Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336597 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Paper No. 547
Publisher: 
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition, München und Berlin
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: 
fundraising
charitable giving
gratitude
field experiment
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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