Warming a donor’s heart is the name of the game, when it comes to thanking people for their donations. 

This means strategies, like sending them acknowledgement letters with thoughtful messages and calling them to say thanks, must be high on your priority list. 

These are simple, yet effective things to do – and they’re a great first step in showing donors how much you appreciate their support. 

But if you want to fan the flames and take your relationship with donors to the next level, thank-you videos are the way to go.

Why Thank-You Videos are Extremely Effective

Video is a powerful tool for fundraising and even more powerful when used to thank donors. 

Consider these reasons why videos can be such effective warm touches: 

• Using video to thank a donor is the next best thing to being there in person to say thanks.
• When done well, people can feel the sincerity and gratitude through a video, and that’s what you’re going for.
• Videos let you express your thanks in a more creative, exciting, and engaging way.
• When you personalize the video, donors will be wowed that you took the time to say “Thanks!” specifically to them.

The good news is you don’t need any fancy, expensive equipment for shooting and editing video these days. 

You can do all of it on your phone! 

Video can be tricky if you’re new to it, but don’t worry. Being authentic is more important than having a polished video.

That means you can grab your phone and shoot a short, heartfelt message that’ll melt your donor into a puddle of joy.

So what kind of video should you shoot for your donor thank-you videos? 

Let’s dive into that a bit.

General vs. Personalized Thank-You Videos

There are two kinds of thank-you videos you can create and use: 

• A general thank-you video that goes to ALL your donors and supporters
• A personal thank-you video meant for just one person

General Thank-You Videos

These videos are easy to create and can be a talking head video, a virtual tour, or even an animation if that’s on brand for your nonprofit.

There’s a playlist on our YouTube channel with some great examples of general thank-you videos.

You can create and use a general thank-you videos any time of year, but the holidays are a really good time to use them. 

If you follow our year-end fundraising plan, we recommend using a general thank-you video in an email and social media post on Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., to help break up all the asking during the holidays.

But you can use a general thank-you video ANY time of year – Valentine’s Day, a special day in the life of your program (like serving your 1,000th person), or for a holiday that makes sense for your nonprofit like “Help A Horse Day.” 

You could also use a general thank-you video for segments of your donors like monthly donors or new donors to show them what impact their donation had. 

The possibilities are endless!

Personalized Thank-You Videos

The difference between this type of video and a general one is that you call a donor by name in the video so they know you created it just for them. 

Once you start using personalized videos, you’ll get some amazing feedback from donors who are thrilled that you took the time to acknowledge them this way. 

You’ll find that it draws them in closer, making them loyal and possibly resulting in another donation or a larger donation next time!

Oh, and bonus points if you mention something in the video that is specific to the donor like a family member, a recent trip they took, or something else letting the donor know you’re paying attention to them.

You don’t need to send a personalized video to EVERY donor, but sending them to your top donors is a great start.

We’ll talk a little bit more about personalized thank-you videos in Tip #8 below.

Now that you know the difference between a general and personalized thank-you video, you probably have a better idea when to use each one.

12 Thank-You Video Tips

Now it’s time to knock your donors’ socks off!

Follow these 12 tips to show your donors just how grateful you are for their support, and you’ll have them smiling from ear to ear – knowing they’re making a difference in the world.

1. Decide what you want to say. Once you’ve selected the donors you want to thank – and you know what kind of videos you want to do (general or personalized) – take a moment to think through what to say in each one.

I wouldn’t create a word-for-word script because it puts too much pressure on you to be perfect.

This needs to be real and in-the-moment.

By the way, you may need to practice a couple of times until you get comfortable shooting video and getting the words out of your mouth that you want to say.

Using the next 11 tips, sketch out some talking points and then get going!

2. Emphasize your mission. People donate money because they want to see a change in their community and in the world.

So, in your video, be sure to connect their support with the impact it’ll make.

For example, shooting your thank-you videos from the front lines of your nonprofit’s work shows a donor how they’ve helped make change possible.

Or, if it’s appropriate, involve a program participant in the video.

Donors love to see their gift in action!

Our friends at Illuminate India showed donors how their gifts helped feed hungry kids. You can watch the video here.

3. Don’t make it another Ask. Using a thank-you video as an opportunity to ask your donor for more money is tempting, but don’t.

This is not the time.

The point of your thank-you videos is to thank your donors – nothing else.

Anything else is a distraction.

So, don’t mention your upcoming event or volunteer orientation.

