The Case Against Thank You Letters

Some organizations, especially political campaigns, have a good reason to loathe thank you notes. They take a significant amount of time, especially if you are sending one to all your donors. Sometimes candidates want to sign all of them personally, which can take hours.

Additionally, you have to make sure the letters merge correctly, the details add up, and that you have all of the many tools you need.

By the time it's all said and done, most thank you note processes budget about 30 seconds of labor per letter. In a world where time is your most valuable resource, it adds up quickly.

Thank you letters are also not free. They cost one stamp plus envelopes, paper, and ink. As of the time we're writing this, it adds up to about $0.70 per letter.

The Case For Thank Yous

Despite all this, we believe in sending thank you letters. It is critical to thank your donors in some way, and a paper letter still goes a long way. It increases repeat gifts, keeps donors happy, and it reminds candidates how to tap into their gratitude.

On political campaigns you may not have phone numbers or emails for all your donors, but due to reporting requirements you will always have a physical address.

IRS Publication 1771 (For Nonprofits)

In coordination with IRS Publication 1771, all nonprofit organizations must acknowledge charitable gifts by sending a contribution receipt. There is no standard format for this, however, all contribution receipts or thank you notes must include the following:

• The donor's name,
• The amount of money or a description of the item(s) donated,
• A statement indicating whether or not any good or services were provided for the gift; receipts from religious organization must include a statement indicating that "intangible religious benefits" were provided but they have no monetary value for tax purposes,
• A good-faith estimate of the value of goods or services provided; insubstantial values need not be recorded,

Receipts can either be a letter, postcard, email, or some sort form created for this purpose.

Examples of Written Acknowledgments:

• "Thank you for your cash contribution of $750 that Sage Institute received on January 14, 2020. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution."
• "Thank you for your cash contribution of $1,500 that Hello World received on February 3, 2021. In exchange for your contribution, we gave you a cookbook with an estimated fair market value of $60."