How Thank You Pages Can Cultivate Donors and Expand Your Reach

The goals of a thank you page are to say thank you (obviously), to make a positive impression, to increase constituents’ knowledge of your organization, further engage them with your cause, and get them to spread the word to others. Here are some guidelines to effectively approach the “thank you” for your next campaign or event:

Express gratitude

The first order of business for an effective thank you page is to use succinct, sincere copy that expresses your gratitude and gives them an idea of exactly how their donation will make a difference. The more specifically you can explain which aspects of your cause the money will be used for the better, as constituents tend to give more (and more frequently) when they know that their donations directly fund charitable efforts rather than your organization’s overhead or other administrative costs.

Introduce new content with a clean landing page

Gone is the singularity of purpose—conversion—that guided your design of the landing page. Now the goal is to engage the donor with additional interesting stories, articles, or opportunities that foster a deeper, long-term relationship. A few examples:

• News articles covering a specific impact your organization has had within the community.
• Volunteer opportunities for your programs or upcoming events.
• Educational content about your cause or any other topics related to the initial appeal that converted the prospect into an active supporter.
• A thank you video from members of your organization or individuals who were helped by your cause. Using an incredibly compelling example we’ve seen, a local Boys & Girls Club had their donors automatically directed to a video after someone made an online donation. The video was a special thank you recorded by some of the kids at the local club. This creative idea had incredible results, as you can imagine.
• You can even take the opportunity to (subtly) direct new donors to an ask for a related campaign.

Don’t go overboard with links and swamp your new supporter with information, though; include about two to five items that are likely to be of interest and spur them to continue engaging with your site.

Give them the chance to share

Include social media links on your thank you page so people and donors can spread the word about a recent campaign, upcoming event, opportunities to get involved, and your organization’s mission.

Social media buttons should be displayed prominently so your donor can share the fact that they gave and encourage their friends and family to support your cause. Not only do they get a pat on the back, but they’ll expose your campaign to new people and expand your reach.

You can even embed standard text within the shared post, such as, “I’ve given to [this organization] to help [details on this cause]. You should consider supporting them as well.” This message will allow donors to express a sense of pride about their contribution while the embedded post text makes it easier for them to share and effectively make your pitch to their entire social media network.

Remember, this is only the beginning

Expressing gratitude doesn’t end with a thank you page. Take the opportunity to follow up with your new donor by sending a short, personal email thanking them for their support. Autoresponders can be great in this case, but make sure they create that personal touch by including the person’s name, amount, designation, etc. You may also choose to follow up with a phone call or letter to your larger donors, which are those who donate more or more frequently than your average constituent.

Always give them more ways to get involved

Recurring donors are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Their loyalty reduces your marketing acquisition costs. They tend to give more and more frequently, which makes them your cause’s best evangelists. Their passion helps bring in new supporters. So it only makes sense to use your thank you page to thank them sincerely and give them more ways to get involved.