Lisa Sargent’s "Thankology" is chock-full of real-life examples and advice on how to make people feel warm and proud of supporting a cause they believe in… feelings that translate into bigger gifts, years of loyal giving, and even transformative legacy gifts. Here’s a sample of what her book has to offer:

Thankology is about helping you do a better job of thanking your donors, and the amazing things that result.

This book’s genesis began years ago, in April 2007. That’s when I read an article that delivered the nonprofit sector’s equivalent of the shot heard round the world.

Or at least that’s how I interpreted it.

The author was no less than one of the world’s foremost experts on philanthropic psychology, Professor Adrian Sargeant (no relation; note the additional ‘a’ in surname). In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, he wrote:

“Retention is the single biggest issue we face as a sector today.”

Then he laid down data that should have stopped every working nonprofit professional in their tracks:

“An increase of just 10 percent in donor retention, Sargeant wrote, can yield up to a 200% increase in the lifetime value of your donors.”

Two hundred percent!

All you had to do for those seismic results was to keep just one extra donor in ten.

It was a BIG DEAL then. It’s a BIG DEAL now.

So big that Adrian Sargeant’s words would one day help place this book in your hands.

You see, back in 2007 I already knew donor retention was intimately connected to fundraising returns. And I knew that quality, donor-focused thanking was intimately connected to donor retention.

I knew because I’d just emerged from a handful of years with a single client, helping craft the direct mail and digital donor communications—communications that radiated gratitude for givers—of one of the top US animal welfare charities. At the time, their annual revenue was roughly $20 million.

As I write this, they’ve crested $102 million... a 500+ percent improvement.

I knew without a doubt how thanking donors worked a special kind of magic on retention and revenues.

It is this world‑changing magic I want to give to you today. Now let’s give your donors something beautiful.

THANKU

The six building blocks of your essential thank‑you letter are easy to remember.

Just think T-H-A-N-K-U…

THANK and tell the donor their gift was received—confirmation.
HELP the donor see what their gift is doing (or will do)—justification.
ASK the donor for something other than money—invitation.
NOTIFY the donor how they can reach you with questions—information.
KINDLE good feelings by showing how the donor’s gift is helping—illumination.
UPDATE the donor on when they’ll next hear from you—expectation.

Click here to order your copy of a book that will transform your donor communications, improve donor loyalty, and increase donations.