What are some creative ways to show appreciation to your grant funders beyond a thank-you note?

Some funders prefer to give anonymously, or in as low-key a manner as possible. So before showcasing their support publicly in these ways it's very important to ask for their permission first. While many will be delighted to be recognised in this way, it's still polite and professional to check with them before 'going public'. Publicising a grant the funder would rather not be promoted (for whatever reason they may have) will likely seriously damage your relationship with them and strongly jeapordise your chances of securing further support.

Having their presence is important, but going further by inviting their participation, photographing them (with permission of course!) gives you more opportunities to show genuine gratitude and celebrate their involvement.

As a funder, being invited to events is wonderful, but the events that I have enjoyed the most have been when I have been greeted personally by a staff member and they have introduced me to someone who has directly benefited from a program that we supported. Personal connections and testimonies of that impact are absolutely going to come to mind in the future when we are approached about supporting that program again.

I'm considering having a calendar done in celebration of my org's 25th year, featuring photos from our top activities/programs, with a shout-out to major funders.

In building relationships with foundation program officers, I like inviting them to complete a brief communications and engagement survey annually. Just 3-5 questions that can be answered in a few minutes will suffice. It’s an easy way to learn how best to keep each person informed about and included in what the organization is doing, especially concerning matters impacting areas they are funding. Like individual donors, no two foundations are the same. Additionally, as assigned contacts come and go, never assume someone new will take the same approach as a predecessor. It goes a long way in cultivating trust with institutional donors to treat program officers with the same courtesies often afforded to individual major donors.

Foundations tend to be interested in organizations their grantees work with. Therefore, welcome opportunities to refer funders. Be the connector when programmatic partners are positioned to help funders achieve philanthropic objectives. Doing so shows you see funders’ impact beyond the work for which they provide you support. It’s a great way to show appreciation while strengthening funder relationships.

We thank our donors about 7 times in a one year period. They receive IMPACT REPORTS on their gifts, which include how their fund is growing, how the money was spent, and who benefited. They also include "thank you" notes from the students who received support. The donors also get holiday cards, notes of appreciation, invitations to events as VIPs, etc. Most of all, we keep them informed by forwarding stories related to our institution.