Thank You for Your Donation Letter Ideas

Two overarching functions are most critical when it comes to fundraising — finding new donors and retaining (and getting further donations from) existing donors. If you put all of your efforts into landing new donors, you may find that your existing core begins to break down and fall away. You’ll end up working much harder than necessary to maintain and grow your donations. 

Donation thank you letters are a relatively simple way to keep communication channels open with your existing donors while creating a space of gratitude that's likely to motivate future contributions. These letters help your donors feel appreciated and provide specific information about the good the donor's gift is doing. Below you'll find eight donation thank you letter examples that you can use to show appreciation to your donors today.

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SHARE THE GOOD YOUR DONORS ARE ACCOMPLISHING

Donation thank you letters that help donors appreciate the good their money is accomplishing can be very motivating. Consider that they donated because they believe in your mission. If you can demonstrate how their funds are helping, your donors are more likely to stay excited about your mission. Try these "thanks for your donation" letter format templates:

Dear [Donor’s name], 

 Thank you so much for your generous gift! It’s donors like you that make our work possible. Your contribution is enabling our fundraising campaign to accomplish [specific goal], as well as helping us make progress toward [organization’s overarching purpose]. We’re excited that you’ve chosen to help us along our journey and hope for a long and fruitful relationship. Thanks again! 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name] 

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

As you know, [your organization's name] has been working toward [organization's overarching purpose] for decades now. We've made enormous progress on [specific goal] and [second goal], and now, with your help, we're that much closer to realizing [third goal]. Your generous donation was a major gift and has enabled [specific project] to get off the ground. We anticipate significant growth in our outreach efforts, and we have you and donors like you to thank. 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name]

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CALL OUT YOUR FREQUENT CONTRIBUTORS

Make sure to call out your recurring donors  and refer to our donation letter samples for guidance. Not only does this make it clear that you've noticed their continued support, but it also encourages them to keep up the trend. This  donor acknowledgement letter sample will help keep each and every recurring donor committed to the cause.

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

 We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of our organization. Your latest online donation for our fundraising event makes three years in a row that you generously contributed to our fall fund drive. It’s the dedicated support of long-time donors like you that keep our lights on and help us to fulfill our mission. Thank you from all of us here at [your organization’s name]! 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name] Dear 

[Donor’s name], 

 Over the years, we’ve found that there are generally two types of donors — those that donate once, and those that support our cause repeatedly. We’re happy to have both, but it’s the frequent donors that help make our income predictable and consistent, and we couldn’t be more pleased that you’ve decided to join that group. Thank you so much for your repeated contributions. We couldn’t do what we do with you! 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name]

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PERSONALIZE YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS

Using a donations request letter and introducing existing supporters to people their funds have helped is another excellent way to encourage donations. Give them a specific person to relate to, something more than a form letter. When you give donors a visceral connection to the work you're doing, they'll emotionally invest more deeply in your cause; it gives you the chance to remind donors of the reason they embraced your cause while sending a simple letter. 

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

 Thanks for your recent donation! Your generosity is making a difference for people in your community and around the country. Consider Leslie, who got the help she needed because of the efforts of dedicated volunteers, or John, who’s on his way to self-sufficiency because of the aid our organization was able to provide. We can only do that because of people like you, so please accept our heartfelt thanks now, and in the future! 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name] 

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

 After our annual fund drive, we like to thank every one of our generous donors. This year though, we thought we’d try something different. We’re going to let one of the people your contribution helped thank you directly. Bill was homeless until recently. Our program gave him the skills he needed to get off the street and into a halfway house. Now he has hope, all because of you. We’ll let him tell his story in his own words. [Insert story here.] 

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name]

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GIVE HIGH PRAISE REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF A DONATION

No matter how much a particular donor contributes, sing their praises. For some people, especially our major donors, $25 is a lot of money., and donating that much is a hardship they’re willing to suffer only because they believe in your cause. So don't just praise your multi-thousand dollar donors for whom it's a tax receipt.

Praise the person and acknowledge the donation amount, whether they donate $10 or more, just as enthusiastically.. And be sure to mention the amount of their gift so they know you aren't sending out the same thank you note to everyone. These details help with donor retention and contribute significantly to donor appreciation. Remember that the goal is a recurring donation and consistent support.

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

We received your generous gift tax deductible yesterday and didn't want to waste any time sending out our thanks. Your $25 donation is going to make a huge difference for people in need. Already these funds are being funneled into critical projects to further our goal of [your organization's primary goal]. Thank you so much for your support!

 Sincerely, 

 [Your name] 

 Dear [Donor’s name], 

 When we raise money, we have supporters at every level, from thousands to tens, and we appreciate them all equally. Why? Because people give what they can. Those with means give more. Those pinching pennies give less. In many ways, we appreciate smaller donations more because when a donation is painful financially, it demonstrates just how committed the donor is to our cause. We never want anyone to give more than they can, but we appreciate each and every donation and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

 Sincerely,

 [Your name]

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MAKE HANDWRITTEN DONATION THANK YOU LETTERS EASY

Handwritten thank you notes are more effective than typed messages because they feel more personal. The fact that someone in your organization took the time to address each contributor by hand shows your donors how important they are to your charity. But who has time to handwrite that many thank you notes? 

 Simply Noted makes it easy. We have fleets of automated handwriting machines that use real ballpoint pens and smart fonts to create an authentic handwriting experience with the speed and versatility of a printed card. Just upload your message using our letter templates, and we'll wing a handwritten, hand-addressed donation thank you letter to your devoted contributors. Make them feel special with Simply Noted, and you encourage donors to donate again and again.