In my house growing up, handwritten thank you notes were the expectation. Birthdays, holidays, contributions to a school drive or sports team fundraiser, a thank you note was in the mail. Working in the nonprofit space, this same expectation should be applied to funders.

In addition to “it’s just good manners”, a personalized thank you note allows you to:

• Have another touchpoint with the funder
• Reiterate how their grant will make or has made an impact
• Keep you in good standing for future opportunities

In this guide, we will show you how to create a standard grant thank you letter template that you can easily adapt from one funder to the next.

Let’s get started.

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Why Is It Important to Thank Grant Funders?

Like most industries, building authentic relationships and communities in the nonprofit world can lead to stronger, more impactful work. Part of building lasting relationships with funders is thanking them for their money and support.

Sending a grant thank you note is important because:

• It gives your organization another opportunity to be on the funder’s mind.
• It allows you to reiterate the importance of their gift to your organization.
• It may lead to future opportunities.
• It can strengthen trust with the funder.
• It’s best practice to thank people for their contributions to philanthropy.

Sending a thank you note to a funder may sound obvious, but it’s too important to overlook and not review its elements in detail.

Grant teams are often busy, especially if they have several active awards with similar funding and reporting cycles. The “thank you” can sometimes get lost in the shuffle or put on the backburner while other priorities take precedent.

Creating a strong thank you template can help you avoid this scramble at the start or close of a grant cycle. Instead of creating something from scratch when you need it, you have an organized document prepped and ready to send out when the time is right.

When Should You Send Your Thank You Letter?

Grant thank you letters are most often sent immediately after the grant is awarded.

Not only is this a practical mechanism for acknowledging receipt of the grant, but it also allows you to recognize and share gratitude with the funder.

In my work at a grant-making foundation, I’ve also seen the trend of grantees sending an additional thank you letter once the grant period has closed. I’d recommend sending this as well. A letter of appreciation at the close of the grant period is different from the one you send at the acceptance phase as it allows you to be more specific about how the funder’s support impacted your work.

Ultimately, sending that first thank you note/ letter of recognition is essential to starting off the grant cycle on the right foot. Do not put this off! Setting a strict timeline for your team will ensure it doesn’t get skipped over.

Should Your Thank You Letter Be Handwritten?

So now that we’ve covered the importance of a grant thank you letter, it’s time to go over the best way to share it with your funder.

Here are some common ways nonprofits thank and acknowledge their funding partners:

• A handwritten, formal note
• A less formal message in an email body, or attached as a PDF with signature
• Social media post
• Section within a larger newsletter
• Mention on the grantee website“Moving beyond basic interactions to more sophisticated engagement is pivotal for a seasoned grant team looking to deepen their relationships with funders and elevate their strategy. Move beyond generic updates and reports. Tailor your communication to each funder's specific interests. Share stories and data that resonate with their goals.”

If you’re familiar with a funder, you may have an idea of how they like to receive this acknowledgement. However, that’s not always the case—especially in new funding relationships.

Grant Consultant Jeanette Archer Simons has some helpful tips;

“Ask if you can post a thank you to the funder on your social media for their support of the project. Or if they have a preference on how they are recognized. If they are local and you interact with their board members at community meetings, tell them how grateful you are for the partnership and what you like about working with the funder.”

As technology continues to multiply the ways in which we can all communicate information, there are more and more options for delivering your gratitude to funders.

And you don’t have to choose just one! Communicating directly with your funder through a personal letter AND publicly thanking them can be a great combination, ensuring all those who give to your mission feel recognized for their support.

Whether a handwritten letter mailed to the funder or a non-snail mail version, your thanks will go a long way.

Who Should Write the Grant Thank You Letter?

Like all parts of the grant lifecycle, it’s a full team effort. But who should be most heavily involved in developing your grant thank you letter?

The thank you letter should be written by a member of your team that is:

• Familiar with the grant award and understands the application that was submitted.
• Knowledgeable and connected to the external comms language used at the organization.
• Comfortable looping in the right people; that may be programmatic, development, or other team members that have expertise in the grant itself and the relationship (if one already exists) with the funding partner.

The letter should be signed by the leader of the funded project or the leader of the organization at large. Getting sign-off by a high ranking member of the leadership team is a great way to formalize the letter of appreciation.

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6 Key Components of an Effective Grant Thank You Letter

Now it’s time to start building out your letter! Here are six elements you should incorporate into your template.

1. A direct address (if you have that information). While this won’t always be possible, personalizing the note as much as possible is a great way to start. Have you worked with an individual grant manager or a specific team throughout the application process? If so include their names, titles, or departments at the start of your letter. If you haven’t had direct contact, address the note to the team at large, knowing their contributions have led to the grant award. For example, “Dear Ford Foundation Team” or “To the Programs Team at The Rockefeller Foundation”.‍
2. A clear and concise opening statement. Make it obvious as to why you’re writing to them and why the reader should continue through the entire document.‍
3. A brief review of how the funding will impact your organization/project mission. This should not be a project summary like you provided in your application. Instead, a quick reminder of how the funding will be used to give the reader context.‍
4. An opening for ongoing communication. Providing clarity around the main point of contact for the grant and the best way to reach them is important to include in your thank you letter template. Another way to bolster ongoing communication is to provide details for your social media handles, newsletter sign up, and other ways the funder can stay up to date with what’s happening in your organization!‍
5. A reiteration of your gratitude for the award. Share your genuine appreciation for their support of your work.‍
6. Documentation or receipt of the award for the funder’s records. The funder will likely specify what they need to ensure the transaction is completed.

