Donation receipts are a normal part of your organization’s operations. Still, with a little creativity and some tweaks to your template, you can turn it into an excellent piece of content, showcasing your nonprofit’s work. Your donors already look forward to receiving their receipts, so by adding a few adjustments to your template, you can share how your donor’s contribution has helped you achieve your goals.
Personalizing your donation receipts is a terrific opportunity to show gratitude towards your supporters. There is never a wrong time to thank your donors, so use your receipt as a platform to share content that demonstrates your accomplishments.
Pay Attention to your Address and Subject Line
Little details in your receipt’s email can communicate a lot to your donors. Having an email from an actual person’s address (for example, sabrina@yourorganization.com instead of finanace@yourorganization.com) adds a more personal touch. You can go one step further and also sign off using a personal email signature with your name.
Don’t forget to use a catchy subject line! Instead of "here’s your receipt” you can thank them for their contribution "thank you for supporting our organization!” or demonstrate their impact "your actions today will save the life of a puppy.”
Share Your Latest Blog Post!
If you have a blog for your organization, that’s great! Not only is it a terrific platform to share your story, but it can help with your website's SEO. I would recommend choosing posts that best represent how your donor’s contribution has supported your cause.
When introducing the blog post, lead with an enticing subject line to spark interest. Instead of "read our latest blog post” you can say "meet our virtual summer camp leaders!”. Give a teaser specific to the article you're sharing, inviting the reader to learn more about what you have been working on.
Your donor management and marketing software can track what content is getting clicks, so play around with formats, content and heading ideas to see what gets the most engagement with your donor base.
Share An Inspiring Video
A short 1-2 minute video can add a nice touch to any email. It doesn’t have to be the most amazingly produced piece of content to be effective, a short video recorded on your phone or laptop will work perfectly here. You can share a short, sweet message thanking your donor for their contribution and what is currently going on in your organization.
This can also be used to link to your YouTube or Vimeo channels where people can discover and share more of your content.
Give a Testimonial To Your Work
Because it is a receipt and not a solicitation, you should be aiming to show your donors that they made the right choice in donating to your organization, and what better way to do that than a testimonial from one of the people you serve. This can be done in any of the formats mentioned above, i.e. a short video or blog post, but even an image and a quote can be an effective way to show the impact they’ve made.
Attach a Photo Album
Pictures speak a thousand words, so if you have images from an exciting initiative or project, this would be a great place to share them with your donor base. Not only is it visually appealing, but you can show what you’ve worked on in the past and share a short description of where you hope to go in the future.
Donation Receipts Should Spark Interest, Not Be Used As An Ask
Once you’ve decided on the type of media you want to use, think about how you're framing the content in your email. You don’t want to say "follow us on Facebook for pictures from our food bank” instead give your donor the agency to make that decision for themselves. Try writing, "Our latest food drive was a huge success with your help, and our staff would like to say thank you! Take 30 seconds to see how your donation has made an impact on feeding our community”. If your donors use social media, add a button that allows them to share their support online!
Adding these personal elements to your receipts isn’t meant to be a hard or daunting task, look at the content you already have and use the receipt as a platform to showcase it. With a little thought and creativity, you can make your donor receipts fun and engaging!
Utilize Your Automated Email Software
Excellent presentation and amazing content are so crucial to your strategy, but it shouldn’t have to take up a ton of your time. Using a great CRM that automatically sends receipts to your donors is the most efficient way to save time and effort.
Most management software will let you customize your email receipts so all you need is a couple of minutes every month or so to write and implement new copy into your email templates, demonstrating the latest impact stories.
If you're looking for a simple email platform to send and track your receipts, contact us for a free demo! Donor Engine offers an easy to us, drop and drop email platform that will help you create stunning templates without any coding.
