How You Can Thank Donors

Out of every 100 individuals who stop giving to your organization, only four move away or die;

• 15 have decided to make their gifts to other organizations;
• 15 are unhappy with your organization;
• 66 think you don’t care about them.

Judith Nichols,
Pinpointing Affluence

Faculty, staff and administrators are key to letting donors know they are appreciated. Departments and other campus units can thank donors in a variety of ways.

• Create a system to handle thank-you letters and to let donors how their gifts are being used.
• Update all letters and thank-you notes each year.
• Consider different letters for different giving levels.
• Identify letters that need personal attention from the dean, department chair, etc.
• Eliminate duplicate databases and use the UW Foundation database for the most current contact information.
• Attend a Foundation sponsored stewardship workshop. (Contact Timeka Rumph)

Related Questions