Last updated April 18, 2023
As a politician, it is important to be in contact with your supporters. With social media, candidates can keep their followers up to date with their campaigns, political stances on important issues, and what they are doing for their community. However, one crucial way to keep in touch with your constituents is through a political campaign thank you letter.
You can add a personal touch to a fundraising campaign and connect with donors, volunteers, and supporters with a thank you note. A personal note can also serve to persuade voters to donate and get involved in your campaign.
To help you achieve these objectives, we’ve explained what to include in your thank you letter and provided thank you letter examples.
But before we get to that, let’s discuss why you should even write a political campaign thank-you letter.
Whether you win or lose a political campaign, no matter how big or small, thanking your supporters recurring donors and potential constituents is crucial in amassing support moving forward into the future. If you fail to do so, think about the lasting message you leave upon them: “He/she doesn’t care about my support/major gift”.
Is that really the message you want to leave lingering in those people who gave you their time, money, and support?
Even beyond that, you’re only making the life of future capital campaigns more difficult for yourself by effectively shrinking your support circle. So that begs the question – what do you do if you do lose an election?
Be gracious. Politics are an extremely emotional business for a lot of people. Many donors get extremely invested – monetarily and emotionally – to the point where their contribution to your campaign is significantly more than just their dollar. Heed this, and respect your support base after a loss at the polls.
To express gratitude after a loss after an election, acknowledge what you and the common donor have been fighting for, and make it clear that you are not done fighting. It’s best to take some time off once the campaign trail has come to an end to avoid burning yourself out, but once you do come back, you will want your supporters and donors to be right there by your side.
As we’ve said, donors are just as emotionally invested in your capital campaign as you are, so making it clear to them that you’re not abandoning the values you’ve said you stand for will be something they greatly appreciate.
Make sure to encourage them to take some space away from the politics for a bit, too. If either you or your voters get too obsessed with resenting the other political party, it can only serve to spiral down a dire path.
On a slightly less depressing note, you’re probably here to read some actionable advice on thanking those who made a donation to your campaign. Let’s get into it.
An authentic and personal thank you note or message is the best way to communicate genuine appreciation and gratitude. But what are some crucial factors to keep in mind to do so?
Use the person’s name. Addressing a person by their name is a sign of courtesy and respect, making a lasting impact. It’s also much more personal than generically referring to the recipient as a donor, volunteer, or supporter.
Make use of the word “you.” Using the personal pronoun throughout the letter focuses the letter on the recipient.
Explain how the recipient impacted your campaign. Explain how the recipient’s contribution, like the donor’s gift, was used. Or explain how many people were reached because of their volunteer work.
Include a quote or story. Feel-good stories and quotes are a positive way to humanize the campaign and communicate the real-life impact you’ve made.
Make it personal. Adding a personal touch such as handwriting the letter can also make the recipient feel that you care enough to write it out instead of using a generic letter or email.
End with a call to action. Engaging the public in civic activities is an ongoing activity. Tell the recipient how they can continue to stay involved in your political career, where they can connect, and what further opportunities are available, but don’t end it “with love”.
Include a tax receipt. Interestingly enough, for donations over $250, the IRS does require official tax receipts, so making sure to send those out to major donors is a responsible idea.
Before you even begin writing a political campaign thank you letter, you need to take into account who you are writing to – are you writing a broad, all-encompassing appreciation message to all donors, or is it for your family and friends?
Either way, several people who have shown dedication to your political success or contributed to your campaign should be included in your election thank you letter and note mailing list. The following are a few considerations to make when drafting a political thank-you letter.
One of the first people that you should thank is your donors. They believed in your campaign enough to give an in kind donation out of the personal kindness of their heart. No matter the donation amount, it says a lot when a person invests in a politician.
Another group of people that should receive a political campaign letter is the volunteers working for your campaign. They spent tireless hours working on your behalf. Even if they did not necessarily donate money, they did donate their time.
Finally, you should thank your supporters. These are the group of people who signed up for campaign text messages and email updates. They may or may not have contributed, but they most likely voted for or supported you.
Either way, this should give you an idea of the building blocks to write a solid first draft for your political campaign message. If you’re still a bit confused, though, let’s discuss the templates we’ve created for you.
