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Last month, we asked some of our supporters what they think of student thank you notes they've received from DonorsChoose.org classrooms.Of the 146 people who responded to our survey, 55% have opted in to student thank you notes, and 45% have opted out of them.Of the people who opted into thank you notes, the most popular reasons people gave are represented by the below quotes:
- “I wanted to see what the kids had to say about what they got.” – Virginia
- “I believe that it is a good exercise in the classroom for the recipients to acknowledge a gift in writing. It can be a powerful lesson to show appreciation.” – Carol
- “We opt in because some of them give us a concrete indication that the donation has value.” – Doug
- “The letters and photos are what makes funding a donation though DonorChoose.org so special.” - Lisa
People who opted out of the notes said they did so for the following reasons:
- "I opt out of thank you notes because I believe the time spent on them can be better used on the lesson plan.” – Howard Rabb
- “I know the kids are thankful and I don't need anyone going to the trouble or expense to remind me of that.” - Lori Berlin
- “I know how stressed the teachers already are to accomplish everything expected of them. It seems unfair to expect them to ask them to complete one more task.” - Antoinette Tadolini
- “If I donate more than once, I suddenly have an influx of more thank you notes than I know what to do with. I hate to think of how much time, materials, and resources were used on them that could have been put to better use.” – David Friedman
We also asked people what they do with the student thank you notes they receive, and wanted to share a few of our favorite responses:
- "I showed them to my kids so they could try to understand the impact of the donation." - Mandy
- "They are in my desk drawer, bottom left, and it’s where I go when I need to remind myself that...I have made a difference." - Debi
- "We shared them with family and friends and used them as an opportunity to promote DonorsChoose.org. I even took a packet or two into work and shared with my coworkers." - Alyssa
- "When a packet first arrives, I display the notes on my coffee table where anyone who comes over can see them." – Kate
Your turn: what do you think of student thank you notes?
