June 16, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
When Child Advocates, in Houston, thanks grant makers who have made a donation, it replies with a letter that offers statistics about the organization’s results and specific examples of children the group has helped.
“What I wanted to do was give our donors a sense of what their money is going to be used for, to help the lives of abused and neglected children,” said Liz Peterson, the organization’s development coordinator and grants manager.
She said that when she selects stories about the children, it helps to show the diverse issues they face. And she chooses statistics that show grant makers what a difference their money has made over time.
This letter is part of the Great Acknowledgment Swap, a collection of letters collected by Lynne Wester, director of stewardship and donor recognition at Yeshiva University and blogger at donorrelationsguru.com. You can see the full 638-page collection on her site.
As always, we invite you to critique the letters and borrow the ideas for your own thank-you efforts.
