5 Ways to Say Thank You!

By: Joanne Fritz, About.com Guide

Let's all remember on this Thanksgiving the awesome power of gratitude, saying thanks, and how much our long-time friends mean to us and our organizations.

Here are five ways to remember to say thank you in our nonprofit lives. I'm sure there are many more, but just picking one and following through will do much to honor the season and win friends.

1. Thank a donor. Phone, write, email, text, make a personal call, hold a donor event - just do something and do it often. Yes, maybe long term donors and those who give a lot are thanked more lavishly, but any donor of any means is worth thanking sincerely, promptly, and personally, every time they give. Donors want to be appreciated and to know how their gift is making a difference.

2. Thank a volunteer. How often should you express your gratitude to your volunteers? As many times as you can. Send a small gift, take a volunteer to lunch, write a thank you note, send a birthday card expressing your thanks for their work. Thanking and recognition are not the same thing. Even if you have special events where you publicly thank your volunteers, think of the many ways you can say thanks in between those opportunities. Keep your volunteers motivated with an abundance of thanks.

3. Send a thank you to a foundation for considering your grant proposal. Even if you get turned down for a grant, you should thank the grantor for the opportunity. Relationships are just as important in grant seeking as they are in any other type of fundraising.

4. Say thanks to your social media friends. Social media is a wonderful way to reward and thank people. Do it often and sincerely. When in doubt, thank people for writing, commenting, referring, linking, and for passing on good information. Your social media world will grow to the degree you remember to say thanks.

5. Thank a reporter or a blogger for writing about your organization. As a blogger, I can tell you that it is hard work. Plus, they are all pitched hundreds of times each month. When he or she singles out your pitch for follow up, it deserves a hearty thank you. At the very least, send an email, and when possible mail a thank you note or send a postcard. Even though we're all online, it's surprising how something in the mail can memorialize your cause.

How are you expressing your gratitude this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season?

Back to Basics

By: Shana Masterson, Event 360

This weekend was the annual “Scouting for Food” drive here in Rhode Island. If you don’t have this program in your hometown, it's a food drive organized by local Boy Scout troops. In my area, it has collected more than 7.8 million pounds of food over the past 25 years.

Essentially, Boy Scouts go through neighborhoods and distribute plastic bags for residents to fill with the requested food items. Once filled, the bags are then left outside to be collected about a week later.

My fiancé, Matt, is an Eagle Scout, so participating in Scouting for Food is a forgone conclusion in our household. We don’t go through the cabinets picking out old, unwanted canned goods to donate. Instead, Matt usually makes a special trip to the market and buys the products the Scouts have specifically requested.

As I pulled out of the driveway that day, I smiled when I saw the overflowing bags he had left by the mailbox. I then looked down the street and noticed that only one of our neighbors had also left out a small bag of food. Driving through the neighborhood, I saw more of the same. 

As a fundraiser, I started to think about how much more could have been collected for our local food bank by applying some fundraising basics.

When the bags were first delivered, they were left on our mailbox. I can only imagine just how many more people on our street would have been moved to donate if a young Boy Scout had knocked on doors to explain the need for food in our area and made a personal request for help.

People would be so much more invested in donating food if they could put a face on the program, especially if they knew that same boy would be back soon! Even if no one was home, a note from the Boy Scout with his phone number and email address is much more personal than just a plastic bag.

After the bags were collected, I found myself wondering – what if someone else came along and stole the food because they were aware that it was Scouting for Food day? I was also somewhat surprised to find that there wasn’t a thank you of some kind in the mailbox. I might be conditioned to expect a thank you, but in this case, not only would I feel appreciated, but I’d also take comfort in knowing that our gift was going to our local food bank.

Now I understand that these efforts would take more time and the Scouts may not be able to cover as much ground. I also realize that public sentiment towards the organization is a bit marred. However, I still have a vision of looking down our street and knowing that only two of us gave to support local food banks and think we can do better.

Next year, we’ll give again, but I hope to see more of our neighbors doing the same!

Shana Masterson has been working in event fundraising for national health nonprofits for the past twelve years. She is currently the National Associate Director for Interactive Fundraising and Engagement with the American Diabetes Association. Find her on Twitter: @npshana.