IN MEMORY OF GIFTS UPDATE
The update doesn’t have to be long a brief update will mean a lot and remind them that their loved one is being honored in an ongoing way. Connect the memorial gifts to a tangible outcome. It’s a good idea to send a follow-up letter to the donors and family members in a few months, letting them know how the donations are being used. It’s very important to send acknowledgments and notifications out in a timely manner, but the process doesn’t need to end there. Jim Schmidt 12 Bass Lane Granville, OH 43023 Nancy Trout 113 Main Street Granville, OH 43023 The following donors made contributions in celebration of Sarah’s legacy: We feel privileged to be able to honor Sarah’s memory, and her commitment to land conservation, thanks to donations received in her memory. Thank you so much for honoring your wife’s memory by recognizing Ocean Point Land Trust. Here’s an example of text you can include in your notification letter: In a notification letter, you do not include the gift amount received but it’s a good idea to include the names and addresses of the donors so that the family can send thank you cards if they wish. Create a notification letter template to notify a family member of donations made in their loved one’s memory Remember to include gift details, such as gift date and gift amount, in your acknowledgment letter to the donor.ģ. Your contribution will carry Sarah’s legacy forward and help protect open space in our community. Thank you so much for your donation to the Ocean Point Land Trust, made in memory of Sarah Jennings. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated – consider including a message as this one: You can adjust the content of the letter as needed, but having a template for this purpose gives you a great place to start. Acknowledge that the gift is a memorial donationĬreate an acknowledgment template that’s intended specifically for donors who make memorial gifts. Tip: If you receive a memorial donation and you don’t recognize the name of the deceased or don’t see the name in your database, it’s worth checking with your executive director, board members, and even former board members to see if the person has a relationship to the organization that you aren’t aware of.Ģ.
If you receive a memorial donation seemingly out of the blue and don’t recognize the name of the deceased, you may want to contact the donor to thank them for the gift and ask if there’s a family member they’d like you to notify of the gift. Use this opportunity to ask which family member should receive notifications of gifts, make sure you have that person’s contact information, and to learn about the deceased’s connection to your organization or mission. Often, the family of the deceased will reach out to let you know that the organization is named as a recipient of memorial contributions. Here are some suggestions for acknowledging memorial gifts: One of the most important things to remember is that you typically need to send two different letters after your organization receives a memorial gift: an acknowledgment letter to the donor and a notification letter to family of the deceased. This is an opportunity to play a positive role in carrying forward someone’s legacy and extending kindness to their family and friends during a difficult time. Instead, you are sharing that their loved one is being remembered in a meaningful, thoughtful way. It might help you to think of your role this way: your job isn’t to console. You probably don’t receive memorial gifts as often as you receive traditional gifts, so it’s understandable if the process isn’t second nature to you.Īs you set up your process for acknowledging memorial gifts, you may feel intimidated about writing to people who are grieving. Are you as comfortable with your process for acknowledging memorial gifts? You may be so accustomed to this process that you don’t have to think twice before generating an acknowledgment letter and dropping it into the mail. As a fundraiser, your daily or weekly routine likely includes sending acknowledgment letters to donors who made a gift to your organization.
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