each volunteer's spouse or significant other in recognition of the important role they play in supporting their loved one through missed meals and more. 
3. Prepare a note for the direct employment supervisor of each of your volunteers to state how grateful you are for the difference their team member makes in the community. 
4. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, gather a few volunteers at the station and call your biggest supporters for the year, just to say thank you. Leaving a voice mail is just fine.
5. Send a postcard or Thanksgiving card to your donors for the year letting them know specifically what you've been able to accomplish because of their support. Be sure to include your significant in-kind donors like the business that donated the meat for your pancake breakfast. Consider adding your City Council and/or Fire Board members to this outreach. 

FlashPoint offers communication services to assist in crafting these messages if you would like. Contact us today for more details.
What's working for your department in terms of sharing your attitude of gratitude?