One Angry Email, One Fixable Problem

"I'll never give to your nonprofit again."

Oof. That’s not something you ever want to hear—especially not from a longtime supporter who’s been faithfully giving year after year.

But that’s exactly the email I recently helped a nonprofit respond to. The donor had made a generous $500 gift… and never received an acknowledgment. Not a thank you. Not a receipt. Nothing.

She waited, then followed up. Crickets. So she emailed again—this time with frustration and a promise to never give again.

Here’s the thing: the nonprofit cared deeply. But the systems in place didn’t reflect that. So we dug in.

First stop? The database. Turns out, the donor had unsubscribed from marketing emails—and the system took that very seriously. Like, no-automated-thank-you-emails-ever seriously. Not exactly what anyone intended. And because of how the database was set up, no one had a heads-up that her donation had even come through.

The next step was basic—but critical. I recommended the team start checking their general inbox (think info@youragency.org) daily, not twice a week or “whenever someone gets to it.” Because if your donor is trying to connect with you and no one’s picking up the phone—or the inbox—that’s a relationship in danger.

Finally, we wrote a heartfelt email back. No “sorry if you were upset.” No excuses. Just a real apology, sincere gratitude, and a clear acknowledgment that the ball had been dropped. The donor didn’t prefer phone calls, so we met her where she was—with a message that said: We’re sorry. We’re fixing this. And we’re grateful you cared enough to let us know.

We don’t know yet if she’ll change her mind about giving again—but I hope she does. Because what happened here wasn’t malice or indifference. It was a reminder that even well-meaning teams can fall short when systems aren’t built to support real, responsive donor care.

So here’s your nudge: Review your database functionality. Check your email protocols. Make sure your thank-yous are going out—to everyone.

Because every supporter matters. And their experience with your organization should reflect that.

FOLLOW-UP: Donor responded. She was super supportive and grateful -- and will continue to support the cause. Whew.

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I'm Liz. I help nonprofits raise more money with less stress—so you can stay focused on the work that matters. You don’t have to figure out fundraising alone. Let’s talk.