Including these six elements will help you structure your grant thank you template to make it as strong as it can be!

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How to Create a Grant Thank You Letter Template

A grant thank you letter template saves time, can be easily adapted to your needs, keeps a consistent voice across the team, and takes away some of the burden of funder communications. While each thank you note will need some personalization, having a strong template is a great place to start.

Your thank you template will be your own, but we’ve outlined a simple example below with the components from the previous section.

Example of a Post-Award Thank You Letter Template

This thank you should be sent immediately after your organization has been awarded a grant.

[Your organization’s letterhead - this typically includes the organization’s full legal name and main address]

[Date]

Dear [Name of grant manager, team} or a more general [“To whom it may concern”], 

I am writing today to thank you on behalf of [organization name]. Your generous donation of [grant amount] has been received. Please see attached for proof of receipt.

[Organization name] could not deliver the critical work we do without dedicated, intentional funders like [funder name]. [Add in 1-3 sentences about what the funding will support].

[Name of main point of contact on your side] will be your main point of contact for this grant. Please feel free to reach out at any time. We’re excited to work together over the next [length of grant award] and learn from one another!

Thank you again for your contribution and commitment to [something about the mission of your work/organization]. 

Sincerely, 

[Name of Executive Director/Project Lead]

[Signature of Executive Director/Project Lead]

Example of a Grant Close-out Thank You Letter Template

This thank you should be sent after the close of your grant period, once all other reporting and documentation has been completed.

[Your organization’s letterhead - this typically includes the organization’s full legal name and main address]

[Date]

Dear [Name of grant manager, team} or a more general [“To whom it may concern”], 

I am writing today to thank you on behalf of [organization name]. Your support over the past [grant timeframe] was instrumental to the success of [organization or project name].

[Add in a brief summary of the support - who you worked with, what was valuable, how the money created impact. Bring in details that match the funder’s interest areas and include some quick data points if applicable].

We hope to continue partnering with your team to [something about the mission of your work/organization].

Thank you again for your contribution and commitment to our work. Please reach out if you need any additional information!

Sincerely, 

[Name of Executive Director/Project Lead]

[Signature of Executive Director/Project Lead]

Developing these templates on a shared platform that relevant team members can easily access is recommended. From there, your colleagues can review, edit, and adapt the template for each funder as needed.

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Thank You Letter Examples

In addition to this guide, there are some really great examples of grant thank you templates and letters that are free and easy to access. Below are three samples with slightly different approaches that can help you craft a template that serves your work best.

• Similar to the section above, DAF Giving 360 provides a “mad libs” style grant thank you letter template that can help you draft your own. This example is really streamlined, simple, and to the point but still includes the necessary elements. DAF Giving 360 Sample Thank You
• The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center provides an example with a bit more substance. The way they call out their specific focus areas is a great example of how you can customize your template to make it relevant to the work you do. At the close, they also provide links to social media sites and their newsletter so that funders can stay in the loop! Nutrition and Aging Center Sample Thank You‍
• Neon One provides a more targeted thank you letter template, providing a specific story at the start to catch the reader's attention. If you know a funder well, this can be a great template to use for inspiration. This format allows you to provide an example of impact that aligns with the funder’s interest area(s). Neon One Storytelling Thank You

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Do's and Don'ts When Thanking Grant Funders

There can be a lot to consider when drafting your thank you template. Below are some of our top do's and don'ts when you’re thanking grant funders.

Things you definitely should do:

• Be succinct: There’s no need to write a multiple-page, overly detailed piece. Getting right to the point will ensure the note is read and your message is received.‍
• Start with your template, but make it personal: Show your appreciation for the grant but also the grant manager or team you worked with. Highlighting an individual who was particularly supportive is a great way to give kudos and show your appreciation. Getting specific on the interest areas of the funder as well can help personalize the letter.

Rachel Grusin, Project Coordinator at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, sums this point up perfectly:

“Moving beyond basic interactions to more sophisticated engagement is pivotal for a seasoned grant team looking to deepen their relationships with funders and elevate their strategy. Move beyond generic updates and reports. Tailor your communication to each funder's specific interests. Share stories and data that resonate with their goals.” 

• Be authentic: Ensure your organization’s voice shines through. Leaning on pre-existing comms materials can be helpful in keeping a consistent narrative when communicating with external parties. From that baseline, you can add the personal details.

Things you should (typically) avoid at all costs:

• Asking for more money: The thank you is not the time to ask for extended funding or pitch a new idea.‍
• Providing critical feedback: Although transparent relationships with funders are great, the thank you letter is likely not the place to share recommendations for the funder. Ideally there will be other opportunities for sharing this type of review.
• ‍Sending your letter off before proofreading carefully: Although a template is a great resource, you want to be sure you proofread each draft to ensure all information is relevant to the funder you’re sharing it with.

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Wrapping Up: Thanking Grant Funders

Hopefully this guide has you feeling confident to jump into your own grant thank you letters. Remember that the goals are to genuinely share your gratitude and take advantage of another touchpoint with your funder.

Creating your thank you letter template will set you up for immediate efficiency and future success.

To get started in your grants journey, don’t forget to try Instrumentl's 14-day free trial!