By. Scot Kersgaard

Thank you.

There, I said it.

It wasn’t that hard.

Thank you. It is such an easy thing to say.

It is also one of the most powerful tools for a nonprofit to use.

I recently joined the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, a nonprofit supporting Rocky Mountain National Park.  I don’t remember what the dues were or if I joined at higher than the minimum level. I do know I paid less than $100. I also know that within a few days of joining, I got a thank you letter signed by the executive director, with a short hand written note in the margin. Quite unexpected.

On Colorado Gives Day, someone in the office here at JVA mentioned to me that they had received phone calls from EDs at several of the nonprofits they gave to that day. Also quite unexpected and talked about through the office. It was appreciated.

Another of my officemates here has told me about a nonprofit they support with their time and their money—quite a bit of each. This person is passionate about this nonprofit, but they told me they have never been thanked or even recognized for all they do. They’ll still do it, because they believe in it.

But, how hard is it to say thanks once in awhile?

Before I came to JVA, I worked at a nonprofit for three years. It was a place where the words “Thank you” or “nice job” were never used. Well, that’s not true. On a peer-to-peer basis, they were used a lot.  Gratitude and praise were not part of the organizational culture, though.  The top people didn’t seem to value the work done in the field. They were cynical toward the donors as well.

How hard is it, really, to say thanks once in a while?

I could get into the idea of gratitude as a spiritual practice or as a personal choice, but that is not the purpose of this blog. From a business point of view, though, saying thanks when someone writes you a check or comes in to volunteer can be one of the things that makes a difference in determining the success of an organization.

When you thank me for my money or my time, you are doing more than thanking me. You are welcoming me into the organization. You are saying that my money and I are welcome here, anytime, and that you are glad I’m here. When you thank me, you practically guarantee that I’ll be back.

It seems like a pretty obvious gesture to instill in our organizations.