“Thank you.”
When a person says this to you, the first thing that usually comes to your mind is the reason for this show of gratitude. The moment the reason is established, that settles it. ‘Thank you is an expression of gratitude. It could be for a gift, a service rendered, a compliment given, or accepting and refusing an offer. A donation is anything given to a charity like non-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and it is usually a sum of money.
Non-profit organizations are also regarded as non-business organizations. Unlike other organizations, they do not run business operations, so their finances do not come from sales of goods or services rendered. Their resources are usually from donations(in most cases, money) from individuals or organizations that feel the need to render aids to people. This set of people are known as donors. A donor of any kind is a person who gives. It could be clothes, food, alms or something as big as a house or a car. They do not expect any compensation in return, so it is not a loan or trade system.
Notably, it is important to note the difference between non-profit organizations and not-for-profit organizations. Just as they are different from the business organizations that make a profit and pay tax, they are both non-governmental organizations as they are exempted from tax. They do not make profits, but their difference should be known. Examples of non-governmental organizations are most political organizations, schools, business associations, churches, social clubs, and consumer cooperatives.
The Key Aspects of Non-Profit or Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Accountability: Every non-profit organization should be accountable. They should be able to say what the funds raised were used for. Because they are not the only capital owners, they should say what they have done with the money entrusted to them.
- Trustworthiness: They should be trustworthy. Is it recognized by the government? What have people been saying about them? Do they treat donors or the less privileged with care? These things boost trust for any organization and keep people loyal.
- Honesty: Be truthful in your dealings so that you can gain trust and loyalty. Nobody wants to do any form of business with a liar to avoid being scammed.
- Openness to everyone who has invested time, money, and faith into the organization: Lay everything bare. Let people see what you have been up to and what you have accomplished so far.
People Who Non-profit Organizations are Accountable Are:
- Donors: As we said before, they are people who feel the need to help people. When they have given out their money, they should know what it has been used to know if they will continue with the organization.
- Founders: They are people who have come together to birth the NPOs, so whatever effort they have put together should produce results. They should see these results.
- Volunteers: They are people who have volunteered to work for the NGO to achieve their set goals. They have supported their efforts and labor skills so. It is only logical that they should know what is going on.
- Program Recipients: These are the people who are on the receiving end of these aids given. They should know how the program will work for them.
- The Public Community: These are people who may not have done anything, but they want to see this program’s progress. They could be potential donors or recipients, so they should know how it works.
How Non-Profit Organizations and Not-for-Profit Organizations Raise Money
Individual Donors or Foundations: Some people have money to spare and look for people to help. Some people have had success stories in a particular society, and they feel the need to give back to society. NGOs are mainly the places they go to and make donations.
Sponsorship from Corporations: When there is a project at hand, NGOs make proposals and submit to corporate organizations soliciting support for their programs.
Government Funding: The government also allocates funds to recognized NPOs to assist them in their projects because of its responsibility towards the people in that society.
Programs: They host some paid programs which may go for lesser than the usual amounts they should cost.
Services or Merchandised Sales: They also render services to people and make sales to get funds for their project.
Investments: The NGOs also invest in businesses owned by people to raise funds through the profit made by these businesses.
- The increase in the number of NGOs has affected the flow of income so. There have been conscious efforts made for competitive means of raising money. Grants and supports have been tough to attain so, NGOs have subscribed more to soliciting donations from private individuals and individual corporations.
- Hypothetically, we should bear in mind that people who give are not rich people but good people. People who give sincerely do not usually give because they have money to spare. They give because they know what having nothing feels like. Because of this, they look for Non-profit or not-for-profit organizations and support their courses through donations. The kinds of need the donors feel the need to help determine the non-profit organizations they choose to support. When these donations have been put to use, it is necessary for the chosen organizations to show gratitude and also give accounts required.
- Showing gratitude for anything given to you reassures that the gift has been acknowledged and with gratitude. Appreciation for donations is, without a doubt, a qualification for other donations either from the donors or other potential donors. It is more or less the only thing they are entitled to, so it should not be done lackadaisically.
- A “thank you for donation” mail is a mail sent to donors who have supported non-profit or not-for-profit organizations who in turn render help to others with the donated sum. When a sum of money has been donated to a charity, it helps the less privileged. Therefore, the charity organizations send emails to the donors containing accounts of everything achieved with the donations received. This mail is vital as it not only shows how grateful they are, but it gives them an assurance that their money was not wasted but put to good use. Here are some reasons why appreciation emails are important.
