How to Throw a Thank You Party for Your Supporters

Giving may be altruistic, but that doesn’t mean givers don’t want to be thanked. Receiving recognition, no matter how small, makes the giver feel good and feel valued.

For example, if you are always cooking meals for a friend who never says thank you or never reciprocates, you will likely start to feel a little resentful and probably stop inviting them over as often.

The same can be said about people or organisations that give to charity. If your donors receive nothing back in return they may decide to relocated their support elsewhere. All supporters deserve proper recognition and thanks, but you should pay particular attention to retaining your biggest donors.

One excellent way to do this is arranging an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting, where you can discuss in-person the difference their support is making to your cause. Throwing a thank you party is not only polite; it’s also a smart and savvy fundraising strategy, because your existing supporters are the ones most likely to give.

Here’s how to throw a memorable ‘thank you’ party and give something back to your loyal supporters.

Step 1. Find your narrative

Rather than simply gathering everyone together for a glass of bubbly, you should aim to tell a story through your event. Consider choosing one particular project or area of work to focus on, or choose a theme, such as ‘changing lives’, ‘bringing joy’ or ‘facing the future’. Use this theme or focus to build the content for your event and to influence the look and feel.

For a ‘thank you’ event it is better to focus on the success of your organisation and take a positive stance, rather than getting bogged down with all the work that is yet to be done. Donors need to feel as if they’re making a difference, rather than simply dropping money into a hopeless, bottomless pit. You also want them to feel happy and motivated, not down and depressed, on this day, which is designed primarily as a reward.

Step 2. Communicate your plans

Reach out to your supporters with plenty of notice. Design a standalone event page using Eventbrite to provide a ‘hub’ for your attendees and an easy RSVP facility. You can customise the URL, the colour scheme, the header and footer and add images and videos to communicate the theme of your party.

This theme should carry through to the design of your invitations. Don’t scrimp here. You want your guests to feel special so invest in high quality, printed invitations and heavyweight envelopes (so they know something special is inside!). Be clear that the party is in recognition for their support and is an exclusive event for a small number of very important supporters. Don’t forget to handwrite their name at the top!

Step 3. Get recipients involved

Giving is a two-way thing, so it is equally as important to have recipients represented at your event. You want to make the impact of your donors’ support as meaningful and tangible as possible, so create opportunities for them to socialise with recipients.

You should also seek to enlist some of your recipients as speakers, so donors can hear how their support is making a difference, right from the horse’s mouth.

Step 4. Use multimedia

Using a wide range of media to tell your story with help keep guests engaged. Include results-orientated photography, video case studies, social media excerpts, news clippings and visually depicted statistics. Don’t forget the power of music to enhance your message!

Video is a wonderful way to illustrate the work that your donors are funding and give them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your organisation. You can incorporate video footage with in-person communication to provide deeper insight, i.e. showing a recipient’s journey with the charity and then giving the opportunity to hear from them in real life.

Step 5. Go public

While some of your donors will want to be thanked only in private, others will appreciate more public recognition. Encourage the media to attend and cover your ‘thank you’ party and facilitate journalist meetings with key sponsors.

Create a ‘roll of honour’ presentation, display sponsor names on a banner or printed in a small handout, along with a description of the company (or short donor profile) to provide supporters with added value.

You can also provide recognition via your website, newsletter and across your social media channels. Encourage guests to share images and thoughts from the night by setting up a unique Twitter hashtag or creating a fun photo opportunity (maybe a red carpet with a sponsor wall backdrop, like the Oscars?). You could give physical awards/trophies, too.

Conclusion

Saying ‘thank you’ is vitally important to keep your supporters on-side and engaged. According to fundraising research, 80% of donors would be convinced to make an additional gift if recognised with a meaningful ‘thank you’, so start planning your most memorable party today!