Practical Tips for Thanking Funders
For nonprofit leaders, year-end often feels like a sprint with closing budgets, finalizing reports, and preparing for the next year’s grant cycle. However, one activity should rise to the top of the priority list: thanking your funders and donors.
Acknowledgment is more than a courtesy. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, timely and meaningful gratitude is one of the strongest drivers of donor retention and long-term funder relationships like grantors.
Here are practical tactics to help you acknowledge your supporters in ways that feel genuine, thoughtful and mission aligned.
Make Your Thanks Timely
Donors and grantors notice when gratitude arrives quickly and when it doesn’t. Try to acknowledge gifts within 48–72 hours whenever possible. Create a simple internal protocol for whoever writes, signs and sends gifts.
Personalize the Message
A tailored acknowledgement strengthens connection. Mention the program or initiative their gift supports, why their investment matters now and a short success story or outcomes connected to their support.
Clarify the Funder’s Impact
Many donors give because they want to impact change in the world. Use your thank-you acknowledgement to reflect their values back to them by linking their funding to their mission.
Multiple Touchpoints
A letter is good while a letter plus a follow-up phone call is better. Additional touchpoints could include: a short video message from staff or clients, a program update, and a handwritten note from a board member. Varied formats enrich the relationship and keep communication authentic.
Tell a Story
People remember stories more than data. Consider including a brief client success story, a program staff reflection or mission moment from the past year.
Share What’s Coming Next
Thank-you notes aren’t about the past; they are an invitation to the future.
Include plans for the next 6–12 months, how the funder’s support positions you for growth, and opportunities for continued partnership.
Celebrate Small Donors Just as Thoughtfully
Individual donors especially those giving modest amounts are often the most overlooked. Yet they frequently become long-term supporters, monthly givers, and volunteers. Consider sending a personalized holiday email, a brief “gratitude update” newsletter or a postcard with a mission photo.
Involve Your Board
Board involvement increases donor confidence and signals organizational health. Ask board members to sign thank-you letters and notes, make quick appreciative phone calls or record a 10-second “thank you” video.
While this time of year is an ideal moment to thank your supporters, the most successful organizations express acknowledgment as an ongoing practice. Each touchpoint reminds funders that their investment matters and that your organization is a good steward of their trust.
