Thank-you notes sent after donations

Purpose

1.1. Automatically send personalized thank-you notes to donors after receiving donations; ensures consistent acknowledgment, fosters community, builds donor loyalty, and maintains donor engagement for sustained financial support and record compliance in an Alliance Denomination church context.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New donation recorded in finance or donation management system.
2.2. Online donation form submission completed.
2.3. Donation marked as received or processed by staff.
2.4. Payment status from payment gateway updated to "complete" or "successful."

Platform Variants

3.1. Mailchimp
• Function: “Add Subscriber to List” and “Send Campaign”
• Sample: Configure new subscriber on donation, trigger campaign email via API.

3.2. Salesforce
• Function: “Send Email via Email Alerts” (Process Builder/Flow)
• Sample: Set automation to trigger on donation object create; template merge fields.

3.3. Microsoft Power Automate
• Function: “Send an Email (V2)” with Outlook or Exchange
• Sample: Trigger flow when item is added to SharePoint or Dynamics Finance list.

3.4. Twilio SMS
• Function: “Messages API”
• Sample: Trigger a POST to Twilio API with donor phone, thank-you message on new donation.

3.5. SendGrid
• Function: “Mail Send API”
• Sample: Configure dynamic template with donor variables, trigger API call on donation event.

3.6. Google Sheets + Gmail
• Function: “Send Email on New Row”
• Sample: Use Apps Script to trigger Gmail send when new row (donation) added.

3.7. Zoho CRM
• Function: “Workflow Rule: Send Email”
• Sample: Trigger rule on new Donation module record.

3.8. HubSpot
• Function: “Workflow: Send Email”
• Sample: On new contact property (donation) create, trigger email with custom thank-you.

3.9. Stripe
• Function: “Webhooks + Email Integration”
• Sample: On successful payment, webhook triggers email via integrated tool.

3.10. PayPal
• Function: “IPN (Instant Payment Notification) + Email”
• Sample: On completed payment message, thank-you email sent with donor and gift details.

3.11. Blackbaud eTapestry
• Function: “Thank You Letters Automation”
• Sample: Configure auto-generated thank-you letters upon transaction entry.

3.12. Tithe.ly
• Function: “Automated Thank You Email Setting”
• Sample: Enable automatic email in giving settings; customize message per campaign.

3.13. Planning Center Giving
• Function: “Automated Receipts”
• Sample: Enable and configure receipt template with thank-you note on payment received.

3.14. Elvanto
• Function: “Communication Automation”
• Sample: Set up auto-emails for donation triggers using workflow tools.

3.15. Pushpay
• Function: “Email Notification Template”
• Sample: Edit default thank-you email and set trigger for every gift.

3.16. Constant Contact
• Function: “Automated Email on List Add”
• Sample: Donor’s email added to list, automation triggers thank-you campaign.

3.17. QuickBooks Online
• Function: “Send Email via Workflow or Zapier”
• Sample: Payment received triggers integrated email send.

3.18. Church Community Builder (CCB)
• Function: “Process Queue: Send an Email”
• Sample: On new donation receive, automation queues thank-you email.

3.19. Kindful
• Function: “Automatic Thank You Messages”
• Sample: Edit and enable auto-thank-you for all donation confirmations.

3.20. Mailjet
• Function: “Send API”
• Sample: Donation webhook triggers transactional thank-you via API; use variables for personalization.

Benefits

4.1. Ensures every donor receives prompt and consistent appreciation.
4.2. Reduces manual workload for staff, minimizing missed acknowledgments.
4.3. Enhances donor record-keeping and compliance with audit requirements.
4.4. Fosters long-term donor relationships and recurring support.
4.5. Enables detailed tracking and reporting on donor engagement activity.