I baked bread this week. I find breadmaking a pastime that teases and delights my senses. The smell of bubbling yeast rises from the sticky-smooth dough as I rhythmically knead it and wafts through the house as the bread rises. The earthy aroma quickly becomes heavenly as the pale white lumps of dough grow into light crusty

brownness in the oven. I can never wait more than a few minutes before cutting into the steaming hot bread, spreading it liberally with butter, and eating it.

The funny thing is, I’m not really all that crazy about bread any other time. It is only in that short amount of time after it comes out of the oven that I am eager to eat it. Unlike Revenge, bread is better served hot. A cold loaf often sits on the counter uneaten until it gets cubed, brushed with herbs and butter, and toasted for croutons or goes into the compost pile if I've waited too long.

A Thank You to a Donor is very similar to bread. The sooner they get it, the better it feels.

By sending your Donors a personalized Thank You letter before the warm glow of giving has cooled, you amplify the impact of it and make your Donor more likely to give again. By thanking them for the most recent gifts and giving them credit for past giving in each letter, you remind them of that good feeling and let them know they are appreciated.

The FundRaiser Word Processor has a very clever merge field that can personalize your letters automatically. It’s called the IF (conditional text) field. It allows you to set up multiple conditions and assign special text for each one. The initial setup of the IF merge field will take some time. However; this field, combined with the Automated Correspondence function, provides very personal letters in a fraction of the time it would take to add a personal message to each Donor thank you.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact FundRaiser Technical Support at 800-543-4131 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..