Is this the best thank you letter ever written?

This weekend I received a wonderful thank you letter from Child's i Foundation. Child's i Foundation is an organisation very close to my heart - see The Three Robbers. The thank you letter is exhibits a high level of personalisation and details a degree of donor impact, nonetheless the title of this blog post is a pretty bold claim.

Here's the copy, see what you think.

Dear Stuart,

I just wanted to send you a little something to say thank you for everything you do for Child's i Foundation. It's not just that you believed in us from the beginning, or that you've recently more than doubled your regular gift (for which we are incredibly grateful) or even your unshakable online support. it's you endless commitment and enthusiasm which continues to help our project thrive. You really are changing children's lives - and not just in Uganda. We're committed to growing our successful model, using all experience from the project so far, to help change the lives of more children around the world. Thank you for believing in us and being part of our movement.

Love Teri and Lucy.

I could deconstruct the thank you letter, analyse individual components -

• It acknowledges the donor's range of support for Child's i Foundation
• It demonstrates staff know that the donor recently increased a monthly Direct Debit donation
• It reassures the donor of the impact their donation is making in Uganda (and beyond)
• It thanks the donor for believing in the organisation

But here's the thing. This isn't an automated, mass produced thank you letter spat out from a customer relationship management database with a series of merged fields to appease the donor's need for authenticity. This is a handwritten note, in a handwritten envelope that has the impudence to address me as "Stuart Glen, Childs i Super Supporter." This is a thank you letter that accompanies a simple piece of artwork from Issa, sent all the way from Uganda.

A thank you note from Child's i Foundation.

I don't know Teri. But I her imagine her taking ten minutes out of her busy day, amidst 101 other things screaming for her attention, to write a thank you note to a Child's i Foundation supporter. It's a letter from one human being to another. That's why I believe this is the best thank you letter ever written.

Fundraisers ask yourself, can you say the same about your suite of thank you letters?

Ten copywriting lessons fundraisers can learn from Dr Seuss

On the 2nd of March 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts one of America's finest writers was born. You may not have heard of Theodor Seuss Geisel, but I hope you are familiar with the wonderful writing of Dr Seuss. Over a 53 year period, Dr Seuss published 46 timeless children's books.

With a young family I have loved rediscovering the imagination-bending back catalogue of Dr Seuss. So much so, that on a family vacation to Boston and Cape Cod in 2008, we hired a car and drove the 95 miles to Springfield to visit The Dr Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Now, I know there is a Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure in Universal Studios, Orlando, but the afternoon in the serene and peaceful memorial scuplture garden with 11 month old Mackenzie is a memory I'll treasure for the rest of my days.

The Dr Seuss Memorial Sculpture Garden, Springfield, Massachusetts.

Beyond the seemingly nonsensical rhymes a subtle moral lesson frequently lurks in the works of Dr Seuss. Although Geisel made a point of not beginning the writing of any of his stories with a moral in mind because he was adamant that "kids can see a moral coming a mile off." He chose his words carefully, sparingly and  intelligently. He was a brilliant copywriter. One that anyone involved in writing fundraising copy should study and admire. In no particular order, here are 10 fundraising copywriting lessons I've learned from Dr Seuss,

1. Believe in yourself.
"And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 per cent guaranteed.) Kid, you'll move mountains!" Oh, The Places You'll Go!, 1990.
You are clearly the best person to tell this story. When communicating with donors, speak with authority, confidence and self-belief.

2. Be truthful at all times.
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant...An elephant's faithful one hundred per cent!" Horton Hatches The Egg, 1940.
Be honest with donors. Don't fail to deliver on promises made to donors and don't make exaggerated claims. Establishing trust is vital for the relationship to flourish.

3. Be courteous and polite.
"But I'm a good sport, so I'll just let him rest. For a host, above all, must be nice to his guest." Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose, 1948.
Every touch-point, whether it be a face-to-face encounter with a donor or the administration procedure of the latest Direct Mail appeal is an advertisement for your charity. Make it count. Some people call it stewardship, others donor care. Either way, get the basics right. Is the envelope addressed correctly? With the correct salutation? Will you acknowledge the gift within 24 hours?

