Make Leota Happy - Write a Thank You Note
Updated: Oct 6
My beloved grandmother Leota Schuler never went to college, was never wealthy and was certainly never famous (you've never heard of her, right?) She lived and died in the 20th Century; married and reared two boys; and lived her entire adult life in the little two-bedroom home her husband built.
She taught me lots of things - how to shell peas, how to make amazing pie crust, how to make sure there wasn't a snake in the basement before you went down; how to thread a needle (that was as far as my sewing skills advanced); how to design a quilt and - a really great lesson - the importance of writing a thank you note.
For her, writing timely and thoughtful thank you notes was something that all respectable people did. NOT writing a note was just "tacky," and that was the worst thing you could be. I can still hear her voice saying something like, "I brought her a casserole and she didn't so much as even write a thank you note!"
What Leota didn't know was that, by instilling the importance of thank you notes into my brain, she was helping me not just become a better person but a better fundraiser!
In this day of texts, emails, tweets and snapchats, a handwritten expression of gratitude STANDS OUT!
Writing short notes of thanks is considered a "best practice" in fundraising. It's also a great way to build relationships, solidify teams, create a positive environment and pave the road to future success.
Research from the University of Texas shows that people who receive hand-written notes say it increased their "happiness level" to a 4 or 5 (5=ecstatic), even though the sender thought it would only create a happiness score of 3. Even busy executives say they take time to open and read handwritten thank you notes.
Over the last several years, there has been a ton of research on how the practice of gratitude improves mental health, physical health, relationships and success. So writing and sending a thoughtful thank you note helps both the sender AND the receiver!
And here's a secret - you don't have to wait for someone to donate to your organization or give you a personal gift before you write a thank you note! You can thank someone for going to lunch with you, for helping you with a project, etc.
Components of a simple thank you note include:
Salutation- Dear [Name] or just their name
First sentence: A compliment and an acknowledgement.
Description of how what they did or gave helped.
Sincere expression of thanks.
Whatever else you want to say.
Closing - your name, position, organization, etc.
Examples:
Dear Mr. Spokes,
You were so generous to donate 24 brand new children's bikes to our homeless shelter! Most of the kids here have never ridden a bike and they were so excited about getting to learn! Our activities director is doing lessons for about an hour every day after school with the kids. I can't thank you enough for making such a big difference in the lives of the kids we serve. I hope you'll be able to come out and join us at a bike lesson soon!
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Note: this would just be the casual thank you note - the organization should send a longer, more formal note as well.
_____________________________________________________
Hi Ellen - You are beautiful and hilarious and I loved having lunch with you yesterday. I'm pretty sure we disrupted other people's lunches laughing so much but I really needed that! Having a friend who brightens my day means so much to me. Thanks for being so awesome. Let's do it again soon.
Love ya! J
_______________________________________________________
Dear Dr. Peterson,
You and Mr. Peterson were incredibly kind and thoughtful to send flowers after my surgery. When I woke up in my room, the first thing I saw was that beautiful arrangement. Every time I see them, it reminds me of you and your precious hearts. Thank you so much for being part of this journey with me. I look forward to getting together again soon.
With gratitude,
Jane
______________________________________________________
As you can see from these examples, thank you notes can be as casual or formal as they need to be.
So keep a stack of cards, envelopes and stamps (what? stamps? yes!) handy and take time to write notes regularly.
As a fundraiser, you'll be doing the right thing and helping ensure future gifts. As a person, you'll be surprised at all the ways you'll benefit!
I write lots of thank you notes - and I don’t always enjoy doing them (to be honest) - but every time I do, there is a little part of me that knows Leota is happy that I’m doing it. I wish I could send her a note.