Thank You For Participating Letter (How to Write A "Goodbye" Note)

For various reasons, I’m sure all of us at one point have chosen to leave a club, team or community of people. I hope that when you left, the leader of that group took the time to express how valuable you were to the group and blessed as you moved on to different opportunities. So if you are a leader of any kind of organization, I want to help you develop a plan for honoring people who leave your group, so it can be done in a way that prevents unwanted drama, by writing a standard “Thank you for participating” letter that fits your group.  

This letter recognizes a person’s value whether or not you will actually miss them.  I have truly been blessed to never have felt like I was glad to see someone leave my Music, Art & Drama “MAD Society.” But even if I had had someone I was glad to see go, I would have afforded them my “Thank you for participating” letter all the same.   

You will basically provide 7 sentences or short paragraphs. 

1- Will be an expression of how you're feeling that that left but that you trust their reason and hope to understand. 

2- Will be something cute that includes a slogan or cheer or statement about how they will always hold a preeminent place in your heart. 

3- Is a call to action to keep checking out what the group is doing and offer a way they can still feel part of the community in the future, but giving that responsibility to the members who are leaving, and not on you as the leader. 

4- Is a request for the reason they are leaving and how they want it told to others so there isn’t any negative chatter surrounding their departure. 

5- Is an “open door” statement that expresses the desire for the club to be its best and that you would like feedback, just as long as it’s delivered respectfully. 

6- Expresses that you will need to remove them from group communication and any other perks offered only to current members. 

7- Would be an offer to return (if it’s a group that doesn’t have an age limit, and they left under good circumstances) and/or a blessing over their new adventures.  

I put a lot of research, reflective time & prayer into this letter if you would allow me to show mine to you…  

Dear (Student or Member),  We are sad to see you leave active participation in MAD Society, but we understand that time is limited and all our adventures should be tailored to where each of us is called to be.   “Once a MAD member, always a MAD member” means you will always have a special place in our hearts and be viewed as “one of us.”   

Please watch for advertisements for our shows, because past MAD members are eligible for free tickets and passes to dress rehearsals. As you know, some MAD social events are open for bringing friends. Be sure to ask your Coach, Wingman (or friends in MAD) if there is something coming up that you could attend.   

Sometimes MAD members have questions or assumptions when someone leaves the group…especially when they're missed! If you wish to share your reasons with the Coach or Wingman, we’ll do our best to communicate accurate information, if needed.  

If you have some issues or constructive criticism for the Coach & Wingman, we ask that you share it with them and not to others, in a “love sandwich” please.  We will go ahead remove you from the MAD roster, MAD app and all MAD communication so you can focus on other endeavors.   

There will always be a spot waiting for you should you choose to return. May you be blessed as you continue to pursue all the gifts inside you and be a leader who brings blessings to the ends of the earth.  

With Much Love, Your Coach & Wingman, (add handwritten signatures)  

Obviously you will want to replace the details that sound like my club and replace them with yours, remove any sections that don’t make sense for you and add any that you feel would make a better letter for your club.   

Before you send a letter, personalize it for each student. Make sure you send it to them in a way that you will know for sure that they received it and follow up if you don’t get a response. You will want to honor that student by sharing the accurate reason they left to your community in a positive way!  

Encourage the other students to reach out and let the student who left know they will be missed, and to remind the current students in your club to invite previous students to social events that include bringing friends, and consider offering free tickets to future shows/events/games.

I think back on all the groups I have been part of with my 5 children that we chose to leave for one reason or another and wonder what it might have meant to my kids if their leader had taken the time to bless them as they pursued other things. Will you be that kind of leader? I know I want to be!  

~Coach Baldwin