Impact Reporting: Guide to Thanking Donors
A sincere thank-you note makes donors feel appreciated (and want to donate again)!
Crowdfunding is about building long-term relationships with your community of donors, so they continue supporting your classroom when it needs funding.
Step 1: Immediately Thank Your Donor
When you log in to the AdoptAClassroom.org Dashboard after receiving a donation, you will receive a pop-up asking you to write a brief thank-you message to your donor before spending their donation.
Donors are more likely to give again in the future when they are thanked, so make sure your thank-you message conveys gratitude and excitement.
If you know how you will spend the donation, let them know what you plan to purchase and how it will help you and your students. If you’re not sure what to buy yet, focus on what the donation means to you and your students and why support is needed.
Example Thank-you Message
“Thank you so much for adopting my classroom, Leah! My students and I are planning on ordering more diverse, representative books for our classroom library. Because of you, all of my students will be able to see themselves in the stories we’re reading!”
Step 2: Send Them a Donor Report
If you received a donation from one of our corporate sponsors or a Spotlight Fund grant, we may email you asking you to submit materials in a thank-you report. For more information on donor reports, read this blog post.
We typically send this request after you’ve had time to spend some of your funds. That way, you can speak to how you spent the donation and the impact it had on your students.
We may also request you upload classroom photos to your report. For tips on taking photos for reports, read our blog post How To Take Photos of Your Classroom.
Step 3: Post Updates on Your Classroom Page
Let your past (and potential future) donors know what you’ve done with your donation! We recommend updating donors using the “Updates” section of your classroom page to share photos and let folks know how donations have helped your students—and what you still need to enhance their learning!
Here’s an example of using the “Updates” section section from one of our favorite teachers:
For help on using the “Updates” section, please visit our step-by-step guide. You can also contact your donors directly from the AdoptAClassroom.org Dashboard if you want to thank them individually.
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