Thanking your donators and sponsors for their generous support is one of the most important steps in a crowdfunding campaign journey; without their support, you would not have obtained the same number of funds that you have and would, therefore, be stuck in the beginning stage. To many, though, this step is one of the hardest to check off on their campaign checklist as they either don’t know where or how to begin thanking all of their supporters. But not to worry, there are many ways to thank your donors for their contributions and even help in building the basis for an ongoing relationship with them, allowing you to share future campaigns and ultimately obtain funds from them and/or their network. We at Wishbazaar have created a list of a few do’s and don’ts for when you decide it’s time to thank those who supported you and we hope that you find these tips helpful in your journey to ending your successful crowdfunding campaign.
Do’s
1. Do understand that thanking your donors is important and should be done right
- Your donors have taken time out of their day to help you raise the funds you need for your campaign, so you should carve out a good chunk of time to genuinely show your appreciation! Thanking your donors properly will allow for a better ongoing relationship in the future and they may even help in future crowdfunding campaigns.
2. Do use thank-you letters as a way to continue to build an ongoing relationship
- By donating to your cause, your donors have taken a first step in creating a relationship, even if it’s a very small one, that can have a mutual benefit for you and them in the future. By having their support, thanking them will allow them to see they have your support as well and in future crowdfunding campaigns, this can help boost the number of funds raised and the number of supporters collected!
3. Do get your thank-yous out as fast as possible for optimal impact
- The quicker a thank-you is delivered, the more genuine it feels for the recipient… so don’t procrastinate; get your thank-yous written (properly, of course!) as soon as you can to ensure the optimal impact for your donor.
4. Do make sure your thank-yous are personal
- No one likes a story that sounds like it has been written from a textbook, so make sure to write your thank-you in a personal manner. It is very important that you remain professional, but also make sure to line your words with your real emotions to show your donors your appreciation.
5. Do give a story on how your donors’ contributions will be used
- It is important to tell your donors how you will use their contributions to ensure they understand how important their donations are to your cause; giving a general outline isn’t going to cut it either! People enjoy reading a story of how their donations will be used, so make sure to write it in a descriptive and wholesome way.
6. Do tell the “what’s next” in the journey of your campaign
- This is a very crucial piece of your thank-you – it shows your donors you actually plan on using their contributions for what you had described in your campaign. This will help ensure you can build the ongoing relationship with your contributors as well as provide a basis for gaining their support in future campaigns. A great way to do this is through our updates feature! As your crowdfunding campaign progresses, you can update your donors on anything new that affects your campaign, allowing them to stay in the know and therefore building up a relationship with them.
7. Do makes sure to include “you” – a lot
- The word “you” is very important in making sure your thank-you is authentic and real because without it, your “thank-you” will only be a “thank”, and that’s not what your end goal is. You are thanking your contributors for their efforts in helping you reach your fundraising goal, so make sure to clarify that you are thanking them personally!
8. Do let beneficiaries of your campaign speak in your thank-you
- This is important as it definitely factors into the personal category; having a real person say something heartfelt about what the funds raised will do for them will really go a long way in showing that you 1. Are using the money for an actual cause and 2. Are going the extra mile in making the thank-you as genuine as possible.
Don’ts
1. Don’t begin your thank-you in a predictable or basic way
- No one enjoys reading a cliché beginning of any story or letter, so make sure your intro doesn’t fall into that trap! The more intriguing and captivating the intro of your thank-you is, the more your donors will remember it… so make it worthwhile.
2. Don’t speak in a general tone about what the funds raised will be used for
- People want to know what their donations are going to be used for, but a general tone isn’t going to make them feel like they really are doing good by contributing to your cause. Make sure to write in a way that will leave your reader/recipient wanting more, a tell-tale sign they will be back to contribute to another of your fundraisers!
3. Don’t gloat or brag
- No one likes to hear bragging or gloating, especially from someone they donated their money to! You are thanking them for their generosity, so make sure to write in an appreciative tone; this will help a lot in gaining the support of your donors as well as leave your campaign on a positive note.
4. Don’t write in a formal business-letter tone
- Your donors did not contribute to your cause for a business deal… they did it because they truly care about your intentions and feel for your fundraiser, so don’t write them to them like a business letter! Make your thank-you personal, make it unique, and make it memorable – genuine appreciation is key to hitting your thank-you on the mark for your contributors!
5. Don’t panic
- This is pretty self-explanatory but very crucial in your thank-you writing process! Writing a great thank-you may seem pretty daunting at first glance, but by writing it from the heart and adding your true emotions, the words will flow right onto the page in no time.
Your crowdfunding campaign journey has almost come to a close, but you have one more thing left to do: say thank you to all who have contributed to your cause! There are so many ways to go about giving thanks to all who have helped get you where you are in your journey, ranging from emails to letters to even postcards! We hope the tips above have helped you create a one-of-a-kind and beautiful thank you message that will allow you to really show your appreciation for all who have contributed to your cause and we hope that even though your crowdfunding campaign has come to end, the relationships you have built will continue on for many more years to come.