Expressing gratitude for a donor’s generosity serves a dual purpose. It provides you an opportunity to share your excitement with the donor of the gift. Finding the words to express your gratitude to an anonymous donor can sometimes be challenging or intimidating.

Any great thank-you letter should include the following:

• an appropriate salutation
• identification of the gift (specifically name the scholarship)
• an expression of your gratitude for the gift
• a handwritten signature

A personal note of thanks to our donors simply says “thank you for your support and for reaffirming dreams.“ So please say “thank you,” and, after you do, tell your donor about yourself. Your donor will appreciate hearing from you and will be pleased to know that his or her investment in you is meaningful and appreciated.

Your funds cannot be disbursed to your student account until an acceptable Thank You Letter is received. After we receive your letter, we will forward it to the donor. If the letter requires revisions or does not follow the guidelines in any way, (see below for guidelines, requirements, and suggestions) the letter will be returned to you to be rewritten.

Please send letters to:

Ms. Beth Freeman
Office of University Advancement
400 Jefferson Street
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Phone: (908) 852-1400 ext. 2253

Style Guidelines

• Letters must be typed.
• Include all of the elements of a formal letter: your name and return address, date, salutation, body, closing, and your handwritten signature. A one-page letter is appropriate.
• Address your letter to the contact indicated in the attached and spell his or her name correctly. If there is more than one donor or relative of the donor listed, please be sure to include all names in your salutation. If the contact is “None”, address your letter to Ms. Freeman.
• Mention the scholarship by name in your introduction and spell it as it appears in your award letter.
• Have someone else proofread your letter to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

Content Requirements and Suggestions

• Tell your donor a bit about yourself. You might include your hometown, high school, family background, and/or reasons for choosing Centenary.
• Describe your experience at Centenary. You might include your class year, major, campus and community activities, and/or leadership experiences.
• Discuss your future plans. You might include what you hope to accomplish while at Centenary, an expected graduation date, your career goals, and/or how you plan to utilize your degree.
• Express your gratitude for the scholarship. Tell your donor what this scholarship means to you and how it will help you. Be sincere and express your gratitude warmly.