We’ve compiled examples of political campaign thank-you letters for you to get a sense of how to format them and what to include.
Dear John,
I wanted to personally thank you for your generous $100 gift and donation to my campaign. Your act of giving has been used to fund the production of political yard signs and bumper stickers. With your help, we have been able to reach more voters in rural areas.
Monica Ramirez from Winslow, Arizona, was able to purchase a yard sign showing her support for our campaign. She wrote to us, saying, “I live in a small town, and I wanted my neighborhood to become aware of Senator Burns’ run for office. I was able to do this by purchasing a yard sign online. Thanks for making these available to voters!” Because of your contribution, Monica was able to buy that yard sign!
My next upcoming event will be a virtual town hall meeting. I am inviting you to this event so you can continue to learn about my stance on the important issues affecting our community. Thank you again for your generosity – I will always do my best to ensure you know you made the right decision in voting for me.
Sincerely,
Mark Burns
NOTE: We’ve got some great content that outlines some sample examples of donation thank-you letters that you can also build from.
Dear Lucy,
I’m writing this letter to thank you for all your efforts and dedication to volunteering for our campaign. We know that you are busy with many other obligations, yet you still helped us. What a big difference that your help has made!
I know that you were one of the volunteers who went door to door on behalf of our campaign. Because of your volunteer work, we reached and registered over 500 new voters in Orange County. You proved that one person can change a community.
We’d love to hear back from you and to stay connected! To hear more about our campaign’s latest news, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Again, thank you for your volunteer work on behalf of our campaign.
Sincerely,
Maria Lopez
Dear Julia,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your help during my campaign. I’m so grateful that over 1,000 people donated money to our cause and thousands more volunteered their time in support of me. Although we did not win the election, friends, I want you to know that your help was invaluable and kept us fighting until the end.
Though we may be disappointed with the results, I’m proud of all that we have achieved together and what your support meant to me throughout this campaign. Your donations allowed us to pay for materials, travel costs, and ads. Your volunteering was essential in getting out the vote and connecting with voters.
I remain dedicated to improving our community and making sure that everyone’s voice is heard. I hope you will continue to support me in this ongoing effort.
Thank you again for being a part of my campaign. Without your help, none of this would have been possible.
Sincerely,
John Smith
NOTE: If you are looking for more information on direct mail for political campaigns, please check out this article. While this article provides a comprehensive guide to writing campaign thank-you letters, including tips and advice, our post on political direct mail will help you understand what Handwrytten does better.
Dear Layla,
I am writing to thank you for your unwavering support during my campaign. I’m so humbled to have been elected as the new state senator of Orange County and it wouldn’t have happened without your help.
Your donation allowed us to spread our message throughout the district. Your volunteering helped get out the vote and engage voters. Your enthusiasm and energy were contagious, and it your tremendous impact was felt in every part of the county.
I am so extremely grateful for your hard work and dedication to this campaign. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to make history in Orange County!
As I take office as your senator, I will strive to represent all the people of this district and work towards a better future. I hope you will continue to join me in this effort.
Again, thank you for your support throughout my campaign.
Sincerely,
Mark Burns
Dear Daphne,
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your donation to our capital campaign. Your in kind donation was the keystone of our success in raising over $500,000 in donations. It is through in kind donations made through supporters like you that our organization can continue its important work and make a lasting impact in the community.
Your donation enabled us to purchase new equipment, expand our outreach efforts, and provide essential services to our organization to serve more people in need. It is thanks to you that we can continue our mission of helping those in need.
I hope you will continue to join us in this effort. We invite you to stay involved with the organization by signing up for our newsletter or attending one of our many events.
Once again, thank you for your generous gift. Your generous gift and support mean the world to us and we could not have done it without you.
Sincerely,
Anna Smith
If you are planning on writing a political campaign thank you note to major donors, consider having it be handwritten notes. This idea may seem overwhelming, especially if you have many people to thank; however, there is an innovative solution!
Handwrytten is a service that uses robots that hold real pens to compose handwritten notes, messages, and letters. There are several different types of fonts to choose from, or you can even use your handwriting!
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