Reasons for “Thank you for donation” Mails
- For Accountability: Saying ‘thank you’ sometimes is not enough. It is also expected that you give a report no matter how short, on what the donation was used to achieved. This helps to boost the donor’s confidence in your organization and keeps him loyal.
- For Confidence Boosting: When you have given account of how the money was used, it gives the donor a lasting assurance. The initial scepticism criticism leaves the donor immediately.
- A Sense of Belonging: Because you have assured your donor that he or she is very important by telling him how the money was spent, it automatically builds trust and a relationship is established. For continuous support
- It is Right: If not for anything, a ‘thank you for donation” message is very important because it is the right thing to do. Courtesy demands that you say ‘thank you’ to your donors no matter how little their contribution has been towards achieving a set goal.
Very importantly, being grateful for a donation is good but to get more, you need to do it right. The emails you send to show gratitude for a donation should follow an accepted system to avoid loss of confidence from donors as they are the most important part of the organization. They are like a family to you because they are always there to support you so you need to show them that they are very special.
Guidelines For Writing “Thank you for donation” Mails
- Make a list of names and addresses of donors. This should help you know the amount of people you will be in communication with. It will give you a standard for the amount of emails you intend to send. It can also help you know what you will draft depending on the caliber of people you are dealing with.
- Gather all necessary information. Know them by their names and, if possible, their job titles, marital status, age, and so on.
- Don’t waste time. The appreciation mail is not like any other mail, so it should be treated with utmost care. Don’t hesitate to send them to your donors to avoid causing panic or creating doubt in their minds.
- Put your organization’s name in the “From” line of your email. Let them know the mail is from your organization and not from just anybody. For example, if your office name is FTY cares, let your mail read [email protected].
- Be specific in the “Subject” line. Please ensure to go straight to the point in the subject column. Try not to confuse the donors. State the main reason for the mail. This will give them a hint that it is an appreciation mail.
- Create a personal relationship. Ensure to make them feel like you remember them. Use their names in the salutation. For example, say “Dear Bola,” and not “Dear Madam,” or “Dear Sir.” This makes them feel like they are a family already, and you know them.
- Say “Thank You” boldly. Say a very big ‘thank you.’ You can do it repeatedly to emphasize that it is an appreciation mail. It is never too much to be grateful, so, by all means, show gratitude.
- You need to use the right words(Hirer a good copywriter). You can choose to make a good theme. Hire a good copywriter to do it for you. Words are essential in sensitive expressions like ‘thank you,’ ‘sorry,’ and ‘please.’ It would be best if you did not mince words or use conflicting statements. To make it easier, use a soothing theme for your emails.
- Center your writing around the theme you choose. Your writing should be organized and not disoriented so as not to seem unprofessional. This presents you as goal-driven.
- Make it as short as possible. Don’t make your letters or emails too long. The message is already clear enough. Make your write-up as compact as possible, so they don’t get bored reading.
- Appeal for them to encourage others. Give them an avenue to do more. Tell them to refer your organization to their friends and families to help you on this project or future programs.
- Use donor-centered language. Please don’t try to praise yourself. You are already the founder of the NPO, so don’t add more eulogies to yourself. Better still, use all your eulogies on the donors.
- Don’t use a robot mail. Please, by all means, do your mails yourself. This makes them feel more important unlike when it is a robot speaking. It shows that you took out time to send them love.
- Acknowledge loyal donors. If there are donors that have been with you for other projects, recognize them in the mails. If possible, state the amounts they helped with to let them know you have them in mind.
- Add a beautiful soothing photo. Make use of pictures that soothe the message. This adds life to your mails and it help to give your donor an idea that you are detailed enough to handle appreciations.
- Add follow-ups. Make sure to include your contact addresses. Also include your social media handles like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other relevant apps. They are known as postscripts (PS).
Parts of a “Thank You For Donation Mail”
- Address: This might not appear really formal, but it is necessary. The address should be included in case there are inquires that can’t be made through other means. This usually follows the “thank you for donation” letter.
- Salutation: This is the part where you say their names. This tells them you care about them enough to know their names. For example, “Dear Bola,” “Dear Adams,” “Dear Smith,” and so on.
- Opening Sentence: Start with a warm “Thank you.” You can choose other ways of saying thank you but ensure you are showing deep appreciation. This makes your message clearer. When they see it first, they know it is a show of gratitude.
