Watch as Susan Bradley from Erskine explains why charities must learn to say thank you - and learn to say it properly

It’s two small words – but they’re surprisingly hard to get right.

Susan Bradley, community fundraising manager at Erskine, spoke to the Institute of Fundraising conference on the power of saying thank you – how to say it properly, and the consequences of getting it wrong.

She said that properly thanking donors can pay dividens for charities – not just in terms of future giving, but also in terms of goodwill.

She gave examples of good practice – including charities crafting personal thank you videos and conducting personal (not agency!) phone calls.

Susan also touched on the bad – for example, donations recognised only by a receipt.

Below she gives a short summary of why you should learn to say thanks.