Thank You Letter - Major Donor
Personalized thank-you for gifts of $1,000+
The Prompt
The Prompt
Draft a highly personalized major-donor thank-you letter for [ORGANIZATION NAME] that a busy leader can send the same day a gift is received.
The letter should:
- Be 250-350 words, one page, 3-5 short paragraphs, readable at Grade 8-10 level.
- Include this order/structure: [DONOR ADDRESS BLOCK] > [DATE] > [SALUTATION] > Opening that references the call on [CALL DATE] > Clear thanks acknowledging [AMOUNT] and [GIFT TYPE] received on [DATE OF GIFT] > Specifics on how funds will be used for [PROGRAM/PROJECT] in [LOCATION] > Concrete early impact (numbers, timeline, example) > What happens next and when > Closing that frames partnership > [SIGNATURE BLOCK] > P.S. with a human, relational note.
- Personalize with 1-2 details from cultivation: [SPECIFIC DETAIL FROM CONVERSATION] and [DONOR INTEREST/VALUES].
- Describe allocation and impact with specifics (e.g., “Your [AMOUNT] funds [X UNITS/SERVICES] by [MONTH/YEAR], serving [# PEOPLE/FAMILIES].”).
- Name beneficiaries respectfully (people-first language), center community impact, not donor heroics.
- Include stewardship plan and timing: [FOLLOW-UP ACTION] by [FOLLOW-UP DATE] (e.g., site visit, impact brief, photo update).
- Confirm public recognition preference: “We will list you as [RECOGNITION NAME] unless you prefer anonymity.”
- Note receipt handling without being transactional: “A formal receipt will arrive separately from our finance team.”
- Use [TONE]=FORMAL (conservative, honorific, boardroom-ready) / WARM (professional, relational, gracious) / CASUAL (first-name, friendly, still respectful).
- Author and sign from [SIGNER NAME], [SIGNER TITLE] (ED or Board Chair); optional co-sign by [CO-SIGNER NAME/TITLE]. Include direct contact line.
- If any bracket is not provided, omit it gracefully.
Quality: Make it specific, human, and partnership-oriented; avoid clichés (“game-changer”), jargon (“capacity-building”), exclamation overload, and any new solicitation. Reflect the same-day call, show exactly “what your gift makes possible,” and set one clear next step with a date.How to Customize
- Replace all [BRACKETED] fields with your specific information
- Adjust tone and length as needed for your audience
- Review and personalize before using
Pro Tips
- Test this prompt with your preferred AI tool before using in production
- Always review AI output for accuracy and appropriateness
- Customize outputs to match your organization’s voice and brand
Related Prompts
(See other prompts in the fundraising category)
Example Outputs
Compare scenarios: We tested this prompt with 3 different nonprofit contexts. Each scenario shows outputs from GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini. Select a model above each scenario to compare.
Small Community Org
Neighborhood-based food justice nonprofit on Chicago’s South Side, volunteer-driven with a modest budget, serving families through mobile markets and youth culinary training.
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Dear friends,
I’m still smiling thinking about your extraordinary $50,000 gift. It feels like the kind of nudge that changes what is possible for our neighbors—and for our team. You’ve been with Southside Fresh Food Collective from the start: your first gift in 2019, rolling up your sleeves as volunteers, that joyful backyard harvest fundraiser in 2022, and your beautiful pro bono design work that still gives our Mobile Market its welcoming face. This latest investment is transformational.
Here’s what your gift will unlock right away for the Community Mobile Market & Youth Kitchen Apprenticeship: - Add a second weekly Mobile Market route, reaching three new apartment complexes and two senior buildings. - Equip the truck with a commercial-grade cooler, weatherproof shelving, and a handwashing station—so produce stays crisp and safe even on hot days. - Cover fuel, maintenance, and a SNAP Match fund that doubles fruit-and-veg purchases for families who use EBT. - Provide paid stipends for 20 youth apprentices this spring, along with their food-safety certifications and chef-mentor hours in our kitchen classroom.
Let me tell you what that looks like in a person’s life. Last month, Jamila, 17, wrapped up a shift in the Youth Kitchen Apprenticeship grinning ear to ear. She’d mastered knife skills and planned the day’s menu—roasted squash tacos with citrus slaw—then walked over to the Mobile Market to help a grandmother pick out greens for a Sunday stew. “I told her how to keep the cilantro fresh,” she said, “like Chef taught me.” Jamila took home the same recipe and made dinner for her family. That loop—learning, earning, and serving—will happen hundreds more times because of you.
