In Memory of Acknowledgement Letter to Family for Donation

Equally a fundraiser, your daily or weekly routine likely includes sending acknowledgment letters to donors who made a souvenir to your organization. You may be so accustomed to this process that you don't accept to call up twice before generating an acknowledgment letter of the alphabet and dropping it into the postal service. Are you equally comfy with your process for acknowledging memorial gifts?

Yous probably don't receive memorial gifts equally often as y'all receive traditional gifts, then information technology'due south understandable if the procedure isn't second nature to you lot.

As you prepare up your process for acknowledging memorial gifts, y'all may feel intimidated about writing to people who are grieving. Information technology might help you to think of your function this way: your task isn't to console.  Instead, yous are sharing that their loved one is being remembered in a meaningful, thoughtful style. This is an opportunity to play a positive role in carrying forward someone's legacy and extending kindness to their family unit and friends during a difficult time.

One of the most important things to remember is that yous typically need to sendtwodifferent letters subsequently your organization receives a memorial gift: an acquittance letter to the donor and a notification letter to family of the deceased.

Often, the family unit of the deceased volition attain out to allow you know that the system is named equally a recipient of memorial contributions. Utilize this opportunity to ask which family fellow member should receive notifications of gifts, brand sure y'all have that person's contact information, and to learn almost the deceased'south connection to your organization or mission.

If yous receive a memorial donation seemingly out of the blue and don't recognize the proper noun of the deceased, you may want to contact the donor to give thanks them for the souvenir and ask if in that location's a family member they'd like you to notify of the gift.

Tip: If you receive a memorial donation and you lot don't recognize the name of the deceased or don't come across the proper name in your database, information technology's worth checking with your executive director, lath members, and fifty-fifty sometime board members to see if the person has a relationship to the organization that yous aren't enlightened of.

Create an acquittance template that'south intended specifically for donors who make memorial gifts. You can adjust the content of the letter equally needed, but having a template for this purpose gives you a great identify to offset. It doesn't have to exist long or complicated – consider including a message as this one:

Cheers so much for your donation to the Ocean Indicate Country Trust, made in retention of Sarah Jennings. Your contribution will carry Sarah's legacy forward and help protect open up space in our community. Give thanks yous for this meaningful gift.

Recollect to include gift details, such every bit gift date and souvenir amount, in your acquittance letter to the donor.

In a notification letter, you do not include the souvenir amount received simply it's a skilful idea to include the names and addresses of the donors so that the family unit tin can send thank yous cards if they wish. Here's an instance of text you can include in your notification letter:

Give thanks y'all so much for honoring your married woman'due south retentivity by recognizing Ocean Indicate Land Trust. We feel privileged to be able to honor Sarah'south memory, and her commitment to state conservation, thanks to donations received in her memory. The following donors made contributions in celebration of Sarah'south legacy:

Nancy Trout       113 Primary Street  Granville, OH 43023
Jim Schmidt        12 Bass Lane        Granville, OH 43023

It'south very important to send acknowledgments and notifications out in a timely manner, but the process doesn't demand to finish at that place. It's a expert thought to ship a follow-upwards letter of the alphabet to the donors and family members in a few months, letting them know how the donations are being used. Connect the memorial gifts to a tangible outcome. The update doesn't have to be long; a brief update volition hateful a lot and remind them that their loved 1 is beingness honored in an ongoing style. Here's an example:

Thank you once more for honoring Sarah's memory with a gift to Ocean Point Land Trust. We wanted to write to let you know that yesterday, Ocean Betoken Land Trust placed a new parcel of country under conservation easement. Your donation made in Sarah's memory was instrumental in making this possible. Today, x additional acres of beautiful country are preserved and protected in perpetuity. It's an enduring symbol of Sarah'south commitment to our community. Thanks for honoring Sarah and for sharing her legacy with generations to come up.

Ongoing:  In one case y'all've acknowledged gifts and sent an update, you lot can include these donors and family members in your system's newsletter mailing list to go along them informed of your piece of work. Whenever possible, include a handwritten note with the mailing. Stewarding these donors will help them feel a connectedness to their loved i, and can help ensure ongoing support from them.

Want to learn more than on how to acknowledge gifts your nonprofit receives? Download our free ebook: Guide to Acknowledging Gifts.

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Source: https://www.littlegreenlight.com/blog/acknowledging-memorial-gifts/

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