guest post // Creative Ways to Thank Donors and Encourage Ongoing Support
By Tim Badolato, eCardWidget
46.75% of nonprofit leaders say acquiring and retaining donors is one of their top challenges. Expressing gratitude can help resolve this struggle.
Showing appreciation for your donors isn’t just good manners. It’s a strategic move that fosters loyalty, increases future giving, and strengthens your nonprofit’s community. While a simple "thank you" is a good start, organizations that go beyond these basic gestures leave a lasting impression.
Whether your nonprofit shows appreciation for its donors in person or online, we have several creative recognition strategies that any organization can use. The key is to pick the ones that your unique base of donors will remember and appreciate.
Customized eCards
Digital greeting cards are a high-lift, interactive way to thank donors. Send customized eCards to celebrate donations, holidays, birthdays, and milestone anniversaries. However you use them, eCards show donors that their support and long-term commitment truly matter.
eCardWidget’s donor recognition guide highlights several reasons why eCards are a smart move. eCards work because they’re:
Convenient and efficient: Nonprofits can customize and send out eCards in seconds. You can even prepare them ahead of time and schedule when they are sent.
Cost-effective: You don’t have to worry about paying printing or postage costs since eCards are entirely digital.
Customizable and interactive: Customize every part of your eCards, from the graphics to the text. You can even use animated elements, like floating hearts or falling confetti.
Eco-friendly: Since they’re sent via email, eCards are more environmentally-conscious than their printed alternatives.
Curious about how real organizations use eCards? Youth for Understanding (YFU) facilitates international student exchange programs to promote intercultural understanding and global citizenship. As part of its 70th anniversary initiative, YFU encouraged past students to reconnect with their host families, volunteers, and others who made their experience meaningful by sending eCards with custom thank-you messages.
To try something similar at your nonprofit, use an online eCard platform to design a few custom cards, post them to a private page on your website, and invite your staff or the people you serve to create their own thank-you messages to send to donors. That way, you can keep donor information secure while still providing a personal, heartfelt thanks.
Thank-You Videos
Videos add a personal and powerful touch to donor appreciation. A quick, heartfelt video from your team or beneficiaries shows donors the real-world impact of their support, helping them connect emotionally with your mission.
If you have the time and resources, create personalized videos for major donors. If not, a general thank-you video for all donors can still go a long way. Share it on your website, social media, or other public communication channels to show everyone that your organization values its supporters.
Here’s how to create a memorable thank-you video:
Keep it under two minutes to maintain interest.
Show clips of the people or places impacted by donations.
Include a message from a program participant or recognizable leader (like your board chair or executive director).
Add subtitles so it’s accessible and viewable without sound.
You don’t necessarily need a professional setup with fancy equipment to create meaningful appreciation videos. A smartphone and a quiet background will work just fine. The point is that your thank-you message is authentic.
Donor Spotlights
Public recognition can go a long way toward making donors feel valued and encouraging others to give. By sharing donor stories, you foster trust in your work and build a sense of community around your cause.
Think about the channels you can use to celebrate generous donors and tell their stories. Here are a few ways to spotlight these supporters:
Publish short interviews or testimonials on your blog.
Share photos paired with quotes that highlight their involvement on social media.
Include a “Donor of the Month” section with a brief backstory for each donor in your email newsletter.
Before sharing anything, always ask for the donor's permission and tailor the spotlight to reflect their preferences. Some may love public praise, while others prefer quiet recognition.
Impact Reports
One of your most powerful tools is the ability to communicate impact clearly and compellingly. Showing donors the tangible outcomes of their support builds trust. Well-crafted impact reports do exactly that.
UpMetrics’ guide to impact reporting explains that these documents provide evidence that your nonprofit uses donations to make a real difference in the community you serve, inspiring donors to continue giving.
Chances are, your nonprofit is already on top of impact reporting. All you need to do is add a few touches to make it double as a donor appreciation tool. To make your report meaningful and easy to engage with, include these elements:
Concrete data like how much was raised for a program and specific program results (e.g., how many students received scholarships or how many meals were delivered to families)
Brief stories or quotes from people directly impacted by your work, such as a client who gained housing or job stability
Visuals such as charts, infographics, or images, such as ones that highlight year-over-year growth, compare program results, or show geographic reach
Together, these elements help donors see the return on their investment. Even minor formatting changes can do wonders for showing supporters what your nonprofit is accomplishing with their help.
Handwritten Thank-You Letters
Letters aren’t just for requesting support! In today’s world, where most interactions happen online, a handwritten donor thank-you letter can really stand out.
Whether someone gave a generous donation, purchased merchandise, or attended your latest fundraising event, take a few minutes to write a short, personalized letter. This shows donors that their contribution mattered enough for you to slow down and acknowledge them personally.
These notes don’t have to be long. Just a few sentences expressing gratitude and a specific mention of the donor’s impact can leave a lasting impression. To make these letters effective, follow these tips:
Use donor-centric language. What did the donor’s generosity help accomplish? Focus on "you" rather than "we" phrasing.
Keep the tone warm and authentic. Does the message sound personal rather than formal? Share your genuine voice and avoid overly corporate phrasing.
Share impact examples. What concrete result or outcome did they make possible? Maybe their gift of $100 helped provide warm meals and housing to someone for 2 weeks.
You might ask staff members, board members, or volunteers to write these letters. Assigning them across your team will spread the workload while ensuring all donors are meaningfully recognized.
Next Steps: Putting Your Donor Appreciation Plan Into Action
Creative donor recognition doesn’t require spending a lot of money. The big part is making gratitude personal and authentic.
Start by experimenting with different ideas, gathering donor stories, and reaching out to donors to learn how they’d like to be appreciated. Pay attention to what resonates to make recognition as meaningful as possible. In no time, you’ll make donors feel like valued partners in your mission.
This guest post was written by Tim Badolato.
Tim Badolato is the CEO of eCardWidget, an innovative platform for digital employee recognition, donor acknowledgment, business marketing, and nonprofit marketing that serves 8,000+ organizations. With more than 15 years of experience in software engineering, employee engagement strategies, and digital greeting card creation, Tim is passionate about using technology to drive positive outcomes for mission-driven businesses and nonprofits. In his free time, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, playing board games, and exploring the outdoors.
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