I’d love to thank you in person and share a brief update. Could we schedule a visit to the kitchen on a Tuesday afternoon to meet the apprentices, then ride along for a Mobile Market stop? I’ll call next week to find a time that works for you, and we’ll send a photo update after the first new route launches.
You are not just donors; you are co-builders of this work. Every smile at the market and every youth paycheck carries your fingerprints—quite literally in the brand you created and the community you continue to nurture.
With deep gratitude,
Mariela Ortiz Executive Director Southside Fresh Food Collective
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 9/10)
This is an exceptionally strong donor thank-you letter that successfully balances warmth with professionalism. It personalizes the donor relationship beautifully, uses concrete storytelling effectively, and creates genuine partnership language. Minor weaknesses include slightly exceeding word count and a small formatting choice that could be refined.
- • Exceptional personalization - weaves donor history naturally throughout (2019 gift, backyard fundraiser, design work) making them feel truly known and valued
- • Perfect tone execution - warm, personal, and authentic without being overly casual; 'I'm still smiling' and 'co-builders' language creates genuine partnership
- • Powerful storytelling with Jamila - specific, vivid, and emotionally resonant; shows the learning-earning-serving loop concretely rather than abstractly
- • Clear, actionable impact breakdown - bullet points are specific and tangible (second route, three apartment complexes, 20 youth stipends, SNAP Match)
- • Strong stewardship next steps - specific invitation (Tuesday kitchen visit + market ride-along) with clear follow-up timeline
- • Excellent closing metaphor - 'fingerprints' callback to their design work is memorable and reinforces partnership theme
- • Word count slightly over target at approximately 420 words (requested 300-400); could tighten bullet section slightly
- • Salutation 'Dear friends' lacks personalization - should use actual donor names for a $50K major gift letter
- • Bullet format in middle section, while clear, slightly disrupts the personal letter flow; could be integrated more narratively
Mid-Size Professional Org
Regional conservation nonprofit working across Colorado’s mountain communities on watershed restoration, climate resilience, and habitat recovery.
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Dear Dana and the Tannen Family Foundation,
On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Conservation Alliance, thank you for your transformational $250,000 investment in the Colorado Headwaters Restoration Initiative. Your leadership arrives at exactly the right moment, allowing us to move from site-by-site fixes to the kind of watershed-scale restoration our headwaters deserve.
Your family’s steady commitment since 2017 has already changed the way people experience these mountains—the Elk Creek reroute you funded turned a braided, eroding trail into a resilient corridor, and the AmeriCorps crews you underwrote set a new bar for what a season of stewardship can accomplish. I still think of a late-September afternoon there: our crew leader pointed to a bend once scoured to bare gravel. In the quiet, you could hear water threading through willow roots and see fresh elk tracks in the damp soil. A place that had been unraveling was stitching itself back together.
This new gift accelerates that healing across the headwaters. Specifically, it will enable us to: - Reconnect more than three miles of side channels and floodplain, cooling water and restoring habitat for native trout. - Replace two failing culverts to reopen upstream passage and reduce sediment pulses during high flows. - Install beaver-dam analogs and stabilize banks with willow and cottonwood plantings, re-wetting 30+ acres of meadow. - Field two AmeriCorps crews and a seasonal hydrology technician to implement and monitor projects throughout the 2025 field season. - Launch community science monitoring so local partners and students can help track temperature, flow, and vegetation recovery.
Just as important, your gift positions us to leverage additional public and private funds, multiplying its impact well beyond a single season. And Dana, your leadership in last year’s matching challenge showed what’s possible when the community follows your example.
I would value the chance to walk a project reach with you in late June and introduce you to our restoration team and local partners. I will send a brief progress update in May with timelines and a proposed site-visit date; we can also schedule a stewardship briefing at your convenience.
Thank you for being a true partner in this work—not simply funding projects, but shaping the future of Colorado’s headwaters.
With deep gratitude,
Dr. Jerome Pike Board Chair Rocky Mountain Conservation Alliance
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 9/10)
This is an exceptionally strong donor letter that successfully balances professionalism with warmth, demonstrates deep understanding of major donor stewardship, and fulfills nearly all prompt requirements. The storytelling is vivid and specific, the impact description is concrete, and the relationship-building language feels authentic rather than templated.
