Taking “Thanksgiving” for Granted?

Depending on what poll you look you at, Thanksgiving rates as Americans' second favorite holiday, albeit a distant second to Christmas.  To me, however, it’s by far my top holiday.  Maybe that’s because it’s never been compromised.  It’s as pure today as it was decades ago. 

 

Thanksgiving is really very simple.  It’s a time for being with our inner circle—our family and closest friends.  It’s a day when we can simply be thankful. 

 

No one appreciates the “Thanksgiving” more than direct mail fundraisers.  The difference, however, is that it’s not a word that defines a specific day on our calendar, but rather a word that describes our purpose – “giving thanks” to all those wonderful people who support America’s charities through their generosity.  Few, if any, fundraisers would argue that gift acknowledgement isn’t a vital part of their overall direct mail strategy.

 

Yet, actions speak louder than words.  In my opinion, our actions suggest that fundraisers take “thanksgiving” for granted.  I’ll go a step further and suggest that if you stop and think about it, we neglect it all together.

 

Just think about your own gift acknowledgement program. When was the last time you took inventory of your gift acknowledgement strategy? Do you even have a defined and comprehensive approach to gift acknowledgement and do you know its true impact on overall program performance?  If you are like most (and you are honest), the odds are you really don’t. Chances are you spend very little time thinking about it. 

 

Do yourself, your organization, and most importantly your contributors and donors a huge favor and take inventory of your “Thanksgiving” strategy:  

 

• What is the purpose of my gift acknowledgement program?
• Is my gift acknowledgement program on auto pilot?
• Do I act as if my gift acknowledgement is a process or a strategy?
• How much time do you spend thinking about your gift acknowledgement strategy – daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, never?
• When is the last time you tested gift acknowledgement strategies and/or tactics?
• How many days does it take before your donor is acknowledged?
• Do you have a minimum ROI threshold for gift acknowledgement?
• Are all donors acknowledged, regardless of the size of their gift?
• Do you treat regained lapsed donors differently than you do an active donor or new donor?
• Can you quantify the value of your gift acknowledgement program, which also includes New Donor Welcome packages?
• Do you acknowledge actions other than financial contributions?

Lastly, did you take the opportunity to “re-thank” your most loyal and valuable donors for all their support over the past two years, especially since the tough economic climate made giving more difficult for most?  Did you re-thank valuable lapsed donors for their past support and ask that they keep your organization in mind once the economy improves?

 

On behalf of everyone here at Merkle, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and above all else, we are most thankful for your support and interest in our DonorPower Blog. 

 

-Greg Fox

Comments

[Peggy]

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and alot of people take it for granted. Yes, it is good family time and whatnot, but alot of people miss the purpose of the holiday. Nonprofit organisations could go a long way by thanking those who donate anything. Be it from the big donors, to the fair weather donors who give what they can. http://www.3minutecharity.com is a great site that helps keep a donor list and communicate with donors on a timely basis.
A simple 'thank you' goes a long way. People want to feel appreciated, for at the end of the day, they don't donate because they have to, they do it because they want to.

[Amy Mauser]

I love Thanksgiving and have wonderful family memories from this year and others - but I must disagree with your assertion that the holidy has not been compromised. It seems to me that the meaning of Thanksgiving has become, in the approximate words of Katie Couric during yesterday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,'a sign that the holiday season has truly begun.' It has also become a carb-loading opportunity before the shopping juggernaut of Black Friday. Unfortunately I think that consumption has become the meaning of Thanksgiving in the eyes of many donors.