(05-17-2018 08:41 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  Before the reign of STF, donors to Athletics used to get a thank you letter from Athletics (in addition to the receipt from the Foundation). Since STF came on board, these letters have stopped. The letters used to thank donors for their donation and reassure them how important they are. Often, the letter contained a short message handwritten by the signer. Now, donors just get the receipt from the Foundation. Anybody else notice this?

The AD and Associate AD in charge of gifts at another regional university are acquaintances of mine. They told me that they acknowledge every gift with a thank you letter - even the $10 gifts. Those who donate at higher levels get a more personalized letter. Every letter has a couple words of thanks hand-written on it. The Associate AD told me that people have lots of choices where to donate their money and when they choose your institution, they should be acknowledged and thanked. It's a way to show your appreciation, keep your name in front of them, and help groom them for future donations.

It's not a lot of work. The computer spits out the letter and then someone signs it. It tales less time than it did for the donor to complete the donation form and write the check.

Do you feel that Athletics should acknowledge gifts with a thank you letter or do you not care?

I always receive the receipt letter and a second thank you letter from athletics or the NIU Foundation. The one I received a couple of days ago was from the Foundation.