Thanking your donors is the fun part of the donor cycle. I imagine most of you use a mailed or emailed expression of gratitude. What I’m encouraging you to do is to make a phone call.

Please keep reading. I promise you, you have time for this!

Your official thank-you letter is a steadfast and carefully worded part of your campaign, and it is mission critical that you send these. A call, on the other hand, offers a warm, personal way to develop relationships with your donors.

Why a thank-you conversation matters

• The donor will hear that their gift is appreciated by you and by the charity.
• They’ll remember you. After all, you’ll have a friendly, memorable chat!
• You’ve made an effort. This matters to donors.
• Some donors have questions about your charity. This is a chance for them to ask, and for you to educate and inform.

Ways to extend the call and build your relationship

• Tell them how the campaign is doing, thanks to their help. Celebrate that you’re nearing the finish line or be kindly frank and say that you are encouraged by the giving you've seen so far and hope that donors will continue to give. The donor will appreciate knowing what’s happening, and seeing the impact of their involvement.
• Acknowledge their lifetime giving, or years of consecutive giving. Express your gratitude not just for the recent gift, but for the longevity of their support. Make sure they know how integral they are to your charity’s long-term financial health.
• Especially if you are calling about a first-time gift, ask about the donor’s connection to your charity and why they chose to support you.
• Give them an impact update. Tell them about what your charity is doing to save lives, or change lives.
• Suggest they jot down the date(s) for your next AGM, fundraising event or organizational milestone.
• Explain that their donation is like a hand raised that says, “Yes, I am concerned about this, and I know you <charity> are making a big difference”.

A few more tips

• Yes, leave a voice mail. You can do most of the things that I’ve suggested in your message. They’ll likely listen to it, which means they will, literally, get the message.
• Write a call report. Be good to future you by recording interesting things you learned during your chat. (E.g. They were home for the day because their washing machine was broken, or they ran in your fundraising road race back in the seventies). Recalling these little tidbits in future conversations makes for stronger rapport.
• Review your past call reports before you make the new thank you call. If you’ve left yourself one of the little info tidbits noted above, you might be able to bring it up as part of the conversation.
• Optimally, call every donor.
• Call first-time donors, no matter what the gift amount.
• It’s never too late to call. Even if the gift was given six months ago, you are better to call and express your gratitude, then to be silent.
• If you are new to fundraising, or in a new role, making thank you calls is the best way to introduce yourself to your donors, and to find out how your donors perceive your impact.
• Give yourself an online donation to find out what your autoresponder says.
• If you are fortunate enough to have a board member who’d like to help, donors love hearing from them.

Any more tips or thoughts on donor thank you calls? I’d love to hear them!

Sandra Baker, CFRE is Director of Advancement at Hamilton District Christian High, as well as a charitable sector consultant. Email Sandra Baker.