A baker's dozen of donor benefits

13 benefits you can offer your donors that cost you almost nothing

1. A phone call thanking them for their donations – bonus points if it comes from a beneficiary of the organization, such as a student if you are a school, a musician if you are a community orchestra, etc.

2. A tour of your facilities. Private tours are a terrific way to welcome new donors at your higher levels. Invite the individual and his or her family to come for bagels and coffee on a Saturday morning to check out your digs.

3. A card signed by your staff or beneficiaries, separate from the official acknowledgement letter. If you are the type of organization in which a donor actively participates, such as a theatre or museum, have this letter paper clipped to the donor’s tickets on their next visit.

4. An anecdotal email sharing with them how their donation has helped a specific person.

5. Your business card, stapled to a note that welcomes them to contact you with any questions about your organization.

6. Recognition on a donor list on your website.

7. Coupons donated to you by local businesses. For example, many supermarkets, restaurants, or local shops will agree to offer your donors a discount or other special deal.

8. An invitation to participate in a community activity alongside your staff and beneficiaries that is not sponsored by your organization, but that is relevant to it. For example, if your organization is an outdoor summer arts festival, how about sponsoring a beach clean-up in the fall or spring? If your organization is a school, invite your donors to visit a local park in the summer for a picnic—they bring their food but you provide some activities like bubbles or a craft? Plan these events strategically and think them through first, but also remember that donor events don’t always have to be galas.

9. If you have donors who represent local business or even major corporations, allow them to put their marketing materials in your facilities at an event. Or, feature them in your next newsletter.

10. Instead of sending your donors items like pens with your logo or t-shirts (which may not even be right for your donor demographic), send them a coupon for a free cup of coffee on their next visit to your theatre, museum, etc. Or if it makes more sense for your organization, offer them a free bottle of water on their next visit. These little perks give a donor a positive opinion of your organization and they are generally less expensive then personalized trinkets.

11. Mail or e-mail positive press about your organization to your donors. Include a handwritten or typed note that says simply “Thanks for your help in making this possible.”

12. Allow your donors to have access to a special phone number or actual line if applicable so they don’t have to wait on hold or in a long line when they call or visit your organization.

13. Have a senior level person from your organization approach your higher donors on their next visit to your organization, thank them for their gift, and address them by name.