Writing Thank You Letters

A thank you letter should be sent to every person who returns a response form within one week of receiving it. Any subsequent visit to bring information requested by the church member, such as planned giving envelopes or Gift Aid declarations is in addition to the thank you letter. Never delay sending out thank you letters in order to combine thanks with the response to a request for additional information. A response which declines an increase in giving due to circumstances is, of course, an entirely valid response and receives a thank you letter.

Saying thank you is courteous and needs no further justification. However, thank you letters also serve other important purposes. In particular the thank you letter helps bridge the gap between a positive intent to respond and translating that response into action and builds a relationship with the recipient. For thinking and top tips on the importance of thank you letters see the paper The Value of Appreciation

Changing letters
Thank you letters function as the first update on the progress of the Giving in Grace initiative. Respondents are assured that they are not alone, that the initiative has momentum and that they are partners in a cause they share with other people .Because response forms will come in over a number of weeks it may be necessary to change them slightly to reflect the progress of the initiative. The sample letters contain alternative paragraphs; one for a thank you letter that goes out early in the programme and one which goes out much later.