The challenge

Where they started

Timothy Hill Ranch had a familiar challenge: they cared deeply about their donors, but their process made it difficult to respond quickly and consistently.

• Thank-you letters were sent only twice per month
• Acknowledgments were delayed and handled manually
• Staff relied on reports and memory to identify donors needing extra outreach
• Opportunities to follow up—or make a second ask—were often missed

With a small team and limited time, the process was reactive and hard to maintain.

The turning point

Why they made a change

The team knew that timely acknowledgment mattered, but keeping up manually wasn’t realistic.

They needed a way to:

• Send thank-you letters quickly and consistently
• Keep communications personal without adding work
• Create opportunities for additional giving
• Use their donor data more effectively

They implemented an automated direct mail solution integrated with DonorPerfect, allowing them to manage acknowledgments more efficiently while still keeping them personal.

“We used to only be able to get thank-you letters out twice a month. Now donors are hearing from us so much faster, and they notice. That responsiveness builds trust, and it’s turned our thank-you process into one of our best tools for bringing in a second gift.”

— Marissa Longley, Director of Generosity

The approach

How they made it work

Campaign execution

The team rethought acknowledgments as more than a routine task.

• Every thank-you letter includes a follow-up ask
• Donors hear from the organization while their engagement is still fresh
• Communication stays consistent without additional campaigns

This turned a standard thank-you into a simple way to bring in additional donations.

Automation and efficiency

By automating acknowledgments, the team removed the need for manual batches.

• Letters are generated and mailed automatically within ~48 hours
• A short delay was added to balance speed with postal costs
• Printing and mailing happen without staff involvement

What used to take hours every few weeks now runs in the background.

Segmentation and personalization

Automation made it easier to focus personal outreach where it matters most.

• All donors receive a timely thank-you letter
• Gifts over $500 receive a personal call
• When applicable, staff add a note in a custom field personalized to the gift or a recent meeting
• Gifts over $7,000 receive additional handwritten notes

This approach keeps communication thoughtful without overwhelming the team.

Data and organization

Clean, reliable data helped make automation work.

• Workflows pull directly from donor records
• Data cleanup reduced issues with duplicates and missing information
• Staff have clearer visibility into who has been acknowledged

This made the process more consistent and easier to trust.

The results 

What changed

• 2,795 thank-you letters were sent within the first year
• Acknowledgment timing improved from weeks to days
• Staff time spent on manual processing was significantly reduced
• Additional donations generated through follow-up asks

Donors noticed the difference.

At events, supporters often commented on:

• How quickly they received their thank-you
• How organized the organization seemed

The added donations from thank-you appeals were enough to cover the cost of the solution.

“DonorPerfect and AppealMaker working together has meant we’re not just sending letters faster, we’re catching things we used to miss. When the team here at Timothy Hill Ranch flags a data error or something needs fine-tuning, it’s a real partnership to get it fixed, not just a support ticket. That collaboration is what makes the automation actually trustworthy.”

— Marissa Longley, Director of Generosity

Why this worked

What other nonprofits can learn

This approach worked because it focused on timing and consistency.

• Donors were contacted while their engagement was still high
• Automation ensured no one was missed
• Personal outreach was used where it mattered most

For similar organizations, improving acknowledgment timing and adding a simple follow-up ask can lead to stronger donor response—without adding more work.