There are other times to do those kinds of things and ways to share that information. This isn’t it.

In your thank-you videos, stay focused on the donor and the impact their support has made.

4. Be transparent. Donors want to know they made a good choice to give to your nonprofit and the gift is having the impact they hoped it would.

In short, they want to know you’ve used their money wisely.

Use your thank-you video to give donors insight into the progress of the program or service they supported.

Even if their donation went to operating expenses, show them how those operating funds allowed you to expand your mission and change more lives.

This is part of being transparent, and transparency builds trust with your donor.

5. Keep it short and sweet. These days, people have the attention span of a goldfish. Not kidding!

That means they won’t watch a long video. Aim for 30-45 seconds.

So, keep your thank-you videos short and simple by focusing on direct impact.

Remember, this is one of many touch points you’ll have with your donor over the year, and you want to use the short time wisely.

6. Make it timely. Everyone loves to feel special, and your supporters want to feel satisfied in knowing they’ve given to a trustworthy cause.

Donors deserve to feel like they’re a priority and a part of your nonprofit’s family.

By sending the thank-you video within a couple of weeks of their donation, you help make sure they feel valued – and you remind them that their support is not being taken for granted.

7. Recognize their contribution. You can add an extra touch to your thank-you video by recognizing specifics in the donor’s contribution.

For your larger donors, making a video just for them and sharing how their donation made an impact can go a long way.

Use this as a chance to connect the donor to your organization and show how vital they are to the present and future of your mission.

I’ve seen personalized videos result in extra donations from some top donors, with additional gifts of $2,000 to $5,000 showing up unexpectedly a few days after the thank-you video was received and viewed!

8. Keep it personal. This one is hard to scale, but personalize as much as you can.

If your donor is in the top 15% of givers, they shouldn’t be getting a generic thank-you video.

Make it personal to them.

You can easily shoot a personalized video on your smart phone, upload it to YouTube and make it ‘unlisted,’ then send them the link.

Or you can use a tool like ThankView or Gratavid to make it easier.

Adopt-A-Dog sent me a personalized video that was a story of a dog named Hugo Boss.

Notice the name of the video – “Thank you Sandy!” You can watch the video here.

9. Get creative. It can be easy to get lost in talking about your organization’s impact and connecting with the donor that you don’t prioritize the main point of the video: the actual “thank you.”

Have some fun with it!

Does your organization help kids in the inner city? Gather some kids around the camera and have them thank the donor personally.

Do you build houses for the underserved? Hang a big “Thank You!” sign over the door with a happy homeowner giving their thanks. (make sure the letters aren’t backwards in the video you send to the donor)

Think about ways you can surprise and delight your donors.

And make it easy for you to deliver a powerful, heartwarming thank-you video at the same time.

10. Positive tone. No matter what your mission is, your nonprofit is here to make the world a better place.

Let that desire to make a difference guide the tone of your videos.

Remember to keep it upbeat.

If you’re personalizing dozens of them, make sure each one is as enthusiastic as the first.

We find it helpful to put an extra pot of coffee on when thanking donors.

In the end, make sure the thank-you video brings a smile to your donor’s face!

11. Showing gratitude doesn’t end with a video. Taking the extra step to thank your donors with a video is extremely meaningful and important, but the thank yous don’t stop here.

Have a system in place to know who, when, how, and where donors will be thanked.

From sending regular mailers to thanking them at fundraisers, the thank-you video is a launching pad for your appreciation, not an ending point.

Thank-you videos are just one part of a donor acknowledgement plan, designed to provide your donor with an amazing experience so they’re excited to help the next time you ask.

12. Done is better than perfect. Don’t let your perfectionism drama get in the way here.

A good video with a flub in it that warms a donor’s heart is better than a video that never gets finished because the shooter “can’t get it right.”

Your thank-you video doesn’t have to be perfect – it simply has to be sincere.

Thank-you videos are a powerful way to express your gratitude for your donor’s support.

And it’s perfectly ok to shoot video with your phone.

Authenticity is better than perfection, so don’t worry too much about it being polished.

Get the lighting and sound right.

Speak from your heart, from you to your donor.

Then get ready for the magic!

Don’t be surprised if donors respond with grateful emails or messages, or even send additional gifts.

Thank-you videos are just that powerful!

Video Tips. Our friends at Rustic Roots know a few things about creating awesome video for nonprofits. Here are a couple of tips sheets you can download and use to make your videos better: Thank You Video Pro Tips and DIY Video Checklist.