- • Outstanding storytelling with the Elk Creek example—the sensory details (willow roots, elk tracks, quiet water) create memorable imagery that demonstrates impact without relying on statistics alone
- • Excellent integration of donor history that feels natural and appreciative rather than perfunctory—references to specific past projects, Dana's board role, and the matching challenge show genuine relationship knowledge
- • Highly specific impact outcomes with technical credibility (beaver-dam analogs, culvert replacement, side channel reconnection) that match the conservation sector's professional standards
- • Strong partnership framing throughout—phrases like 'true partner,' 'shaping the future,' and 'your leadership' position the donor as co-creator rather than ATM
- • Professional tone perfectly calibrated—respectful and substantive without being stiff, warm without being overly casual
- • Clear, actionable next steps with specific timing (May update, June site visit) that demonstrate organized stewardship planning
- • Effective leverage mention that shows the donor's gift has multiplier effects without diminishing its standalone importance
- • Word count is approximately 430 words, exceeding the 300-400 word target by about 30 words—while the content is strong, nonprofit professionals often need strict adherence to length guidelines
- • The opening phrase 'arrives at exactly the right moment' could be perceived as slightly generic, though it's quickly followed by specific context
- • Minor: The letter could have included one brief quote or name from a community member or crew leader to add an additional human voice beyond the organizational perspective
Large Established Org
National education nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC, partnering with school districts and libraries to expand literacy access and digital learning for learners of all ages.
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Dear Meera and the Patel Family,
I am writing with a full heart to thank you for your transformational $2,000,000 gift to National Literacy Partnership and our Digital Libraries for All Campaign—Rural Access Accelerator. Your leadership has shaped our work for nearly a decade—beginning with your $100,000 challenge grant in 2016, the creation of the Patel Scholars Fund in 2019, and Meera’s generous service on our National Advisory Council since 2020. This new commitment stands as a defining moment in that shared journey.
Because of you, we will move from promise to presence in rural communities that have waited far too long. Your gift will launch 30 solar-powered digital library hubs with offline servers, equip 120 schools and community centers with e-readers and tablets preloaded with thousands of high-quality books and audiobooks, and train 200 Rural Access Fellows—local librarians and teachers—so that every hub is a place of welcome, skill-building, and discovery. You are also underwriting two years of connectivity, technical support, and locally relevant content development to ensure these hubs thrive.
I wish you could have met Maya, a seventh-grader in a farming town we’ll serve first. Until recently, her school library closed at 4 p.m., and the shelves held more dust than stories. When a pilot digital cart visited last month, she checked out an e-reader and found a novel that sounded like her own life—siblings, long bus rides, a fierce curiosity. That night she read with her grandmother, who used the same device to listen to a health guide in Spanish. “We both learned something,” Maya told us. “And we didn’t have to choose who got the book.” Your gift multiplies moments like that—quiet, life-changing openings where learning becomes a family affair.
You are not simply funding a project; you are co-designing it with us. In the next four weeks, I’ll send a personal update with the first site list, launch timeline, and a short video from our field team. I would also value a call to gather your counsel, and we would be honored to host you for a site visit when the first hubs open this spring.
With profound gratitude for your steadfast partnership,
Aisha Rahman President & CEO National Literacy Partnership
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 9.2/10)
This is an exceptionally strong major donor thank-you letter that successfully balances warmth, professionalism, and genuine gratitude. It skillfully weaves together donor history, concrete impact details, and compelling storytelling while maintaining an authentic voice throughout. The letter would require minimal editing for actual use.
- • Outstanding storytelling with Maya's narrative—specific, emotionally resonant, and illustrates multi-generational impact without being manipulative or overly sentimental
- • Excellent integration of donor history that feels natural and honoring rather than perfunctory ('defining moment in that shared journey')
- • Concrete, credible program details (30 hubs, 120 schools, 200 Fellows, solar-powered, offline servers) that demonstrate thoughtful planning and accountability
- • Strong partnership language throughout ('co-designing it with us') that elevates the donor beyond transactional relationship
- • Specific, actionable next steps with timeline (four weeks, spring site visit) showing organized stewardship plan
- • Appropriate length at approximately 380 words, fitting the 300-400 word requirement
- • Warm tone achieved through phrases like 'full heart,' 'I wish you could have met Maya,' and personal touches without being overly casual
- • Opening and closing bookend the relationship arc beautifully—acknowledging history while pointing forward
- • Minor: The phrase 'more dust than stories' while evocative, could be perceived as slightly disparaging to the existing school—though this is a very minor concern
- • The letter is at the higher end of word count and a nonprofit might want to tighten slightly for busy executive readers, though the current length is still within parameters
Test Summary: Generated Nov 1, 2025 • 3 scenarios • 9 total outputs • Average quality score: 8.58/10 • Total validation cost: $0.1082