1. Success Series: Donor Appreciation & 4-Week Action Plan

2. Welcome! Irene Miller Development & Events Coordinator Tracy Carey
Grants & Scholarship Coordinator

3. “Thank You”

4. Saying Thank You Why thanking matters? When to thank? Whom to thank?
How to thank?

5. Why “thank you” matters

6. Why “thank you” matters

7. Why “thank you” matters
It’s easier to keep existing donors happy than to keep finding new ones.
Retain existing donors
Giving begrudgingly
Welcome new donors

8. Why “thank you” matters
Donors talk
Make sure they’re happy when they start talking about your organization.
Good word of mouth is free advertising.

9. Centre Gives CentreGives.org is live for 36 hours:
6:00 am on Tuesday, May 3rd
6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 4th

10. When to thank? Why immediacy matters Centre Gives is 36 hours
Your org worked hard to educate, motivate, and help donors locate where to give during Centre Gives
If you wanted donations during a strategic power hour, then it was even more crucial that donors cooperate with your organization
So, it is just as important to say “thank you” quickly

11. When to thank? When to say “Thank You”
During/immediately following Power Hours
As donations roll in through-out the 36 hours
Immediately following Centre Gives
In June or beyond

12. When to thank?
In June or beyond

13. When to thank?

14. Who to thank? What are Successful Organizations Doing?
Using their “Donor Download” List
My what?
Get it, Save it, Use it

15. Who to thank? You will receive this e-mail in late April.
(Add Centre-Foundation.org to your Safe Senders list.)

16. Who to thank?
This link will download an Excel sheet of your donors, amounts, and contact information. It will only populate once you begin receiving donations. It is live during Centre Gives, so download it often to receive the updated donation information.

17. Who to thank? What are Successful Organizations Doing?
Using their “Donor Download” List
My what?
Get it, Save it, Use it
Did someone pledge?
Are you targeting a power hour?
Are you posting progress updates, goals?

18. And only “thank you.” Thank You Tips
Thank Yous should be expressions of gratitude
No embedded solicitation
They may result in secondary gifts though
And only “thank you.”

19. Thank You Tips

20. Thank You Tips

21. Thank You: Cookies

22. More Resources

23. Centre Gives: Thank You Examples

24. Thank You: Tweets

25. Thanking Through-Out

26. Thank You: Goals

27. Thank You: Videos & Goals

28. Thank You: Videos & Quotes

29. Thank You: Basic & Branded

30. Thank You: On Message

31. Thank You: Mission & The People Behind the Mission

32. Thank You: Re-Purposing
Save time and re-use your effective storytelling pictures when you say “thank you”

33. Thank You: Re-Purposing
Screen cap and add “Thank You”

34. Centre Gives CentreGives.org is live for 36 hours:
6:00 am on Tuesday, May 3rd
6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 4th

35. Donor Appreciation Day
Thursday, May 5th

36. May 5: Thank You Make May 5th Donor Appreciation Day!
Say “thank you” on social media/your website
Make a round of calls
Send a quick merge
Start on your thank you letters
(no tax receipts necessary; this was received automatically in their e-receipt during Centre Gives)

37. Make a Plan How will your organization thank its donors?
Write out your thank-you-plan-of-action
May 3
May 4
May 5
Who is responsible?
Staff, Board, Volunteers
How will you use your organization’s effective storytelling techniques to craft a meaningful thank you message?

38. Get Started! Fill in your plan of action:
On which hours will what staff member download your donor list?
Who will be on your donor appreciation team?
What will your thank you template letter/post/call look like or sound like? Write a script, sample!

39. Get Organized: Master Spreadsheet
Add a column for completed thank you message.
Assign volunteers to the “Gratitude Group.”

40. Secrets

41. Donor Appreciation During the Live Event
Many organizations also start thanking their donors immediately!
Executive Directors and Development Directors are sending immediate thank you s.
Board Members are making hourly rounds of thank you calls.
Support staff and/or volunteers can also pitch in, as long as “thank you” is included!

42. Stand Out Make your donors say, “Wow!”
Thank them during or immediately following Centre Gives
Be personal – use their name
Have a donor-centric message “you did this”
Concisely tell them what they are helping your organization accomplish
Hand-sign and/or include a post script
Make a thank you themed video

43. Housekeeping: Taxes

44. Tax Receipt? We’ve got you covered!
-Donation confirmations include a receipt for tax purposes; these arrive in donors’ inboxes immediately after a donation is made.
-Organizations do NOT send tax receipts.

45. Tax Receipt? We’ve got you covered!
Please remind your donors to save their
e-receipt for tax purposes,
or help them search their inboxes.

46. Tax Receipt? We’ve got you covered!
After Centre Gives is over, donors can re-visit the website to request their receipts be re-sent to their address.

47. Tax Receipt? We’ve got you covered!
Centre Foundation staff can also request that the system
re-send donors’ confirmation/tax-deductible receipts.

48. Don’t forget to delegate
Who can help me? I need to delegate.
Other Staff Members?
Ad hoc board committee?
Centre Gives committee?
Volunteers?
Interns?
Donors always offering to help?
Personal friends/contacts?

49. Thank YOU
Thank you for joining us for this seminar! We hope it was worth your time and look forward to seeing your organization’s unique style of gratitude during #CentreGives!

50. 4-Week Action Plan
Getting in gear for #CentreGives!

51. 4 Weeks From Centre Gives

52. 3 Weeks From Centre Gives

53. 2 Weeks From Centre Gives

54. 1 Week From Centre Gives

55. 36 Hours of Centre Gives

56. May 5th – Donor Appreciation Day

57. Loose Ends, Post-Centre Gives

58. Create YOUR Action Plan
*Download Master Spreadsheet here 

59. Recap March 1 – Storytelling & Sharing
“This is a story about___and it’s important b/c__”
Press Release Template
Media Contact List
*Power Points can be downloaded here 

60. Recap March 8 – Social Media Slate of time-saving Graphics
Editorial calendar, scheduled posts
Potential Paid campaign
*Power Points can be downloaded here 

61. Recap March 15 – Fundraising Strategies
Organized Data with Plan to Contact Donors
Strategic Prize Plan (“Power Hours”)
Unique donors, New donors = competitive advantage
Potential Physical Event
*Power Points can be downloaded here 

62. Recap March 22 – Engaging Your Stakeholders
Board Members and Other Current Partners
Publicity Opportunities
Surrogates with Larger, Online Audiences
*Power Points can be downloaded here 

63. Recap March 29 – Donor Appreciation
Know whom to thank (donor download link)
Create a plan for when to thank them
The sooner, the better.
Decide how you’ll thank donors
Personal, creative
Who will be in your gratitude group?
Volunteers, board members, etc.
*Power Points can be downloaded here 

64. Resources Power Points Worksheets Logos Master Spreadsheet
Power Points
Worksheets
Logos
Master Spreadsheet
T-shirt Link

65. Don’t forget to delegate!
Who can help me?
Other Staff Members?
Ad hoc board committee?
Centre Gives committee?
Volunteers?
Interns?
Donors always offering to help?
Personal friends/contacts?

66. Time to get to work on that
Questions?
Time to get to work on that
#CentreGives plan!
Let’s connect: