(July 10, 2019)  We all know that thanking donors is important, but how and when should we be thanking donors? How do different approaches to acknowledgements make people feel, and how does that impact future engagement?

In this session, we’ll explore the latest research into donor behavior and effective gift acknowledgements with special attention given to the recent groundbreaking findings of Jen Shang and Adrian Sargeant. You’ll come away with practical takeaways to help you craft thank yous that are both impactful and memorable!

In this session, participants will learn:

• The connection between thanking and retaining donors
• What donors want out of the communications we send them
• The ways in which surveys can play a role in thanking donors
• The enlightening results of several gift acknowledgement experiments

Presenter:  Steven Shattuck got his start in the nonprofit sector producing fundraising videos and other digital content for organizations like Butler University, Girl Scouts, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the American Heart Association. Steven volunteers his time on the Project Work Group of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project and the Study Fundraising Steering Group at the Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy at Plymouth University. He is also an AFP Professional Development committee member. Steven has contributed content to the National Council of Nonprofits, AFP, NTEN and Nonprofit Hub, and is a frequent conference speaker, having spoken at AFP International, NAYDO, Cause Camp, ADRP, the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, and Planet Philanthropy to name a few. He is a co-author of Fundraising Principles and Practice: Second Edition.

In 2015, he co-founded Launch Cause, a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping emerging nonprofit organizations in the Indianapolis area enhance the impact of their work.