The Pentera Blog
World Gratitude Day–Are You Thwarting Donations with Your Well-Meaning Thank Yous?
World Gratitude Day, observed each year on September 21, provides an excellent opportunity for nonprofits to ponder the importance of gratitude and express this bedrock emotion to the people and organizations vital to their missions.
Read almost any planned giving donor story and you’ll find its fundamental ingredient is sincere gratitude. That’s because many, if not most, planned gifts reflect sincere gratitude for services rendered by a nonprofit, such as a transformative education, medical care, or life-improving services or amenities.
But gratitude in planned giving is definitely a two-way street. Nonprofits must also express gratitude to their donors, volunteers, staff, and community. World Gratitude Day presents an ideal opportunity to do just that.
Are there ways of saying “thank you” that can actually thwart good stewardship? Dr. Patrick Dwyer, assistant professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, believes there are.
Dwyer’s research reveals that nonprofits should avoid expressions of gratitude that simultaneously harbor persuasive language. A classic example is the phrase “thank you in advance.” Dwyer finds this expression can actually dissuade people from donating, volunteering, or taking other desired actions. As he explains:
When [gratitude] expressions appear in a persuasive context, as when one is thanked in advance for performing a requested behavior, or when they are thanked for performing a past act only to then be requested to perform some future behavior, they run the risk of backfiring because they may threaten a person’s sense of freedom and autonomy. People may feel “turned off” because they feel that they are being taken advantage of for another person’s gain.
Dwyer’s research further finds that the orientation of a “thank you” also matters. He advises nonprofits to use other-focused expressions of gratitude with language such as “Your gift reflects your generosity” as opposed to expressions of gratitude that focus more on the recipient, such as “We love your gift! It is just what we needed.”
Finally, Dwyer finds expressions of gratitude are most effective when witnessed by others. Saying “thank you” one-on-one is fine, but doing it publicly, so that others hear or see your gratitude, is even better.
World Gratitude Day provides an ideal opportunity to let your donors and other stakeholders know how much you value them. Donor stories are often an excellent way to express gratitude to those who have made gifts while inspiring others to do the same.
