Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/333730 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 12184
Publisher: 
Munich Society for the Promotion of Economic Research - CESifo GmbH, Munich
Abstract: 
While almost all charities rely on a set of donor appreciation strategies, their effectiveness for the success of fundraising campaigns is underresearched. Through two preregistered field studies conducted in collaboration with a leading German opera house (N=10,000), we explore the significance of expressing gratitude and examine two different approaches to doing so. Our first study investigates the impact of a "thank you in advance" statement in fundraising letters, a common strategy among fundraisers. In the second study, we explore the effectiveness of handwritten thank-you postcards versus printed postcards, shedding light on the roles of personalization and handwriting in donor appeals. Our findings challenge conventional wisdom, revealing that neither "thank you in advance" nor handwritten thank-you notes significantly affect donor contributions.
Subjects: 
gratitude in fundraising
charitable giving
behavioral economics
JEL: 
D64
C93
D03
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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