On this day – Haiku Tuesday – the Nonprofit Geek will now present to you a poem especially for Grant Writers. If there had been room for an extra line, I would have added that it is also important to get the nonprofit team to give Grant Writers information long before the application deadline. Please enjoy this haiku poem:
Last week the Greater Good Geek blog focused on nonprofit researcher Penelope Burk’s findings. This week “The Geek” will highlight another of Burk’s ‘best practices’ in writing thank you letters to donors – which can be summed up in two words:
Be prompt.
Burk conducts surveys of those who donate to nonprofit organizations. Getting a prompt thank you note is something donors do expect. Burk’s research on thank you letters, by the way, culminated in a list of the 20 Characteristics of Great Thank You Letters which was published in Burk’s Donor-Centered Fundraising.
But donors’ expectations is just one reason to be prompt. Another reason comes from the IRS. They state that a donor is required to “keep a contemporaneous written acknowledgment for a charitable contribution.” That key word – contemporaneous – essentially means “be prompt.”
Mentioning the IRS is always a good excuse to point you to their handy Charitable Contributions Guide for Tax Exempt Organizations. “The Geek” suggests having this guide at your fingertips and reviewing it periodically.
So because the Greater Good Geek is always looking for fun ways to remember nonprofit best practices, here is a haiku poem to remind you of this important thank you note element. Have a great #HaikuTuesday as well!
Nonprofit researcher Penelope Burk has written extensively about fundraiser best practices, including “donor-centered thank you letters.” Today’s “Greater Good Geek Nonprofit Haiku Tip” focuses on one of these proven tips for a great thank you note. In fact, here is more info on and the citation for Burk’s research (check out number 9 – the inspiration for today’s poem).
Here is a list of grants that Susannah Erler (Director of Greater Good Strategies) has obtained for nonprofit organizations.
Many of you know computer geeks or math geeks. But have you ever met a nonprofit geek?
“Just what do you mean by a ‘nonprofit geek’?”
Picture the computer geeks you know – what are they like? They could spend hours thinking about computers, right? The math geeks could tell you the difference between the K Theory and the Algebraic K Theory. (I agree: snore).
They know their stuff
The bottom line is, just like the other geeks you know, nonprofit geeks know their stuff – about nonprofit organizations.
Geek Images
And what other images does the word geek bring up for you? Are you picturing a smooth Casanova used car salesperson-type. No way!
Not a wolf in sheep’s clothing
A geek is someone who is most interested in facts, truth and accuracy – and being approachable about it. Once you got to know those geeks in high school, they turned out to be nice, welcoming and loyal, didn’t they? Plus, if you invited them to a party they would help you with your homework too.
Like trusted scouts
So a nonprofit geek is an approachable expert about the community sector – someone who wants to be helpful.
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Image Credits: J.W. Barber (first image); Adolph B. Rice Studio (second image).
Blog questions: what do you think of when you hear “nonprofit geek?” Do you imagine someone helpful and knowledgeable? Have you ever known a nonprofit geek? And if so, what were they like?
greater good geek 