Your Year in ThankView

This month-by-month guide is packed with ideas to inspire your next ThankView campaign, ensuring your donors feel appreciated and connected all year long.

12 Months of Donor Engagement with ThankView

Staying connected with donors can lead to significant benefits: donors who feel a strong connection to a nonprofit tend to contribute more, with 47% of donors allocating approximately 67% of their annual donations to the charity they feel most connected to. Video can be a game-changer for delivering personalized messages that resonate and engage people to donate, from heartfelt thank-yous to creative holiday greetings. This month-by-month guide is packed with ideas to inspire your next ThankView campaign, ensuring your donors feel appreciated and connected all year long. Let’s dive in!

January: New Year’s Gratitude

There’s no better way to start the new year than with a little bit of gratitude. Consider sharing a heartfelt ‘thank you’ video featuring leadership, students, or beneficiaries to let donors know the impact they made last year. Take it a step further by including a sneak peek of any exciting plans or goals for the year ahead—giving donors a reason to stay engaged and inspired by your mission. It’s a simple yet powerful way to set a positive tone for the year ahead

In this video from East Carolina University, students and faculty not only thank the year’s generous donors, they also outline how funds have been used throughout the year and how they’ll be allocated in the future. They even link out to a “Year in Review,” rounding up the most popular stories from throughout the year. 

February: Valentine’s Day Stewardship

Valentine’s Day offers a perfect opportunity to express gratitude and affection towards your supporters. Send a playful or heartfelt video valentine to show donors how much they’re appreciated, perhaps incorporating stories of love and community fostered by their generosity.

Here’s a short and sweet example from Texas Tech Health, El Paso, where students wish a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to donors. 

Bonus: Celebrate alumni who met on campus! Check out this post for 6 steps to source and celebrate alumni love stories, and for some extra Valentine’s Day video inspiration.

March: Giving Day

No matter when your Giving Day takes place, sending a ThankView video to current and potential donors is a great way to build excitement and highlight the impact their contributions can make.

This ThankView from University of Nevada, Las Vegas features students appealing to donors from campus on their annual giving day.

Check out our Giving Day Resource Library, which covers preparation to post-event strategies to help you get the most out of your Giving Day.

After Giving Day:

When your Giving Day has wrapped and the initial numbers are in, record and send a ThankView to donors to update them on this year’s efforts. Watch this video from the University of Texas Tech for inspiration. 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these eight great examples of how to creatively use ThankView for your Giving Day.

April: Celebrate Career Changes

Colleges and universities take great pride in equipping graduates with the degrees that set their careers in motion. Why not celebrate donors who’ve recently landed a new job and make it a moment of joy? Recording a short video saying congratulations and acknowledging the incredible milestone a donor has achieved can go a long way.

In just one month, the NC State team used ThankView to congratulate over 2,600 individuals on their job changes. These celebratory “congrats!” videos saw an impressive 73.4% average open rate, and five recipients even made an annual gift!

May: Re-engage LYBUNTs & SYBUNTs

Sometimes people need a reminder of just how far their donation can go. Video is a straightforward and personal way to re-engage laspsed donors like LYBUNTS and SYBUNTS, showing them the noteworthy milestones achieved thanks to their contributions, and sharing why their ongoing support is critical. Putting a spotlight on the success stories that come from their generosity allows them to take center stage in the narrative and provides a perfect opportunity for a gentle nudge, encouraging them to renew their support or participate in upcoming events. 

Illinois State University sent this video to past donors highlighting how their previous contributions opened doors and encouraging them to renew their support with a clear call to action.

June: Summertime Thanks

Celebrate the summer months by sending a thank you to donors for their contributions throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to reflect on the impact of donor generosity and share highlights of the successes made possible by their support. Bonus points for videos recorded by a student or beneficiary of the gift for added authenticity. 

Here’s a great example: In this heartfelt video from the Kutztown University Foundation, a student expresses gratitude to donors for their generosity and sends warm summer wishes their way.

July: Welcome First-Time Donors

A monumental moment in any donor’s journey: their first gift!

Extend a warm welcome to your first-time donors by saying “You’re officially part of the family!” Share impactful stories, showcase upcoming projects, and make them feel like rock stars for joining your cause.

See how the team at the University of Guelph celebrates new donors’ first gifts with this celebratory video. And, as a special bonus, the university offers first-time donors a coupon for the bookstore!

Related Reading: EverTrue’s First-Time Donor Report

August: Game Day Fundraising

A new sports season offers the opportunity to tap into the energy of game days and engage with an enthusiastic community. Celebrate the fall kickoff of athletics by sending a ThankView video to fans, donors, and prospects. From highlights from recent games to messages from athletes to behind-the-scenes glimpses, the video opportunities are endless. Go team!

We love this video from the men’s rugby team at Saint Mary’s College of California, where footage from games is featured alongside players thanking donors for their continued support.

September: Back to School

Along with fall comes move-in day for thousands of university students. Send a video to students, parents, or faculty (or all of the above!) welcoming everyone back to campus and sending encouragement for the year to come. You can even include footage from previous moving days to highlight how the community comes together at the start of each year. By sharing this moment, you’re reminding everyone of the collective support that makes these opportunities possible

Loyola Marymount University sent this move-in day video asking incoming students what they’re most looking forward to in the upcoming semester and thanking donors for their support.

October: Spooky Stewardship

Halloween is the perfect time to get creative and add a little spooky fun to your stewardship efforts. Record a festive video featuring students or staff in costumes, share a “treats, not tricks” message of gratitude, or highlight the magical transformations donors make possible. Check out how the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga embraced the Halloween spirit with a clever ThankView, showing donors that their support is nothing but a treat!

November: Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday, taking place every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest fundraising days of the year. With so many non-profits vying for attention in donors’ inboxes, video is a great way to cut through the noise.

The Tower Hill School recorded a video featuring parents discussing the impact a gift to the school can make, sharing tangible examples for other parents who may be thinking of donating.

Check out our Giving Tuesday Resource Library and Grateful Wednesday Toolkit for more inspiration.

December: Happy Holidays

Commemorate the end of the year by wishing donors a happy holiday, thanking them for their generosity throughout the year, or encouraging them to give the gift of a donation before year-end! There are many ways to say “Happy Holidays” from your institution. Whether it’s through a creative take on a classic holiday film, like in this example from the University of Alabama, or offering a gift with every donation, like in this playful example from Illinois State, a jolly end-of-year ThankView can go a long way.

Get Inspired:

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