By Mitchell Slepian
Is saying thanks over? Is an auto thank you note received from organizations that you donate to in memory of someone or to help someone fundraise for a cause enough?
We all know that as soon as you donate online, most organizations send you an automated thank-you message. Yes, I donate to a few places that do not do that. They do not even send out traditional thank-you notes or acknowledge it when they say ‘you’. I am not talking about a small donated. But even that deserves it. I recently did the NY AIDS Walk. People donated anywhere from $10 to $100 to help my fundraising effort. Yes, the GMHC, which sponsors the walk, sends the automatic email to the donor and to me as the fundraiser.
I personally thanked everyone as soon as I saw they donated. In most cases, I did via a personal email. I made a few calls or did it in person. After the walk, I sent a few pictures and wrote a cheesy thank-you note quoting my favorite show, “Rent.” I included a few images from the walk and noted the total. Some people wrote back and congratulated me. I hope to do better next year.
Recently, I attended a few or two. I made donations to the places the deceased’s family asked mourners to donate. I got the note from the organization in the mail fairly quickly. All noted that they told the families. They never wrote back.
Years ago, a co-worker of mine gave birth to a girl. I sent a Baby Gap gift card. She sent an email to thank me. Some people mentioned that she should send a traditional note. I said, thinking she probably thought it was a waste of paper. For the record, I hate using stamps. But do when I need. I used to wait in line at the post office and buy one stamp. I know how to buy books of stamps. I usually lose them. Lo and behold, a few weeks after she sent the email, she sent a personal thank-you note via snail mail. Class.
As technology forges ahead, some remain traditional and classy. Some forget to.
Mitchell's thoughts, photos, etc. 