The Power of Appreciation

There are many two-word phrases that carry weight, like “it’s over” or “love you.” However, there are two words that have the power to captivate entire audiences and completely change your fundraising program for the better.

“Thank You.”

These two words are an essential part of any community-building strategy in the digital space. If “thank you” is not part of your vocabulary yet, do not worry, we are here to tell you how and why to show your appreciation. At first glance, this advice may seem obvious for many nonprofits. If this is true, then why are we drawing attention to saying thanks?

Currently, most fundraiser appreciation happens on social media. To create engaging content across all channels, charities should consider adding another layer of value to appreciation posts, like including impact numbers. This will show the creators who choose to donate their time, effort, and sometimes taste buds that they are recognized and valued as a part of your mission.

Two key components to making your posts pop:

1. Attention-Grabbing Visuals — Your thank you posts need a bit of flair! Eye-catching visuals are key to all successful social media growth and engagement, and here is no different. This is a charity’s opportunity to show that you have done your research on the creator by creating personalized, engaging content.
   • If available, include clips from a creator’s Twitch or YouTube fundraising livestream or video like, a pie to the face or an exciting fundraising moment.
   • If you do not have access to livestream or video clips, utilize static images as your visual component.
   • If the fundraiser used an audio medium for fundraising, like a podcast, consider creating a custom graphic.
2. Storytelling and Recognition — Now that eyes are drawn to your post, this is a charity’s opportunity to highlight a fundraising partner and share your mission.
   • Does the creator have their own personal story to share? Oftentimes, creators will fundraise for organizations with which they have a personal connection. A creator may have battled cancer as a child or lost a loved one to a natural disaster. Maybe, they just want to rescue as many cats as possible! If the creator has a personal story to share, and they are comfortable doing so, this is a great moment to include a few words directly from the source.
   • Has the creator fundraised for your charity before? If so, think about including previous fundraising efforts, such as the number of events or total amount fundraised, to your content. Making this extra effort goes a long way with a creator and makes them feel appreciated and valued.
   • If this is a creator’s first-time fundraising, acknowledge their efforts by shouting out how much they raised or note if they surpassed their initial goal. Big or small, any effort a charity can make to ensure a fundraiser is acknowledged and appreciated is key to a successful fundraiser recognition tactic.
   • Sharing is caring. Make sure to include links to a fundraiser’s social media and content channels whenever possible. Try utilizing the sharing component on Facebook or the quote tweeting component on Twitter.

THANK YOU to @lilsimsie and her INCREDIBLE community for raising over $200k for the kids of @StJude today! We are speechless. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/eh7Ta9C5G2

— St. Jude PLAY LIVE (@StJudePLAYLIVE) May 26, 2021

While this approach may be a challenge compared to more traditional mediums, the benefits are massive. Taking advantage of this connected age of fundraising affords a charity many growth opportunities. Creators who feel that their efforts are truly being recognized are far more likely to fundraise for you again in the future and encourage their community to join, too. In addition, this is a fantastic opportunity for charities to increase overall brand awareness to a new, diverse audience. A simple message of thanks not only forges deeper connections with your fundraisers but resonates with an immense and generous digital audience. In turn, this brings in even more fundraisers for your charity. Everybody wins!

While the digital space is always changing and evolving, showing your appreciation will never go out of style. The tips provided in this blog serve as guidance and support for your charity to take smart steps in the digital fundraising space. So, if you made it this far, we only have one word left for you: thank you.