While most donors prefer to be recognized when they donate, there are certain donors who prefer to not be recognized publicly for their contributions. It is vital for organizations working with such donors to respect their desires. Failure to do this may seriously and negatively impact the donor’s relationship with the organization. It is vital for organizations to thank all their donors for their contributions. There are a few ways in which these organizations can acknowledge anonymous donors.
Some donors give anoymous gifts
Some anonymous donors may want all their giving to be anonymous, while others may indicate that only certain giving should be kept anonymous. The fundraisers should record this information in the donor database. Other anonymous donors may request that their giving history should only be accessed by key members of the organization. In this instance, organizations should distribute database permissions that give access to anonymous gifts. These permissions can also be given to donors who give anonymous gifts.
Acknowledgement letter templates
Again, the fundraising organizations can acknowledge these anonymous donors with an acknowledgement letter template. This template reflects and confirms that they wish to remain anonymous. Organizations should also make sure that they have stewardship plans for their anonymous donors. They should customize these plans depending on the donor’s wishes. The stewardship plans must also continually include a theme of assurance which assures anonymous donors that they will remain anonymous.
Organizations must talk to each anonymous donor they have to ensure they know their personal desires. This is pertaining to stewardship reporting because some donors don’t want any mention of their gift during all publication that lists donors. Other donors will ask the organization to replace their name with ‘anonymous’ instead of their real name.
Private Thank You Messages
Another way to acknowledge anonymous donors is by sending them private messages to thank them. Fundraisers have access to personal information about anonymous donors. For instance, they have their names and emails. In your private message, you can acknowledge that you know they want to remain anonymous and tell them you saw all their donations. You can then say thank you for their continued support of your organization and work.
Donor gifts that match donors’ specific needs
Another way to acknowledge an anonymous donor is to ensure the recognition is consistent with the needs of the donor. For instance, some donors donate because they want to do some good. Others donate because they want to help their communities. Other donors just want to give back to the organization that has helped them or other people in their community. Others donate just because they love the feeling of giving. Therefore, the gift used to acknowledge the anonymous donor must match their specific needs.
For instance, you could give the anonymous a handshake from the CEO. You could also send a report of how the donor’s contributions have made a difference in many peoples’ lives or how they have impacted society. You can even have someone who benefited from the donations write a note to the anonymous donor. Whatever way you choose to acknowledge the anonymous donor, make sure it matches their specific needs. For your other donors who do not require anonymity, you can consider acknowledging them with a custom donor wall.
