Would anyone be willing to share their thank you letters? After awhile, they seem so "over-used". Any ideas or wording would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Helen MaCauley

Not that these are great, but no one else replied, so here are a couple of samples. --------------------------- [b]Belated ltr:[/b] (because it's one of the hardest to write [i]and, ideally, you'd never need to... but, then there's reality.[/i]) [Date] [Address] Dear ______, Back in February I had intended to send you a letter to thank you for your generous donation of $250 to be added to the ________ Fund that you established at the _______ Foundation. But, I goofed and I don’t believe the letter was ever sent. Now our acknowledgement of your gift is belated, and my best hope is that you may sense through these humble words that the passage of time has not dimmed our great appreciation for your kindness. Please know that, consistent with the arrangements you have made with the ___ Foundation, the ________ Fund will continue each year to provide assistance for an inbound or outbound foreign exchange student; or to a teacher or student who travels to another country as part of their education; or, in years where those options are not possible, to a foreign language teacher to help provide materials for language classes. It is inspiring to note that, since the funds are endowed and the principle remains untouched, these benefits will continue—for perpetuity—helping students who wish to attend _______ and helping the school offer the best education possible. Connecting students to foreign countries and cultures is an important and enriching part of offering a quality education. Thank you for helping to add depth to the experience available to ______ students. On behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors and everyone here at the school, please know how very much your contribution and long-time support is appreciated. Sincerely, _________ [signed] For tax purposes: By signing above, I certify that you received no goods or services in exchange for your donation, only our heartfelt thanks. ------------------------------------------ [b]Thanks ltr[/b] <<date>> <<name>> <<address>> <<city>>, <<State>> <<zip>> Dear <<salutation>>, Thank you for your very kind donation of $<<AMT>>. Please know your support is much appreciated. You are helping to sustain the tradition of generosity on which these schools were founded and continue to operate each day. Your gift helps accomplish things like providing new text books; conducting retreat programs; hiring and retaining quality teachers; purchasing new computers, fuel for buses and lab equipment for science classes. It opens the doors of potential for young minds by providing modern and innovative teaching technology to amplify the impact of lessons. And, it allows for the necessities—carpet, paint, lights and heat, desks, chairs, and a hundred other things that make it possible for students to learn. __________ are great schools, and they are here because of that tradition of generosity. The fact is, if tuition were increased to cover the full cost of educating each student, many families simply would not be able to afford for their children to attend these schools. That’s the difference you make. Since costs aren’t going down, we had to set an ambitious Annual Fund goal again this year. We are optimistic about achieving it, though, and when that $110,000 mark is reached, we hope you will take note and celebrate with us because you will have helped make it happen. Thank you. Your gift is providing a quality Catholic education in an environment where students can develop spiritually and morally. That is a gift that lasts a lifetime and, through our students, impacts our community and our world for the better. Sincerely, ----------------- Hope that helps. I, too, wouldn't mind seeing some wordings others are using. Phil [i][b]Fundraising Rule #1:[/b] You have to ask.[/i]