How to Write a Capital Campaign Thank You Letter

If you’re trying to raise enough money to build a new building for your nonprofit or acquire the latest imaging equipment for your hospital, then you’re probably considering launching a capital campaign. There are many different factors that go into fundraising successfully during a campaign.

But what happens after your campaign ends? There’s still so much your nonprofit will need to accomplish and so much change that can be created in your community. That’s why capital campaign thank you letters are so important.

Since this tool is so vital, allow your friends at iWave help you write the perfect letter.

Why Write a Capital Campaign Thank You Letter?

Capital campaigns are unique from other methods of fundraising in that they are broken down into two fundraising phases: Private (Quiet) and Public. The Private Phase is where you’ll receive 50 to 70 percent of your total funding from major gift donors.

Since these donors are so vital to your campaign and organization as a whole, you want to strengthen your relationship with them as much as possible. By writing a personalized thank you letter, you’re helping to nurture a relationship that will lead to years of support for your nonprofit.

While every donor is making a significant contribution to your mission, some may fall at different levels of your gift-giving chart. For example, some major donors may gift $100,000 while others are contributing $5,000.  It’s important to make sure you’re sending a letter to every single major donor to let them know a gift of any size has been greatly appreciated.

Thank You Letter Writing Tips

Now that you know why thank you letters are so important, you’re probably wondering how to make yours as effective as possible. The following are some key tips to writing successful letters. Make sure whoever is writing the letter has strong writing skills and significant experience. You may even want to consider hiring an outside freelance writer to ensure your thank you notes are well crafted.

Make it Personal

One of the most important aspects of your capital campaign thank you letter is its personalization. You don’t want to send out a generic letter that anyone could receive. Instead you want to let your donor know their personal contribution has helped your overall mission.

Express that their gift will enact change in the community and demonstrate how your organization’s mission aligns with the donor’s personal values.

In addition to addressing the letter to the specific donor, make sure to use their name often in the letter to convey personability and forge a strong relationship. Talk about your nonprofit’s future and how their gift will play a large role in your organization’s success and overall mission.

Tell A Story

The best way you can show your donors how they have aided in your capital campaign is by telling a story. Use a specific case study of someone who has benefited from your organization’s services to help forge a strong emotional connection.

For example, if you’re launching a capital campaign to build a separate cancer wing at your hospital, choose a former patient who received cancer treatments at your facility. Talk about how your doctors and equipment worked to save their life and how expanding your services will only work to aid more people in the area.

Personal testimonials are important in helping donors see exactly where their money has gone and how they personally have helped. Knowing that their gift was highly valuable, a major donor will then be more likely to follow along with all your events and continue to contribute to the cause.

Tie in Current Events

Not only do you want to include a personal testimonial, but you want to mention current events as well. Storytelling is a great way to establish personability and a strong connection, but topical issues show how your campaign can reach far beyond your community.

Let’s take a look at our cancer wing example again. After telling a story about a specific patient who you helped on the road to recovery, take some time to talk about the latest developments in the cancer treatment world. If you’re looking to acquire specific equipment, make sure to mention when these treatments were used at other hospitals and how they helped patients there.

By mentioning widespread change that reaches beyond your community, you’re also working to forge a strong and lasting relationship. This helps your donors feel good about their contributions and want to continue to support you.

Mention Upcoming Events

End your thank you letter by mentioning upcoming events and other ways your donors can continue to get involved. Let them know you want to celebrate your donors and to thank them in person (or via a virtual event) for their support. Invite them to campaign milestones, making sure they know they are a major reason you were able to reach your goals.

If fundraising has ended, let them know what other events you plan on doing in the future as well as annual events you may host.

When your donors attend these events, take the time to meet with them and talk with them in person. This is another way to deepen your relationship and ensure you’ll see them at many other fundraising events to come.

By chatting with them and taking the time to get to know them better, you’ll also be able to create more personalized events that speak to the specific interests and values of your donors.

Check out our Capital Campaign Guide

Our Fundraising Platform: Find the Right Donors

As you can see, thank you letters carry a range of benefits for your capital campaign. However, nothing is more important than the donors themselves. So, how can you make sure you’re finding the right ones?

As noted before, the majority of your fundraising will be done in the private phase and received from major donors. By utilizing next generation fundraising software like iWave, you’ll be able to uncover the right supporters for your cause.

Our fundraising platform scans billions of datapoints and provides you with a better understanding of who is most likely to support your cause. Learn more about how we can help you by scheduling a free demo or fundraising assessment today.

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The Kindsight Team