Friend-raising: So many ways to say “Thanks!”

You created your personalized fundraising page, you donated to your cause, you spread the word to your closest friends and family members and in turn reached out to your extended circles asking for donations and support; now your fundraiser is beginning to pick up momentum, hooray!

Be sure to show and express your gratitude to those that have been supporting you. Saying thank you shows how much you care and respect the gift giver.

Here are a few ideas on how to say “thanks” to your donors:

• Dinner, anyone? A great way to show your appreciation to, say, your first 10 friends to donate is to host a dinner for them. It doesn’t have to be a well thought out, extraordinary soiree. Inviting your friends over for an intimate, casual dinner – or even just for some wine and finger food – speaks volumes of your appreciation.

• Social recognition. We all know the power social media has. Utilize it by thanking each person who has donated to your page. Give a shout out of every person by his or her @username on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. It feels good to be recognized and appreciated! Plus, don’t forget generosity is contagious and each time you tag and thank a new donor on Facebook, your post gets shared to his or her friends.

• You have (real) mail! Let’s not forget the favorite pastime joy of postal letter writing and delivery. Yes, in this age of technology and instant gratification emailing has replaced old-fashioned letter writing, an art lost on many people. Embrace it as one of your ways of saying thank you! By sending a simple “Thank You” letter or card to your friends/family members via snail mail with your sentiments written on it makes your recipients feel very special and loved. It speaks of the care with which you theoretically wrote your statements and shows that you even considered your words carefully enough to hopefully justify the cost you spent on sending the letter-whatever the current price of postage stamps may be. Of course you may not have everyone’s mailing address who has donated, so be sure to send a personalized thank you email to them nonetheless.

• Lights, camera, action! For those who aren’t camera shy, post a thank you video shout out on your Facebook. Talk about direct messaging! Here you have the stage to literally give shout outs to those who have donated and wish to thank for their generosity and support. It’s so easy these days to post a video of yourself, any webcam or even cell phone has the ability to record and upload to any of your social media pages. You can make this a weekly or bi-weekly “broadcast” which can also give you the opportunity to share updates or exciting news of your fundraising goals.

• Getting crafty with it. For those of you who have a knack at arts and crafts, or even baking, nothing is more sentimental and thoughtful than a handmade thank you gift to your closest friends or family who have donated to your page. This can include a homemade thank you card, thank you package, or your to-die-for muffins! Your recipients will feel greatly appreciated and special that you went out of your way and put so much effort in making them something.

No matter how you do it or say it, the bottom line is your sense of gratefulness. When you say “thank you,” you display respect, care, and consideration for your friends’ thoughtfulness. Everyone deserves to feel respected and loved.