The Art of Saying Thank You

by Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

The other day, a very rare thing happened.

The mail arrived, and my eye was drawn to one piece in the sea of catalogs, magazines, and junk mail.

It was a hand-written envelope. My eye carried to the upper left. It was from a woman I had met with the week before who had interviewed me for her journalism class.

Before reaching my desk, I had the envelope open and the card out.

“Dear Laura,” the small note read. “I know you are busy and I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Friday for my class. My time with you was valuable and I learned a lot. Thank you. Sabrina”

I smiled. The art of the thank you note is largely lost these days. Those who learn, master, and practice this skill, however, have a huge advantage. In today’s mass media, junk mail, commercial-laden world, taking the time to thank someone for something – big or small – definitely stands out.

In the non-profit world, saying thanks must be a daily habit. In all that we do, we get so much from the community: donations, in-kind gifts, time, advice, and support. Each and every act should be thanked in the most personalized method that your organization can manage and accomplish.

When you do, it comes back to you ten-fold.

Whether you choose a handwritten note, as Sabrina did, a simple yet personal email, or a phone call, saying ‘thank you’ is among the most important tasks in your job. There is nothing that can replace it. Nothing.

Thank you’s need not be elaborate. “Thank you. Your gift is deeply appreciated.” “Thanks for taking the time to meet me for lunch last week.” “Thanks so much for your advice yesterday!” These are all messages that will carry much meaning with the recipient, and make you and your organization more memorable and appreciated in the process.

I’m a sucker for Tuesday Morning, the discount store in Country Fair. I head there once a month searching for deals on things like candles and kitchen bargains. But my most important stop each time I’m there is to the shelf where Tuesday Morning sells thank you cards by the pack. They are random and fun to sort though to find the perfect ones. I’ve never left without a pack or two in hand. I always stay stocked both at the office and at home, for these are items I consider ‘essentials’ and being prepared is half the battle of staying ahead of this task. A booklet of stamps is always clipped to my card “stash”.

The timeliness of notes is also memorable to recipients. Because they take so little time to write, prepare, and send, my policy is to have them in the mail within 48 hours after the meeting occurred, the donor donated, or the volunteer volunteered. This doesn’t always happen, but it is my goal, and it does help me stay on target about 90% of the time. “Thanks for lunch last week” carries a lot more punch than “Thanks for lunch last month”.

My other goal is to send at least one thank you a week. Some weeks, no notable events occur. But I always find something that happened each week for which to thank someone: lunch, a piece of advice, dropping in to see me at work. I know my business and personal relationships are better for it, helping me keep in touch with people and maintain solid relationships.

I learned this fastidious thank-you routine from my parents, who when I was young, insisted on prompt thank-you notes. Like any youngster, I often had to be coaxed. Thank you, Mom and Dad! Your great lesson to me as kid has taught me a valuable business lesson today!

I know first-hand as a donor the impact thank you notes have. Like 70% of people, I make charitable gifts to groups I support. About a third of the time, I get a hand-written thank you note. I take notice. One-third of the time, I get a form letter. It usually goes into my standard tax file, unless it has a hand-written note on it, in which case, I take notice. The last one-third of the time, I get nothing. Believe me, I take notice of this.

My gifts the following year are often in direct response to responses I received from last year’s gifts. It’s true: when I feel my gifts are noticed and make a difference, I notice and try to make more of a difference. When my gift merits no note at all, it seems to me my gift might not matter as much to them.

You need not be a fundraising professional to be the thank you note writer at your organization: it should be standard policy for each staff member to take this on as a weekly task. Stock your staff with the note cards and stamps they need – and the time – to do this task and do it well. Buy in bulk or let them have fun choosing their cards. It will pay off.

Saying thank you is a dying art. As a freshman at the University of Illinois, Sabrina is well on her way, having learned this art early on. All it cost her was $.41, one note card, and about 10 minutes of her time, but she knows the etiquette – and impact – well. How does your organization rank in this art? Can you afford not to master it? Is it time for a run to Tuesday Morning?

Q&A: When to Correct a Reporter

Dear do good:
Not long ago, our community newspaper ran a short story on a successful event we held. Coverage overall was good and accurate except for one thing: they misprinted the date the event was held. I think we should just let it go. My board president however, thinks we should have the paper run a correction. What’s your advice?
- Searching for answers in a small town, Illinois

Dear Small Town:
First, congratulations on a successful event, and your success in gaining media coverage for your organization. Every little bit helps you grow!

As you know, seeing your group’s name in the paper can be exhilarating, knowing you are reaching a new and wider audience. The thrill, though, can be subdued if the article contains an error.

In your case, here’s my advice: since your event already occurred and the overall story was a positive and accurate reflection of your group’s work and mission, I would let the date gaffe go. Running a correction will do little to correct anything in the public’s mind (since the event is already in the past), and could been seen by the reporter or editor as nitpicky.

I would, however, urge a representative from your group to contact the reporter and thank her for her coverage. A written note, email, phone call, or voice mail all work fine. Include your business card with a handwritten thank you, and you will gain far more in coming months and years than having a correction run buried on page two.

If story quality had been poor or grossly inaccurate – or the date listed incorrectly prior to the event – I would urge a critical but tactful call to the reporter pointing out your disappointment or the error, offering solutions (rather than just logging a complaint). However, if an issue is minor and insignificant, resist the urge to correct the reporter – you risk jeopardizing your relationship with them. Like us, reporters usually hear only complaints and rarely get a call or note to say they've done a good job.

- Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

Need more media advice? Want training on how to hold a press conference, write a press release, or give a great interview? Contact do good Consulting at dogood@dogoodconsulting.org, 217-778-1687 or click here for an overview of our customized media services.

