Thank yous that matter: would you read your letter to a room full of people?

I had a coffee and catch-up with a friend last month – let’s call him Karl. Karl had recently read out a thank you letter to his weekly exercise class, sent by a charity they regularly fundraised for.

Reading to a room of fitness fans... © Leo Visions, Unsplash.

So far, so normal. But what caught my attention was exactly how he told this story – and how he read the letter.

Pulling out his phone to show me a picture, Karl waved past some of the paragraphs of text, saying “I didn’t read that bit out, it’s not important – I didn’t want their eyes to glaze over”. 

It’s not important.

Here’s a snippet from the ‘not important’ part:

“Twenty-five years ago, <CHARITY> had….”

And here’s another:

“In <YEAR>, <CHARITY> awarded its biggest ever grant to….”

He’d had the attention of the room - and in that split second, Karl became the charity’s unofficial sub-editor, deciding which parts of this carefully crafted letter were likely to make someone’s eyes glaze over. 

Of course, that’s a subjective opinion. But when I pressed Karl about why he chose to read one paragraph over another, he summed it up better than I ever could:

“I read the parts that were about us, not about the charity. People want to hear about the person they know.”

The research: what drives supporter loyalty

With a sample size of one, this isn’t a particularly scientific experiment. But it aligns with findings from our research into the feelings behind long-term loyalty, which are based on a considerably larger bank of supporters.

It's emotional - loyalty is driven by feelings of commitment, satisfaction and trust.

We know, from surveying hundreds of thousands of charity donors, that people continue giving when:

• They feel commitment to the cause – when they see you driving the change they care about most.

  
  

• They are satisfied with the way that you treat them – when they feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

  
  

• They can trust you to use their gift of money, time, or voice with integrity and impact.

Karl didn’t read out the parts that were talking about what the charity was doing 25 years ago. Or the part about their achievements since then.

He read out the words that he knew the people in the room would care about – the praise for their instructor and chief fundraiser, the gratitude for their continued support over the years, and the description of a better, healthier world that was possible thanks to their support.

These are the bits where the magic happens: the words that don’t just inform, but inspire.

"Karl read out the words that he knew the people in the room would care about... the description of a better, healthier world that was possible thanks to their support."

The 'thank you' test

The 'thank you' test: would you read your letter to a group of people?

This story is an example of what happens when someone reads your communications: they’re looking for the parts that are most interesting to them.

Is that going to be your charity’s mission?

Maybe.

Is it going to be what your organisation achieved in the last year?

Possibly.

Is it going to be the positive impact that they have helped to make in the world?

Almost definitely.

The next time that you’re writing a thank you letter, try using this as a test before putting it in the (real or virtual) post-box:

“Would I read this out in front of a room of people? People who I know and like, people who have come on this journey with me to change the world?

And if not… why not?”

Those people are your supporters. That letter is a priceless moment to build stronger relationships, leading to long-term loyalty. And every single line counts – so let’s make the most of every one.

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We offer tailored support for charities looking to improve their supporter experience and raise more income. Get in touch for a chat about how we could work together to grow your supporter retention - your thank you letters will thank you.

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