Acknowledgements Best Practices
To thank donors for gifts, you can send acknowledgement letters. You can use multiple letters to target donors with specific content based the type or amount of their giving. When you compose acknowledgements, consider these best practices.
Less is more.
Keep the letter short, no more than four paragraphs. Start the letter with an exciting lead sentence, not just "Thank you for your gift of..."
Make it about the donor.
Thank the donor for the gift multiple times, and use the word "you" more than "we" and "our". Use merge fields to personalize the letter with information about the donor and gift, such as name, gift amount, and the applicable campaign or fund. For a recurring gift, thank the donor for the past and continued generosity, and include details on how the gifts enable recent accomplishments.
Promote your mission, not another ask.
Do not use the acknowledgement to ask for an additional gift. To promote your mission, include a friendly postscript with timely information — such as a holiday message or YouTube address of a video about your mission — and your organization's contact information, including a phone number, email address, and website address.