Saying “Thank You” Does Not Always Work

by Viken Mikaelian, CEO, Major Gifts LLC

If you’re in fundraising, you learned how to say “thank you” a long time ago. You know the cardinal rules: send a thank-you card or call within two days. Call the donor by name. Be specific about what you’re thanking them for and what their gift will accomplish. Never, ever ask for another gift when saying thank you.

Contradictory Conclusions

A 2019 study, however, seemed to turn conventional wisdom on its head, concluding that a “thank you” doesn’t make any difference in whether or not a donor repeats a gift. USC Economics Professor Anya Samek and Blackbaud’s Chuck Longfield teamed up with public television stations and a large nonprofit to find out whether follow-up thank-you phone calls to new donors resulted in repeat contributions. About half the donors got a thank you call, the other half did not.

The results showed that making thank-you calls made no difference at all. Matthew Gerken of Philanthropy Daily nearly panicked when he read Samek’s results.  But once he dug a bit deeper on his own, he was able to provide some important perspective on the study:

• Those first-time donors received thank you calls between 3-7 months after they made their gift.
• Calls were not made by the nonprofits’ staff, but by random call workers with no connection to the organization.
• The call felt like a reminder that it was time to make another gift
• Donors had mostly received a thank you letter, email, and/or newsletter by the time the calls came.

Gerken explained, “An unexpected call six months later . . . signals that the donor is not remembered, is not appreciated, and that their donation is not significant.”

Does saying “thank you” still matter? You bet it does! But just as important is saying it the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons.

We can teach you how to do just that with effective marketing and lead-generating tools, including “21 Steps to a Successful Planned Giving Program.” We can even provide you with customizable templates for your thank-you letters.

The moral of this story? Don’t let anyone tell you that thanking your donors isn’t important. In fact, it might be the most important thing you do all day. Say it early, and say it often.

By the way, How to Find More Donors Masterclass covers much more in detail. Take it if you wish to advance your career!