# Can you be too grateful?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/01/16/can-you-be-too-grateful/
- Published: 2009-01-16T18:27:48+00:00
- Author: Ian MacQuillin

[John Baguley’s blog](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/blog/2009/01/14/many-thanks-kate)
post this week about Kate Winslet’s approach to ‘sincere thanks’ made me cringe.
Not at John’s thoughts, (which were interesting as ever), but at the difference 
between Kate’s various ‘thank yous’ over the last couple of weeks.

She was predicted to win the best actress Golden Globe and, having done so, thanked
her supporters in the way John highlighted as an example to us all (and rightly 
so).  BUT, when our Kate also won her second, unexpected Globe, it became gushingly
obvious that no prepared speech or rehearsal had gone into this one!

## Advertisement

The lesson I take from this is that whilst it is absolutely vital to acknowledge
supporters and donors in a genuine, sincere and timely manner, a plan B is always
advisable.  Not all audiences respond in the same way and personally, I now think
Kate is a bit of a goof for not thinking it through.

Back in the real world, I heard an appropriate story from a colleague just yesterday.
An individual donor had responded to a direct marketing campaign and contributed
several hundred pounds above the ask.  The campaign team duly flagged said individual
as a high value donor and wrote to him specifically to thank him for his generosity
and highlight how the money was going to help.

Within 36 hours, the donor had written back, complaining that the charity was clearly
awash with funds as they had sent him a hand-written letter, wasting both time and
the cost of the stamp and envelope!

I’m not sure this view is particularly prevalent but it does perhaps illustrate 
the need for a plan B!  We aren’t always able to rehearse our ‘thank yous’ but we
certainly shouldn’t expect them to appeal equally to everyone.  An alternative would
have been as useful to this campaign manager as it might have been to Kate Winslet!

 * **[Fundraising know-how sought by majority at IFC's First Friday](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/06/09/fundraising-knowhow-sought-majority-ifc039s-first-friday/)**(
   9 June 2009)
 * **[Return of the Capital Appeals…](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/06/11/return-capital-appeals/)**(
   11 June 2009)
 * **[Guernsey Register of Charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/06/12/guernsey-register-charities/)**(
   12 June 2009)

## Comments

### By: Alastair Irons

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/01/16/can-you-be-too-grateful/#comment-3474
- Published: 2009-01-27T14:02:37+00:00

No. You can’t be too grateful – some expressions of gratitude may appear insincere,
some make the recipient feel embarrassed and awkward … but get it right and the 
results speak for themselves: Action for Kids’ latest direct mail appeal used up
two of the first three paragraphs personally thanking the donor – firstly for their
gift to a previous appeal, and secondly for their long-term support.

It’s no coincidence that this is the charity’s most successful direct mail appeal
ever and a credit to its fundraising team, which has never shied away from complex
use of information and personalisation to provide the charity’s supporters with 
authentic, one-to-one communications.

Alastair Irons
 Executive Creative Director, [http://www.twcat.co.uk](http://www.twcat.co.uk)
Chairman of Trustees, [http://www.iprescue.org.uk](http://www.iprescue.org.uk) Director,
[http://www.ourworldoursay.org](http://www.ourworldoursay.org)