Earlier this year, my grandma turned 100 and transitioned to living at an assisted living facility – two huge changes and milestones for her and our family! So over the Memorial Day weekend, I drove to Iowa to help my aunt sort through and clean some of my grandma’s belongings at her house. Besides the treasure trove of knick-knacks, old CDs, and family heirlooms I found, one thing in particular stood out to me: a file folder labeled “Courtney.”
I didn’t open the folder until I got back to St. Paul, but I was surprised and teary-eyed when I finally sorted through it. Over the years, my grandma saved every thank-you note and card I had ever sent her. From a card I sent in appreciation of a high school graduation gift to a thank you note I left on a scrap piece of paper on her counter years ago, she had saved every single one.
Besides the initial wave of emotions I felt, I thought about what those cards and notes must have meant to her. Personally, I love getting a good thank-you card; words of affirmation are my love language! Knowing that something I did or a gift that I gave was appreciated fills my cup and, frankly, makes me want to give more and do more for my loved ones. To my grandma, it meant that all of the little gifts – the silly cartoon-a-day calendar, a $20 bill tucked into a card, the newspaper clipping she saved about that one random topic I mentioned in passing – were received with love and gratitude. It meant that what she did and what she gave mattered to me.
So, of course, there’s a connection to fundraising here and it’s probably obvious at this point: showing gratitude, even for the little things, goes a long way. You never know which donor out there might be saving your end-of-year thank-you card or had their whole day turned around by the thank-you voicemail you left on their phone. What seems like everyday work to you may be something special to someone in your audience.
As fundraisers, we tend to pay a lot of attention to the big dollar donors, showering them with the best stewardship we can muster. But it’s just as important to spend time on the $5, $25, and $100 donors and make sure they know we see and appreciate them, too.
At 100 years old, I’m not sure exactly how much time I have left with my sweet grandma. But I do know that I’ll be showering her with gratitude and love, and continuing to send her thank-you cards for as long as I can.
Courtney Backen is GiveMN's Senior Director of Community Impact. She leads the charge on resource and tool building for GiveMN and RaiseMN. Join Courtney for more fundraising tips during RaiseMN's August Learn-Along: Building an Ask and Crafting an Appeal That Sticks.