4. Speak with passion.
"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I'm asking you, sir at the top of my lungs." The Lorax, 1971.
You have a duty to tell your beneficiary's story - and its a darn site more engaging if the person sharing the story is passionate, powerful and persuasive. When you sit down to write, make sure your 'dander' is up!

5. Expose injustice and inequality.
"I know up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here on the bottom, we too should have rights." Yertle The Turtle, 1958.
Don't forget fundraising basic principles – reveal a strong proposition and offer the donor a simple and clear solution.

6. Never be afraid to try something new.
"Sam! If you will let me be, I will try them. You will see. Sam! I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!" Green Eggs And Ham, 1960.
Each Direct Mail appeal is an opportunity to test, to refine and to try something different. Use these tests to refine your Direct Mail campaigns.

7. Size doesn't matter.
"Don't give up! I believe in you all! A person's a person, no matter how small!" Horton Hears A Who!, 1954.
No matter how small your organisation is, you can make a difference. No matter how small you are, you can make a difference. Think about it, young children regularly raise ridiculous amounts of money for charity - try telling them that they're too small to make a difference. One of my personal favourites remains Jack Draws Anything.

8. Challenge perceived wisdom.
"There's no limit to how much you'll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go." On Beyond Zebra, 1955.
Floob, Fuddle and Snee. There are 20 twenty letters on beyond Z in the world of Dr Seuss; and you thought the alphabet stopped at Z. Challenge perceived wisdom. Don't settle for 'we've always done it that way.'

9. Let your imagination run riot.
"Stop telling such outlandish tales, stop turning minnows into whales." And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, 1937.
We've all got a Marco's Dad in our team. Don't listen to people who quash your imagination and creativity - let it run riot. One day, Marco transforms a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street "into a story that no one can beat!" That's the sort of Direct Mail appeal your donors want to read.

10. You've got to care.
"Now that you're here, the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear. Unless some one like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." The Lorax, 1971.
Whatever the cause, whatever the fight, you can make a difference. But you've got to care. Make it apparent in your fundraising copy.

But why?

In my mind, the creation of this blog is long overdue. As someone who is immersed in words on a daily basis it may seem perverse to some to continue that practice into the evening. But I'm a firm believer that conversational writing is a skill. Indeed an art form, when done well. The ability to transfer thoughts to paper (or screen) improves with practice. Learn from others, listen to your peers and put in the hours and your copywriting will improve. That's one of my key motivations for creating this blog.

A View From The Glen has been lurking around my psyche for many a year now. In fact, I registered the domain name several years ago when I harbored dreams of being a nature writer. Now resurrected as a vehicle for my thoughts on fundraising and the world of charities, goodness knows how it will develop.

Today seemed like as good as time as any to get this blog up and running. I started a new job, Individual and Planned Giving Manager with Myeloma UK last month and this afternoon I had the ubiquitous one month appraisal. It seemed to go well. 

I recall when I was searching for a new position earlier in the year, I happened upon an excellent and apt blog post by Rachel Brown, Jumping sector: One month in. Whilst not jumping sector myself, I felt Rachel captured the newcomer nervousness that accompanies every new job. Rachel makes heaps of good points - Believe in  yourself, No-one likes a know it all and Make the tea. 

I agree with them all and have steadfastly tried to abide by them in my first month at Myeloma UK. However at times I've struggled with one in particular. There is a fine balance to be struck between demonstrating your enthusiasm, excitement and thirst for your new role, yet challenging historical standard operating procedures.

It's as if there's an annoying four year old inside me continually asking, "Why do you do it like that?" As the new member of staff isn't this the ideal time and opportunity to sensitively ask these questions? If only to clarify the thought process behind these processes and assumptions.

"Yes, but why?" The relentless questioning of a four year old.

That's my defence, anyway. I trust the annoying four year old hasn't escaped too often in the workplace and I apologise to my colleagues at Myeloma UK if he has.