Imagine you did a favor for a trusted friend. You are happy to do the favor, even if it means you have to go a little out of your way. However, imagine that your friend never acknowledged or thanked you for helping them out. Do you lose some of the trust you had in the friend? Does it make you less likely to agree to do a favor next time? 

Saying “thank you” is extremely important in nonprofit organizations. When a community member or partner donates their time, resources or expertise to educate you, their perspective can shed light on issues your organization is trying to solve, help inform program design, and increase participation. They are supporting your mission with valuable insights—and therefore, you should thank them.

Showing gratitude to your partners is beneficial to your organization in many ways. Besides making your company appear polite and professional, research shows that saying “thank you” can increase participation from your community members. A 2010 study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology revealed when people feel socially valued through expressions of gratitude, they are more motivated to keep giving their time and effort to help others. This is why showing gratitude is so important for your organization; it not only makes your partners feel valued, but also increases their desire to continue helping you.

But how do you show gratitude easily and without breaking your budget? At ROI, we believe your process for showing gratitude should be as easy as possible while still making the receiver feel seen, heard, and valued. That’s why we choose to share our gratitude through gift cards, a simple and inexpensive gesture that lets the receiver know we appreciate their time. Let us share why, how, and when we use this method to understand how to make your expressions of gratitude more meaningful, simple, and effective.

Why We Use Gift Cards to Show Gratitude

There are lots of different options when it comes to thanking your community members, some of which are more complicated than others. Some may compensate their guests with money, as you would an employee. However, this method involves many steps; you will need to create contracts and send tax forms to them, and they will have to pay taxes on the money they receive. Another method is to send a gift, like flowers or perhaps a treat from a local bakery. While thoughtful, sending gifts can also be complex. You will need to know the receiver’s address, ask about food allergies, and pay for expensive delivery costs in addition to the gift. Both of these methods can create complexities that cause unnecessary burden for both parties—and a thank you should not feel like a burden!

We have found gift cards, however, to be an easy way to show our thanks. They can be given directly to the receiver after a presentation or sent virtually. They are also a low-cost item that does not require paperwork or taxation. Therefore, it’s both easy for your organization to quickly send a gift card and for the recipient to get it and take advantage of the gift. 

How You Can Start Using Gift Cards to Say Thanks

You only need a few key items to start using gift cards in your organization. First is a policy.  This will help build a framework for who can receive a gift card, outlines limits for gift card amounts and IRS requirements, and details best practices for your gift card purchasing and sending processes. There are many ways to write your policy; at ROI, our policy is short and simple. Our partner, MDC, has a more detailed policy that outlines all types of reimbursements for community members. The most important thing is to make sure your policy is easy for your employees to understand.

You will also need funding to supply your gift cards. Fortunately, gift cards require only a small portion of your budget. At ROI, we typically provide a $30 gift card for one hour of time from a community member. If we thank one hundred community members in one year, we still spend just $3,000 on gift cards. Simply include gift cards as a line item in your budget and set aside some funds for them each month.

When to Send A Gift Card

If you’ve ever worked with the unhoused community, you may know the importance of providing value up front. When a person who lives in an unstable environment is required to go to meetings, do service work and give time to be offered the chance at a job or housing, they may be less motivated to meet their goal. But when we offer them stability up front with employment, shelter, or other needs, they often have the foundation they need to move forward. 

We can draw a parallel from these situations to the idea of saying thank you. When we show gratitude for our community member’s time up front, they feel more motivated to continue supporting our mission. They may also feel inclined to ask their networks to participate, helping to spread awareness of our goals even further. Therefore, it’s important to be timely when you send a gift card; letting them know you found their help valuable is thoughtful and rewarding for both parties.

Showing gratitude through gift cards is a simple and easy way to help your community members feel appreciated and encourage them to keep helping you. If you have questions about how to start using gift cards in your organization, or would like to share your policy with us, feel free to send us a note at seth@ruralopportunity.org.