How to Write a Thank-You Notes for Donations (FREE Templates)

Did you work hard and raised donations for your non-profit? Great job! But the work isn’t end there, in fact, it’s just the beginning. 

When a donor makes a contribution for the first time it’s crucial to express your appreciation and build a relationship. This will help ensure the donor continues to give and remain an active member of your non-profit for years to come.

And the big step starts with a simple thank-you note for donations! A well-written, genuine and heartfelt thank-you letter for donors can make all the difference. It can turn a one-time donor into a long-term supporter who volunteers, spreads the word about your organization, and keeps giving.

If you’re wondering how to write the perfect donor thank-you letter, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Keep reading to discover some pro tips for writing a great letter of gratitude. You’ll also find some donation thank-you letter examples that you can personalize and send to your donors.

Let’s get started!

Why should you write a thank-you notes for donations?

A well-crafted thank-you note to donors has a big impact. It’s not just a simple confirmation receipt of a donation; it’s a golden opportunity to deepen your connection with your donors.

Here are just a few reasons why thank-you letters are so essential:

Show your gratitude

There are countless other organizations vying for your donor’s attention and support. The fact that they chose to contribute to your cause deserves recognition. Take the time to convey your heartfelt thanks and let them know how much their contribution means to you.

Make donors feel valued

Donors are the lifeblood of your organization, and without them, you wouldn’t be able to make the impact you do. Let them know just how much you value their support, and how important they are to your mission. A sincere thank-you letter can go a long way in making donors feel special and appreciated.

Strengthen your relationship

The first thank-you note you send to a donor is often the beginning of a long and meaningful relationship. Use this opportunity to lay the foundation for a strong connection by expressing your appreciation and sharing updates on how their contribution is used in your campaign. The more you engage with your donors, the more likely they are to continue giving and stay interested in your work.

Donor thank-you letters: best practices

Here we will mention some best practices to write the best nonprofit thank-you letters to your donors. 

Personalize the letter

It’s essential to use the donor’s name in your thank-you message to make it more personalized. Starting with a salutation like “Dear Friend” can make your letter sound generic. By incorporating names and personal details, you can make the letter of thanks feel more personalized and show donors that you value their support. You can add the donors’ names dynamically using the email notification feature of the Paymattic WordPress donation plugin.

Send the letter instantly

It’s important to send your thank-you message as soon as possible after receiving the donation. A prompt thank-you letter can help sustain the positive emotions that the donor felt when making the donation. Ideally, you should send your thank-you message within 24 hours of receiving the donation. This ensures that the donor feels appreciated and remembers their contribution. You can send the letter of gratitude instantly using the Paymattic WordPress plugin right after the donor makes the donation. 

Send from an individual

A thank-you message is the most effective when it’s written by an individual rather than an organization. It’s better to send it from top-level management such as the CEO or the Board of Directors. Doing so can help make the message feel more valued and heartfelt. You can send an automatic thank-you note with a custom sender’s name and email address using Paymattic.

Highlight the impact

Your thank-you message is an opportunity to communicate your organization’s mission. Mention how you plan to use the donation, you can provide donors with a better understanding of the campaign for transparency. This approach helps donors feel more connected to your organization’s work and motivated to continue supporting your cause.

Use a friendly tone

People don’t like to have formal letters. To create a warm and friendly tone in your thank-you letter, avoid using stiff and formal language and instead write as if you’re speaking to a friend or someone you appreciate.

Use donor-focused language

Use language that centers around the donor rather than your organization. You can include key phrases like “because of you,” “with your help,” “thanks to your support”, ”your gift”, “with your donation” and “we couldn’t do it without you” etc. It will help you keep the focus on the donor and their contributions.

Avoid jargon words

There are some sector-specific words that are difficult to understand by general people. Avoid using jargon that only makes sense to those who work in the nonprofit sector. Use language that your average donor will be able to understand and get excited.

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Include your contact details

Your donor may want to contact you in the future for further cooperation. So, include contact information for the letter-sender and links to your website, social media, and email, so that donors can easily learn more about your organization if they wish to do so.

Add appealing visuals

Use appropriate visuals like photos, graphics and infographics to show donors the impact of their donations. A letter with a big block of texts seems monotonous, rather adding some images make it more memorable and interesting to the donor. We suggest you include some pictures of your donation activities.

Include tax receipts

Include an official tax receipt for all donations. Make sure your tax receipt includes all necessary information such as your organization’s name and tax ID number, the donor’s name, and the date and amount of the donation.

Example of thank-you letters for donations

Here we have written down three nonprofit thank-you letters for donations to inspire you. 

Thank-you letter for financial support

Volunteer thank-you note template

Donor thank-you letter template

Paymattic for automatic email notifications with thank-you notes

Paymattic is the most user-friendly fundraising plugin for any WordPress donation website. You can send automatic email notifications with thank-you letters to your donor right after they make any donation with Paymattic. 

Simply create a donation form with the Paymattic WordPress plugin. Then select your form and click on the Email settings from the top bar. Here you can add email notifications for donors.  Set the email field in the “Email To” box so that the thank-you letters automatically hit the donor’s inbox when he provides the email address in the donation form. 

Put your thank-you letter in the Email Body field. You can use the {input.customer_name} dynamic tag to automatically include the donor name in the email body.

Besides, you can collect donations with 13 payment gateways and make donation forms. Here are some of the powerful donation features of Paymattic – 

• Donor profile
• Recurring donations
• Donation progress bar
• Donation templates
• Custom donation amount
• Guest donations
• Donation reports

Paymattic comes with Stripe (free), PayPal, Square, Xendit, Mollie, Razorpay, Paystack, Payrexx, Billplz, Moneris, Viva Wallet, Flutterwave and SSLCOMMERZ payment gateways. So, it is the right plugin to run a full-fledged donation website. Have a try and explore the magic of this awesome WordPress donation plugin.

Some last words

By sending a thoughtfully crafted and customized thank-you notes for donations you can foster strong relationships with your donors, sponsors, volunteers, and event attendees. It increases the chances of receiving their continued support in the long run. 

Take your donation campaign to another level with the Paymattic WordPress donation plugin and share us below what features you like the most about Paymattic.