An attitude of gratitude

In the last year or so I have changed how I talk about thanking donors, from a process of thanking them to a whole strategy around expressing gratitude. An attitude of gratitude is part of this.

For those who read my blog regularly (well first, thank you!), you may be inclined to say something like “yes Dan, we get it, we’re thanking our donors”. I commend you. To everyone out there thanking quickly and thanking personally and not relying on auto-thank yous, rock on.

Expressing gratitude and having an attitude of gratitude is more than one thought. For me it means that there is a collective thought and action pattern of ensuring that your donors knows that their support of your mission is known, appreciated, and that it has impact.

It does not mean that the donor is a savior, that they are always right or that they know how to better serve those you serve than your team does. It simply means that for every donation received, the person on the other end of that donation feels the gratitude for the donation and knows its’ significance.

When a donor receives a personal thank you quickly, and knows how you have spent their donation along with the impact of their donation, your relationship with them grows.

An attitude of gratitude.

Thank you for reading!