8 Great Ways To Thank A Funder
You’ve been awarded funding following the review of your latest grant proposal. You can now move forward with an innovative program that will significantly impact your clients, and you want to say thank you to your funder. How do you do it? Do you have one go-to style or way to thank a funder? What if the funder doesn’t want to be recognized? In this week’s blog post, I want to provide you with some tried and true methods of saying thank you, as well as some more innovative ways to recognize the funders who provide you with the financial support you need to do your great work.
We Need To Thank Our Funders
From the time a child is able to talk, most parents work really hard to teach them how to say thank you. Just the other night, my three-year-old granddaughter, unprompted, said, “Thank you for my Shopkins” (those with little kids will understand), and it made me want to buy her all kinds of stuff she doesn’t need. It felt so genuine.
Saying thank you is polite, shows respect, acknowledges gratefulness, and, although it can make the recipient blush sometimes, it often makes the one being thanked feel really good. Funders are no different, and we need to make sure we go out of our way to sincerely thank them for the investment they have made into our organization.
Some Funders Don’t Want To Be Recognized
There are some funders who would rather stay under the radar and don’t want their name or logo flashed all over your website or social media pages. You will want to adhere to their wishes. I encourage you to have a conversation with them or read through their website and any grant proposal guidelines or instructions to see if they specifically mention how they do or don’t want to be recognized.
For the majority of funders out there, saying thank you and being recognized is absolutely fine. In fact, it’s a critical part of the process. Finding genuine and creative ways to say thank you is important as you continue to build a relationship, credibility, and trust with your funder.
So, What Are The 8 Great Ways To Thank A Funder?
Saying thank you can come in all shapes and sizes. Recognizing your funder also doesn’t have to happen only at the beginning of a project – it can be said in different ways and multiple times throughout the course of your relationship.
With that in mind, here are eight methods you can use to thank and recognize a funder , in no particular order.
A Few Final Thoughts About Saying Thank You
Saying thank you to your funder is the right thing to do. Without their investment, your organization would not be able to accomplish some of its goals. Finding intentional and creative ways to recognize them and show your gratefulness will go a long way in solidifying your relationship.
Take multiple opportunities to say thanks, be genuine in the way you express it, and be incredibly thoughtful. I always encourage my kids to put themselves in the shoes of other people in their lives so they have a greater understanding, feeling, and perspective for their situation. I would encourage you to do the same with your funder. As you look for ways to say thank you, be sure to understand the role they play, their goals and objectives as an organization, and the fact that they are human and will respond positively to many of the same things you do.
Have you thanked a funder recently? Do you need a different strategy for recognizing funders? Don’t wait. Choose one of these eight ideas, or come up with one of your own, and start recognizing funders for the amazing work they are doing in partnering with you to make a difference.