Make a list, check it twice, and be sure to acknowledge those who’ve supported your organization over the past year. It takes a little time to do it right, but it’s a simple task and there are lots of reasons to make the effort. One reason is that some of your donors may feel unacknowledged due to mistakes made by volunteers in the past.
A friend of mine recently told me that she stuck her neck out to get her company to donate auction items to the local elementary school. She had to pester all the way up the chain of her company and make a direct ask to the President! But she’s succeeded in getting the company to donate items the past two years.
It was disappointing, then, when her company’s donation fell through the cracks. Two years in a row, the school didn’t list her company in the auction program. Last year, the items weren’t even on display to be auctioned. She found them under a table, and helped the other volunteers create a makeshift sign. I hope the auction organizers followed up, apologized, and created a better way to track donations. Her story is a great reminder that behind many donations there’s a story of work and sacrifice.
That’s one reason why it’s so important for booster clubs to A) show their appreciation and B) serve as good stewards of donations. After the mismanagement of her donations, my friend is less motivated to work on behalf of the booster club. Plus, she doesn’t have much to show to her boss in terms of publicity for the community support. We’ve written before that it’s important to “make the hard ask.” But the real work begins when they say “yes.” When supporters make sacrifices and jump through hoops to help a booster club, it’s incumbent on board members to understand, recognize , and manage that help.
End of year is a great time to send notes of thanks. Did you find this reminder helpful? You can thank us by sharing it with other parents and subscribing to the blog to get new posts by email.
