Your donors are everything to you. They make your church's important work possible. But you may not be sure how to properly thank them, or what to include in your church donation thank-you letter. Read on for some tips and samples to inspire you!
Writing a good thank-you letter for church donations can be tricky! In addition to showing gratitude, thank-you letters are the right thing to do to acknowledge gifts – especially if your church has official 501(c)(3) status.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through steps and tips to write perfect thank-you letters. We’ll even throw in some samples you can use to craft your own church thank-you letters.
Using a template for your church thank-you letters is encouraged. Templates save time and ensure you include all the necessary information. However, personalizing a template letter is an important step to show your supporters that you recognize their generosity.
Your donor database should make this simple for you! With Donorbox, you can segment donor records by the campaign they gave to, time frame, location, giving amount, frequency, and more. This helps you personalize your thank you letter for church donation.
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Include their name, how much they gave, and any other specific details about their gift. You can also include anything you know about them personally.
For example, if they gave during their first visit to your church, you can thank them both for their gift and their attendance and share how you hope their relationship with the church might grow.
If your church is an official 501(c)(3) organization, you’re required to send an acknowledgment for any donation of at least $250 so your supporters can claim their donation on their taxes.
But it’s also just good practice to show your gratitude and build a relationship with your congregants.
Donorbox makes sending receipts easy. When someone makes a donation to your church through your online Donorbox campaign, they receive an automated donation receipt.
These receipts are customizable, meaning you can make them fit your church’s branding and voice. Edit the subject and body of this receipt template to include a thank-you as well as the donation details. You also get to test your receipt emails so you can see exactly what your donors will see.
Send Automated Receipts With Donorbox
With Donorbox, you can also easily send year-end tax receipts to your donors. You will be able to customize your email message to include a thank-you and their overall donation details will be attached to this email as a PDF file.
A simple line like “your donation of $50 helped us serve someone in the community” leaves a lasting impression on the donor.
If impact data is not available at the moment, confirm what the donation would go toward.
For example, if someone donates for your next mission trip, you need to specify this on the thank-you letter so they know for sure where their donation is going. If their gift is toward a capital campaign, it’s perfectly appropriate to update them on the status of the campaign.
This might seem obvious, but considering how you send your letter is an important step!
If snail mail is an option for your church, it’s a good idea to send it to your older congregants who might appreciate getting a letter in the mail.
This is a nice gesture because it shows that you went above and beyond to really thank them. Plus, you can get some of your church leaders to sign it too, so they can personally show their gratitude.
Email is a great option to quickly get thank-you letters out. Email thank-you letters for church financial support are great for smaller donations that you still want to acknowledge personally.
They’re also good for larger donations made by your younger congregants who might not appreciate physical mail as much.
We have a podcast episode all about how you can boost your email open rates. Listen to this insightful session featuring Jennings Wright (the Executive Director of Ten Eighteen Uganda) on our YouTube channel.
Now that you’ve learned the steps, here are some sample thank-you letters for you to use and craft your own thank-you letter for church donation.
We have included three thank-you letter samples to help cover three different scenarios – a general donation to your church, a donation to your capital campaign, and a company donation.
Dear [Donor Name],
On behalf of [Church Name], I want to extend my sincerest gratitude for your recent gift of $[Dollar Amount]. Without the support of congregants like you, our church wouldn’t be able to spread God’s word and touch the lives of everyone in our community.
Your donation to our general fund supports our weekly outreach program. It also helps maintain our church grounds, provides materials for Sunday School classwork, and more.
Generosity brings you closer to God, as it helps others grow closer to Him, too. Thanks to donors like you, our church was able to help [story about serving a community member]. Your generosity is no small thing; there is mightiness in the meek.
Please consider connecting with our church in other ways. We would love to see you at our [Event]. If you are able, please consider becoming a recurring donor or giving again to our campaign [include link]. Repeat donors make our important work possible.
Thank you again for your kindness and your impact on our community.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Signature
Dear [Donor Name],
On behalf of [Church Name], I want to extend my sincerest gratitude for your recent gift of $[Dollar Amount] to our [Capital Campaign Name]. Our goal for this campaign is to raise $[Goal Amount] to build a new Sunday School building.
We believe that a new building will help us better serve our youngest congregants so they can grow up to be holy members of our community. Your donation is a vital step toward realizing that mission.
We have five months left in our campaign and need your continued support. Please consider sharing our campaign [link] with your friends and family and encouraging them to give.
Also, you have the opportunity to become a recurring donor to help us meet our goal. A gift of only $[Dollar Amount] every month would make a tremendous difference in our campaign.
Generosity brings you closer to God, as it helps others grow closer to Him, too. Your generosity is no small thing; there is mightiness in the meek.
Thank you again for your kindness and your impact on our community.
Your Name
Your Signature
Dear [Company Name],
On behalf of [Church Name], I want to extend my sincerest gratitude for your recent gift of $[Dollar Amount]. Gifts from companies in our community are so special because they help us connect with the community in new ways and continue to spread God’s word.
Thanks to your generous gift, our church was able to help [story about the impact on the community or how the donation is being used].
Since you gave at a sponsorship level, your company name will be featured in our program for the next four Sundays.
Please consider connecting with our church in other ways. We would love to see your team at our [Event Name] and discuss other ways your company can remain connected with our church.
Thank you again for your kindness and your impact on our community.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Signature
So now, you have learned the steps and read samples of the perfect church thank-you letter. What’s next?
A thank-you letter for church contribution should also inspire more giving to your church. Here are four tips to help you achieve that with your letter.
Be positive about the support your church receives, but highlight why such support is so crucial.
A good thank-you letter should make your supporters feel both appreciated and a part of an urgent mission. If you convey the urgency, one-time supporters might turn into recurring donors and give again.
Branding for your church helps create your church’s identity. Everything your church sends out, including thank-you letters, should match.
This means the voice should be familiar to your congregants, but also the way the letter looks, which logo is included on the letterhead, and more.
Consistent branding throughout your website, donation form, campaigns, event pages, social media posts, etc. builds trust in church supporters because they feel like they know your identity. Keeping things the same in your thank-you letter can inspire more generosity because of this trust.
A compelling thank-you letter for church financial support shows how that support will be put to use. Showing donors the impact of their support means telling stories about the good your church is doing.
Consider if you have any recent success stories to share about community outreach or even testimony from a new church member.
Including stories will show how necessary donations are and encourage supporters to give to your church again in the future!
You want to be careful when asking for more donations in a thank-you letter. That is why you must keep the tone different from an appeal letter while also including some ways to give or support. Remember this shouldn’t take up a large portion of your thank-you letter.
Here are some ideas:
Donorbox can help your church attract and engage potential online donors with powerful, donor-friendly features like text-to-give, recurring donation forms, customized fundraising pages, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, memberships, QuickDonate™, and more. Watch this video here to learn more –
Sending the right thank-you letter for church donation is an important step in your church’s fundraising efforts. The right letter can both show gratitude and invite supporters to remain connected with your church – and even consider giving again!
Donorbox makes every step of church fundraising easy and effective. With easy-to-use, powerful, and customizable features, amping up your church fundraising has never been easier!
Ready to take charge of your church fundraising? Get started with Donorbox today.
Get helpful church fundraising guides and free resources on the Donorbox Nonprofit Blog. We’ve also covered other important nonprofit-related topics over there to help your organization’s overall growth. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated list of the most useful resources in your inbox every month.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower