Writing a Thank-You Letter for a Donation: Templates and Tips for UK Charities

In this article:

• Why it is important to send a thank-you letter for a donation and how to go about it

• The short version

• There are a few ways your charity can say thank you

• Saying thank you is more important than how your charity says thank you

• ChatGPT can help your charity draft a thank-you letter, email, note or SMS

• What to include in your charity's thank-you message

• A note on UK tone

‍

Why it is important to send a thank-you letter for a donation and how to go about it

It is not news that saying thank you is good for us. We all know that a simple thank you 'builds trust and closer bonds with the people around us'.¹ But what is news is that just witnessing a thank you can bring entire groups of people closer together, strengthening relationships and creating a desire to help and connect even more.

When people witness an expression of gratitude, they see that the grateful person is the kind of person who notices when other people do kind things and actually takes the time to acknowledge them, meaning, they are a good social partner.² Sara Algoe

Gratitude is itself a selfless act and that is an attractive quality in any relationship, personal or professional. Simply acknowledging someone's good deed can be hugely beneficial to your charity, its employees, volunteers and donors. It can help inspire, encourage action and attract new donors.¹

In other words, acknowledging someone else's generosity is not just good manners, it is good practice, and we should all be looking for any excuse to say thank you.³

‍

The short version

• Say thank you often. A simple thank you is a great way to engage donors, volunteers and team members.

• Say thank you as soon as possible.

• Send something you have written. A physical thank-you letter is a lovely touch, but a thank you in any form is better than no thank you at all.

• Make it genuine and personal. You can use ChatGPT to get started, but add a few personal touches before you send it.

• Give concrete examples of how their contribution helped.

‍

There are a few ways your charity can say thank you

‍

Send a thank you just because

Your work does not happen alone. A short thank-you strengthens the relationship with the people who made it possible: your donors, supporters, volunteers and colleagues. Accomplishing your charity's mission is a team effort, and a simple thank you goes a long way to reinforcing those relationships. There is no need to wait for an occasion, an update and a word of thanks is always welcome.³

‍

Donors need appreciation too

Most of us help others because we appreciate being needed and feel more socially valued when we have been thanked, not because we feel better or it boosted our self-esteem.⁴

Saying thank you to donors and supporters (whether they give regularly or not) is a great way to keep them engaged. It shows them that you noticed the time, effort and money they chose to give to your cause. This simple acknowledgement will reinforce their generous behaviour and likely encourage them to give again.

We are often unsure our help is really wanted and we know that accepting help from others can feel like a failure. The act of saying thank you reassures the helper that their help is valued and motivates them to provide more.⁴ Jeremy Dean

‍

Saying thank you will attract new donors and volunteers

It is helpful to know who the people in our environment are who will do nice things for other people.² Sara Algoe

People like to know that they are valued. It motivates and encourages them to keep doing whatever it was they were doing, and perhaps to do more. People who have seen someone else receiving gratitude are more likely to take an interest in whoever sent it and join in to support the cause.⁵

‍

Saying thank you is more important than how your charity says thank you

Arguably, the most important part of any fundraising campaign is what happens after the donations have come in, the volunteers have gone home and the participants have checked out. You guessed it: saying thank you to donors, participants, volunteers and everyone who helped.

An actual physical letter, an email, a text message or a phone call all work. The medium matters; the actual thank you matters even more.

That said, there are a few things to keep in mind when saying thank you.

‍

Say thank you sooner rather than later

Send your thank-you letter as soon as possible, ideally within one week of the event or donation.

Keep a copy of every thank-you that references a Gift Aid declaration. HMRC requires charities to hold declaration records for at least six years after the last donation covered.

‍

Make it about the donor, volunteer or team member

When it comes to a thank you, personalisation counts. Try to include as many details about the donor, volunteer or team member, their contribution and their history as you can. And do not stop there: make sure to add some information about your charity and the campaign too.

‍

Show them how their contribution helped

If you can, connect the help the recipient gave to the larger work your charity is doing by giving tangible examples of the difference their contribution has made. Better still, include some pictures, a video or a small token of your appreciation.

‍

ChatGPT can help your charity draft a thank-you letter, email, note or SMS

A thank you can take a lot of different forms: a formal letter, a card, an email or a thoughtful text message. Each medium has its strengths and weaknesses, so it is best to choose the approach that allows you to say thank you in a timely fashion, in a way the recipient will appreciate, and that best suits the content you have to share.

ChatGPT can help you get started. Just make sure to read over its output and personalise the message as much as possible afterwards. There is nothing worse than a supposedly personal thank you written entirely by AI.

One important note: AI cannot generate a valid Gift Aid declaration or replace an HMRC-compliant record. Always human-check any donor communication before sending, particularly where Gift Aid is involved.

‍

What to include in your charity's thank-you message

• Your charity's name, logo and contact details.

• The name of the donor, volunteer or team member.

• A friendly greeting, personalised to fit the tone of your charity or a more familiar hello if you know the recipient well.

• The reason for the thank you and the impact of their contribution.

• A reminder of how they can continue to help, for example an upcoming event, spreading the word or committing to a regular gift.

• Your registered charity number (issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR for Scotland, or CCNI for Northern Ireland). This is one of the trust signals UK supporters look for before they give again.

• A Fundraising Regulator reference, if your charity is registered with them.

• For raffle or lottery entries: note that Gift Aid does not apply to the ticket price, because the donor received a chance to win in return. Do not include a Gift Aid prompt in thank-you letters sent for raffle entries.

‍

Confirm the Gift Aid declaration

If the donor is a UK taxpayer and has already signed a Gift Aid declaration, acknowledge it in your thank you. Let them know that their gift goes further at no extra cost to them: every £1 they gave becomes £1.25 to the charity, with the 25p reclaimed from HMRC via Gift Aid.

If they have not yet made a declaration, include a simple way to add one. Every pound given without a declaration is 25p your charity cannot reclaim. A short, clear prompt in your thank-you letter is one of the most effective ways to close that gap.

‍

A note on UK tone

UK donors respond to restraint. The register that works best mirrors what the sector's most trusted charities do: short declaratives, plural 'we' for the organisation, 'you' for the reader, and a near-zero exclamation count in body copy. Express genuine gratitude. Let your donors know they are making a difference, and that everyone in your organisation appreciates their support. Keep it as human as possible. After all, your supporters chose to engage with your cause because it struck an emotional chord with them.

Avoid 'family' framing for staff, aggressive scarcity language and anything that sounds like a platform tip prompt. UK donors are sensitive to those patterns, and your thank-you letter is the moment to build trust, not undermine it.

If your thank-you goes by email or SMS, remember that UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) apply. The donor must have a lawful basis for you to contact them by that channel. The Code of Fundraising Practice (effective 1 November 2025) sets out the requirements clearly.

‍

‍