My Favorite Things: Common Ground Food Co-op

by Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

Sometimes, I feel so strongly about an organization I want to “go tell it on the mountain”. I just want everyone to know about the group, what they do, and how great they are.

For me, the Common Ground Food Co-op is one of my top non-profits in the area. For 33 years, the Co-op has been selling local, sustainably-raised, and organic foods in a small shop in the basement of the Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) building near the University of Illinois campus at Springfield and Wright streets.

My shopping trips there fill my cart and subsequently the cabinets at home with fresh produce, dairy items, health and personal care items, cleaning supplies, canned goods, and fresh bread. I get about 90% of all my “grocery” needs at the Co-op.

I joined Common Ground 16 years ago and have been a shopper there ever since. In addition to being a shopper, I serve the organization both as a consultant and volunteer these days, helping with their relocation plan, marketing, and other needs. Every time I spend even a minute working with the Co-op – in meetings, behind my computer, or talking to a friend, I feel great: I am helping to promote a great organization and a wonderful cause.

Common Ground is doing amazing work. They are relocating to Lincoln Square Village in August and do a lot of outreach work in the community, teaching children and families the value of healthy eating and sustainable farming. They offer local farmers a fair, convenient outlet for great, healthy food grown nearly in our backyards, ensuring our community the best supply of fresh and local foods possible.

There are some really great things happening at Common Ground I want you to know about. I urge you to find something here you can embrace, whether it’s putting up a yard sign, stopping by to shop, or applying for a job at their new expanded store.

SHOP: Open noon-8PM every day, Common Ground offers a wide array of fresh produce, bulk foods (like flours, nuts, and spices), dairy, (awesome) eggs, canned and boxed foods, personal and health care items, cleaning supplies, fair trade coffee, fresh breads, and a whole lot more. In the IDF building on the northwest corner of Springfield and Wright, enter the south doors. You will find friendly staff and volunteers at the cash register and stocking shelves. Want a tour or don’t find what you need? Just ask! For organic and sustainable foods and supplies, the Co-op’s prices are extremely competitive. You do not need to be a member of the Co-op to shop there: head there as a guest up to three times at the current store before the new store opens to the public later this year. Click here for more information.

CO-OP PLANT SALE: Saturday, May 10; 8AM-Noon. A wide variety of seedlings – from tomatoes, peppers, herbs, broccoli, kale, chard – will be available for sale in the IDF parking lot. Lots of unique heirloom varieties difficult to find elsewhere. You’ll also find yummy baked goods at the sale! For more information, contact Meagan Luhrs at meagan@commonground.coop.

PUT UP A YARD SIGN: Show your support for the Co-op’s pending move to Lincoln Square Village this summer with a cool Common Ground yard sign! Contact me at laurahuth@dogoodconsulting.org to get yours today!

JOB OPENING: In preparation for their expansion, Common Ground seeks a Grocery Manager. Purchasing, merchandising, department maintenance, and personnel/general management responsibilities. Confidence, leadership skills, a go-getter passionate about natural foods and the Co-op's future, and the ability to heft big boxes regularly (among others) are desired skills. For more information and a full description, click here.

E-NEWSLETTER: Learn more about the Co-op’s programs, products, events, and more through their weekly e-newsletter, The Bytes. To sign up, email Meagan Luhrs at meagan@commonground.coop.

WEBSITE: Want to surf a little before committing to any of these? Check out www.commonground.coop and learn about the upcoming move, the staff and board, the products they carry, membership benefits, and much more!

I hope to see you soon on one of my many trips to the Common Ground Food Co-op for fresh produce and great meal supplies (personally, the make-your-own-pizza packs are my favorite!).

Group Profile: Mission 180

by Jennifer Knapp, Special Projects Coordinator, do good Consulting

When kids are struggling, when they have committed crimes, when they don’t know where to turn, Mission 180 steps in to offer help and hope.

Mission 180, a non-profit organization based in Champaign, helps at-risk youth break free from destructive lifestyles through faith-based mentoring and counseling. The group's goal is to model a positive lifestyle and form real relationships with the troubled youth in our community. Their vision is ultimately to see the kids’ lives take a 180 degree turn.

Mission 180’s approach is simple. They seek to give youth access to safe places, challenging experiences, and caring adults on a daily basis. As Director Jeff Hunt explains, “Mission 180 offers kids small, but important, steps that can be built upon and become a foundation later on.”

He told me the story of a teenager who started a fight during Mission 180’s late night basketball program. The fight was broken up, but the young man continued his verbal barrage. Once the situation calmed down, the teen apologized. Jeff relates, “That to me is effect, positive effect. I like to think that a whole summer of talks, instruction, and teaching moments paid off in that moment.”

Currently, Mission 180 is involved in institutional and community outreach. At the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center, staff and volunteers offer educational, faith-based, and experiential programs as well as counseling and mentoring. Community-based programs include late night basketball league, hiking trips, and adult mentors. Mission 180's board, staff, and volunteers work within the community using relational methods to help the kids in their program. As Mission 180's website says, “We accept these at-risk youth where they are, and guide them to hope and a better future.”

Mission 180 has big plans. They are developing a 16 week follow-up program for youth who are leaving the detention center. “The goal of this project is to naturally reduce recidivism, and also get the youth back on the right foot and build upon the tools they were equipped with while at the facility,” Jeff explained. They also plan on developing a stronger neighborhood presence and creating a facility for kids in transition.

Mission 180 is committed to making a difference for the youth in our community. To get involved with this incredible organization, contact them at 217-352-3826 or contact@mission180.com. For more information on Mission 180’s work, see www.mission180.com