Be transparent about how donors' gifts are being used
Donors expect transparency more and more. They want to know how their gifts have been spent and what your organization plans to do with future donations. Your organization's website and social media channels are perfect places to share detailed financial information, annual reports, and more specific details about donations. For example, for a capital campaign, pictures of buildings in process or finished will go a long way. For scholarship campaigns, pictures of recipients, parent testimonials, and total amounts given to a specific number of campers would be helpful for donors to understand the impact of their generosity.
eNewsletters also offer the opportunity to inexpensively send regular updates to donors about the status of fundraising campaigns and how those funds are being used. These eNewsletters can be personalized in a limited fashion - by including a salutation field with the donor's name, or even including a short personal note in the text of the eNewsletter.
For example, Herzl Camp recently sent out an eNewsletter with pictures of a new building being constructed at the camp. Information about the construction was offered, as well as another thank you for the donors' help. Finally a subtle link to give an additional gift was made available at the end of the eNewsletter.