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Americans do 'thank you' well

Fundraising | Niki May Young | 24 Jul 2012

Thank you is about action, not words, says Niki May Young, who has taken inspiration from American non-profit Charity:Water's recent act of gratitude.

Yes, I know, we're all a bit tired of hearing how well America 'does' charity. And it's true that there are some Brits who are not too bad at it either. But in this line of work, it's worth sucking up the envy/nausea (delete as appropriate) and just letting yourself be inspired.

There are some things that they undeniably do better in the US of A, and when these acts inevitably filter across the pond via the social media channels, I can't help but think 'why don't we do that?!'.

One of the things that we're constantly reminded from within the sector to do, but so rarely do, or do well, is to say 'thank you'. It's something my charity holds high in the priority list, because, like most of us charity bods, we're so genuinely grateful for the support we are offered. But it's something that we could really work on. All of the gushing thank yous at our fundraising events and words of gratitude via our email campaigns just don't seem to cut it. 

So I was particularly inspired by (sorry Celina - see Celina's blog on the campaigns she loves but never wants to hear about again) Charity:Water's actions, not words, to say thank you to one particular donor, and her family.

One year ago yesterday, nine-year-old Rachel Beckwith was killed in a car accident on a highway near Seattle, Washington. In life, despite her young age, she had been a supporter of Charity:Water. For her ninth birthday she declined presents and asked instead for donations to her mycharity donation page supporting the charity. News of her death inspired people around the world to continue her efforts to provide clean water to those in need, and her legacy totalled over $1.2m.

Rachel herself clearly saw the value in 'thank you' - her donation page gave not one, but three exclamation points after her "Thank you so much!!!". Her Mom Samantha too, thanked all of the thousands of people who had added their support as she explained how "in awe" she was of the flood of donations. So it's fitting that this week, Charity:Water has taken Rachel's family to Ethiopia, to show what their little girl's legacy has achieved... helping 60,000 people gain access to clean water.

Now, I'm almost crying just writing this. How inspiring and positive and just 'right' is that? This wonderful child, her wonderful family, and this wonderful charity each appreciated for the tremendous thing that they have managed to achieve together. But aside from doing the 'right thing', the act of allowing Rachel's Mom and grandparents to witness first-hand what Rachel has accomplished will no-doubt have encouraged life-long support from this family. And in disseminating the charity's appreciation through their media channels (there's going to be a video on the charity's blog page later this afternoon as well), Charity:Water will have inspired the confidence of others that this is a charity that really means their thank you. Having that confidence means they're more likely to offer their support as well.

Granted, not everyone can inspire such immense and widespread generosity. But Rachel's not alone in her heartfelt action of support. There are millions of people in the UK that donate to charity, in life or in death and in large or small quantities. It's a choice to give, and it's a difficult choice for many who may struggle with funding their own or their familys' lives. It's time we learned to say thank-you as well as our neighbours.  

Who's Who: Niki May Young