- Second Paragraph: This should carry the information you want to share with them. A ‘thank you’ can also accompany this paragraph. You can even make it two or three. Like we said before, it can never be too much.
- Restate your Thanks: Thank them again for the help rendered. For example, “Because of friends like you, our responders have deployed to the region where they will purchase and distribute life-saving food, water, and supplies in cooperation with our in-country partners.”
- Conclusion: This is where you say your good-byes and probably, a final ‘thank you’ to show appreciation to them for taking out time to go through your mail. Then, to close your mail, there should be a complimentary close. Here is an example:
“Thank you once again for your heartfelt donation and for taking out time to read this mail.
Warm regards.
Sincerely,
The General Manager”
- Pictures: If you wish to include a video instead, then, by all means, please do so. Pictures and videos have always helped buttress subject matters, and they always will, even in this case. This makes your mail colorful and smart. An example of a suitable picture is shown in the last part of this article.
- Other Contact Addresses: Include follow-ups so they can reach you without difficulty and give them options. This is where you include your social media handles, alternative mails, or your phone number(s).
Differences Between “Thank You For Donation” Email and “Thank You For Donation” Letter
The “Thank you for donation” letter has a more formal salutation than the “Thank you for donation” email, which has a warmer and more personal tone. For example: For the “Thank you for donation” letter, you use formal greetings like “Dear Ms. Bola”
While for the “Thank you for donation” email, you can say, “Hi Bola”
- A “Thank you for donation” letter is more appreciated, but it takes more time to get to the receivers through a mailing system or delivery, unlike the “Thank you for donation” mail that is instant.
- The “Thank you for donation” letter has more formal content than the “Thank you for donation” email, which is more like a conversation. For example, For the “Thank you for donation” mail, you can say;
“we are very happy with your heartfelt contribution towards our project and want to send you our love and gratitude….”
While, for the “Thank you for donation” letter, it is more formal so you can say;
“Thank you for your contribution towards the Girl Child Education program. This is an official appreciation letter to show gratitude for helping to…”
Samples of “Thank You For Donation” Email and “Thank you for donation” Letter
Thank you for Your Gift
Dear Joanne,
Thank you for your gift of $__. Convoy of Hope has deployed trucks and teams to Joplin, Mo. Our prayers go out to the families in Joplin who lost loved ones, homes, and businesses. Because of friends like you, Convoy of Hope immediately deployed teams and emergency relief supplies to aid victims of these massive storms. Thank you!
Your financial gift helped people like Rachael, who lost her home and had no food for her children. Convoy of Hope workers supplied Rachael and her family with food, water, and hygiene products at one of our distribution sites outside Birmingham, Ala. “When you have kids, and you don’t know how you are going to feed them, it means so much to know there are people here to help,” says Rachael.
Thank you again for your rapid response that enabled Convoy of Hope to help thousands like Rachael across the southeast in the wake of this calamity. Thank you for your gift of $__ to Convoy of Hope. The donations, such as yours, equipped us to help in Japan, continue our work in Haiti, and all our other outreaches as well.
Because of friends like you, our responders have deployed to the region where they will purchase and distribute life-saving food, water, and supplies in cooperation with our in-country partners. With your help, we will reach even more families and children in need here at home and around the world this year.
Below is a summary of your gift. You can also access a receipt online by clicking on this link: ___
Amount: $____
Payment Method:
Date:
Designation: US Response
In conclusion, showing appreciation for the help rendered is a responsibility that should be taken seriously. The Non Profit or not-for-profit organizations are significant in achieving several societal needs but the people who have taken out time and resources to push the programs forward deserve the accolades. This show of gratitude has to be done the right way.
Dear Faith,
Thank you so much for your generous gift of 50,000 to the Surrogate Mothers’ Saviours Organization. With the help of members like you, we will stand strong in our pursuit of making motherhood achievable anywhere a necessity.
These are hard times, and people look up to us for help in situations like this when they have nowhere to go for help. Not everybody can afford surrogacy, and with your help and the help from other kind-hearted people like you, we can help out with ease.
Thanks to you, women’s pride is restored, and men won’t have to walk with their heads bowed in the streets because they are now parents like their mates. Thank you very much for being our bedrock in these times.
With gratitude,
Faith Omi
Managing Director,
Surrogate Mother s’ Saviours Org.
Connect with us:
Facebook at …….
Twitter……………
Instagram……………
Phone number……….
Also, read How to write a Thank You Email After an Interview?
