recognition

At this time of year, you are busy creating year-end appeals and reaching out to donors to say thank you. As a development professional, you probably think of expressing gratitude as making those calls and writing those letters. Have you stopped to consider how gratitude looks and feels from your donor’s perspective? What do donors experience that is gratifying – that is, helps them see the impact of your organization and feel that their contribution made a difference? How can recognition and acknowledgement help donors feel connected to the future work of your organization? How can expressions of gratitude help donors feel noticed and invited to become more involved? Sometimes we are so close to our work that it helps to take a step back and look at ourselves from an “outside in” perspective. What does a donor (or potential [...]