Thank You Letter for Donation
It's true that we often ask people for help and assistance in times of need and forget about thanking them once our need has been fulfilled. At the same time, there exist people who do think about thanking the people who have helped them, but do not actually take the initiative to do so. This is of no help either. You should always keep in mind that it is the action that matters, not the intention. People will only see what you have done, not what you wished to do.
Apart from satisfying people and keeping them happy, sending a thank you note to someone is common courtesy, especially if that person has helped you financially or in any other significant way. If you run a charitable organization and have received a donation from someone, then writing a thank you note to the donor is a must. Writing a thank you letter is somewhat different from regular letter writing. On that note, here are some useful tips on how you should write a thank you letter for the purpose of donation.
- Timing of the Thank You Letter: It is common sense that you should thank the other person for his help as soon as you can. There is no point in thanking a person through a thank you letter twenty years after he helped you land a new job. However, that does not mean that you should carry around printed copies of ready-made thank you letters in your pocket and hand one out each time someone takes you out for a coffee. Timing is very important when writing a thank you letter for help that has been provided.
- Letter Content: Pay attention to how much and what content you write in your thank you letter. It should neither be a two-lined telegram, nor should it be a two page essay. Put your point across in a concise manner, without making it sound as if you're in a hurry to finish the letter. If you're writing a thank you letter to a donor who has sent in money for a children's orphanage, mention about how his generous contribution has gone a long way in improving the lives of all the children. Include a few lines of how the management plans to utilize the money, what new facilities they wish to provide the children, etc.
- Handwritten Letter: Ideally, handwriting a thank you letter makes the letter all the more genuine and heartfelt. However, if you happen to have time constraints, or if there is a long list of people to whom you need to send thank you letters, then typing the thank you letter could be an option. However, make sure that you sign the letter personally, and if possible, include a two-lined handwritten note at the end.
- Stationery: Use good quality stationery while writing or printing the thank you letter. Using good quality paper and ink does make a good impression, as compared to a thank you note that has been written on a torn, yellowed sheet of paper that looks as if it were torn out from a ten-year-old diary.
- Future Plans: Mention about what are your future plans for the orphanage, and the new services that you intend to provide the children with. At the same time, be sure to include a self-addressed return envelope in addition to the thank you letter, before you seal and post the thank you letter. This will ensure that your organization continues to remain in the donor's memory and he may at a future point of time, send in another donation through the return envelope.
