Acknowledgments sent to honorees or family members of honorees when a tribute gift is made are just as important as sending acknowledgments to the donors who made them.
Ensuring the information you have on file for these tribute gifts is accurate shows respect for the donor and the individual or group they are honoring. Additionally, this will help provide a positive experience for first-time donors who may not be as familiar with your organization. First impressions are important!
Questions to consider:
Is the tribute "in honor" of or "in memory" of?
What is the donor's relationship to the individual or group being honored?
How will this donation impact your organization or support a specific cause?
Also, keep in mind:
If a tribute is "in honor" of someone, it can have an uplifting, exciting, and casual tone; tributes made "in memory" someone should be respectful, but not overly somber.
Continue to respect donor privacy by not including donation amounts - instead, indicate that a gift has been made and provide details on what campaigns it will impact (if applicable).
Ideally, tribute gifts should be acknowledged with a physical letter or card. E-mails should only be used if direct mail is not an option.
If the donor permits it, consider including their contact information in the acknowledgment so the individual or group being honored can reach out and thank the donor separately.
Be sure to acknowledge this tribute when you thank the donor in their acknowledgment. Because the default tax receipt does not call out tributes, including that information in your thank you message will add a personal touch.