How to thank your supporters at Christmas

It’s Christmas, the perfect time to shower your supporters with thanks.

After a hard year of virtual fundraising and volunteering events, audiences and supporters need to feel valued. Here are loads of ideas to help.

Tell the world you are thankful

Publicly thanking supporters goes along way. Use your website to highlight good deeds. If you can, include photos and video clips of staff, supporters, and beneficiaries saying thank you.

Coordinate your social media posts and website to say thank you. On Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, don’t just tag user accounts that you wish to thank – make sure to mention them in the text element of your post.

Be specific about what you’re thankful for, so that audiences can appreciate the contribution too. Add hashtags and links so that audiences are directed to the right content.

Send personalised emails and post letters

At Charity Digital, we’ve discussed how personalisation increases authenticity and trust. When sending thank you emails, include names, photos, and any bespoke details that your constituent management system (CRM) may have. Remember, email marketing software can also help make your communications mobile friendly.

Separate from emails, online thank you letters make a big statement. They can be public, but most of them come in the form of an e-card. Canva has ready-made e-cards that you can customise and send out.

Use the template function to draft the card, and then add bespoke elements. Our top tip here is to create different greetings for different audiences. Make sure you tailor the cards for volunteers, donors and supporters.

Shout out special donors

Whether as part of your normal digital communications or on your website, profiling significant donors works as a thank you and fundraising tool. Age UK’s permanent page acknowledging donors showcases big names in trusts and foundations. Being profiled and a part of this select group makes donors feel special and recognised.

Alternatively, you could formally recognise your benefactors in your Annual Report. Be innovative in your writing and selection of donors. You can acknowledge long-standing annual supporters, those giving significant sums, or donors with a compelling story.

Broadcast a thank you video

To make an impact, broadcast a special thank you segment on your YouTube channel, website, or social media account. Kindful offers tips on creating a donor video. They suggest showing donors their impact, keeping it short, and personalising the message.

For teams working remotely, there’s no need to fret about creating live content. Produce video content remotely by using recycled content, stock images, and pre-recordings from beneficiaries.

Hold special recognition events

Show thanks by holding digital and in-person events. Using CRM data to personalise the donor experience builds solid relationships. Donor appreciate events could include:

• Volunteer days with beneficiaries
• Sitting on board meetings as an observer
• Q&A sessions with beneficiaries
• Virtual happy hour or wine tasting

CauseVox also suggests holding ‘behind-the-scenes-look’ events where special donors get to see your operations, meet staff, or travel to see your impact. These type of events increases transparency and help connect donors with the cause.

For appreciation events, ensure that you have criteria for the invitation list to avoid any awkward questions around invitees.

Thank your donors over your livestreams

Live streaming is growing in popularity as the trend in online video watching continues. During your stream, create opportunities to thank your audiences.

Use the chat function to send text shout outs, or script an appreciation comment as part of your content. For charities looking to make special dedications, schedule a live stream just to say thank you.

Remember, let your supporters know the details of your event over social media.

Give traditional gifts

Traditional gifts still say thank you in meaningful ways. Plaques, memorabilia, medals, and other branded items work well to commemorate volunteer events, donation thresholds, and special mentions. When presenting your gifts, make it an event, whether in-person or digital.