Five Ideas for Motivating Donors - Part 4

Making the Most of Receipts

Nonprofits and ministries whip out tax receipts that look sterile – official, dry documents that simply list the calendar of giving history with no design or messaging. We often spend a chunk of funds mailing those without considering how this document could advance our mission.

As part of our series of 5 ideas to motivate and engage donors, we’re exploring creative paths for donor engagement. In this post, we’ll encourage you to see your giving and tax receipts through a new lens: as donor impact pieces. While this applies to any year-round thank yous and receipts, it’s especially true of your year-end giving receipts.

So we’ll offer two tips today:

📌 1. Your receipt is a very important thank you.

It should be accompanied by a letter – or even a summary one-page annual report – that thanks donors for their role in your nonprofit's successes this past year.

➡️ Some organizations use the back of the receipt for:

• Quotes from those served by the programs

• A “by the numbers” look at all that the organization accomplished with donor help

📌 2. Don’t waste space or postage in sending only a tax receipt.

Some organizations include a special “thank you” buck slip in the envelope. A buck slip is a small ⅓ sheet of paper (about the size of a dollar) that fits in the carrier envelope.

➡️ That slip can be pre-printed with:

• Images or a thank you message to donors

• An impact story of someone served by the nonprofit's programs

• A special note from the leader or a client

Year-end receipts are a project that no charitable organization particularly looks forward to…
…but it’s important to view this necessary communication as a fundraising opportunity, so begin now thinking about how to best leverage them.

👉 Don’t miss an opportunity to thank your givers and tell them how valued they are: even a small change in that direction can make a big impact.

Tim Smith