Cultivating with Holiday Cards

Well, it’s that time of year again. December brings the holiday season and peak fundraising season all at once.

Organizations around the globe are working on their annual holiday card mailings. You know the one—generic card, lots of fuss over the list, more fuss over which ones the president will sign, anxiety over who may have been left out. And, at the end of the day, zero fundraising results.

If you’re part of this process, my apologies. These cost-of-doing-business mailings always find a way to be more complicated than they need to be.

I’ve digressed a bit. This post actually isn’t about how cranky holiday marketing projects make me. We’ll save that for another day.

Here’s what it is about: how gift officers can use hand-written holiday cards to cultivate and steward their donors.

In fact, for anyone involved in one-to-one relationship building (including your organization’s chief executive), hand-written holiday cards represent a real opportunity. It’s a convenient excuse to be in touch. And, if you’re at all thoughtful, you have a chance to stand out.

So, I’m going to give you a few templates, but first let me offer three keys to really nailing your hand-written cards this year:

1. Time it Right

Your donors and prospects are busy, important people—they get a lot of mail. And not only that, they get a lot of holiday cards. If you can, get yours in the mail between Dec 1 and Dec 10. This will ensure yours is among the first group of cards they get, and the likelihood is lower that they’re out of town.

If you can’t hit this window, don’t worry. Send a New Year’s card instead! You might just stand out all the more because really, how many New Year’s cards do people receive?

2. Yes, Hand-Written

So, again, we’re not talking about your organization’s holiday card sent in your organization’s usual envelopes. Purchase commercial cards at the store. The kind you would buy if you’re getting a box of Christmas cards to send to friends and relatives.

Write the address on the envelope by hand. Write the return address as well, the following format is good:

Your Name
Your Org’s Name
Your Org’s Address
City, State  Zip

And yes, write something on the inside. Don’t just sign your name below the preprinted sentiment.

3. Say Something Real

And by that I mean say something real about the recipient.

You don’t need to write a short novel. Six or seven sentences will usually do the trick.

Again, this is how you can stand out. You donors and prospects will receive plenty of generic holiday sentiments this season. This is good—for you. It means your card might just cut through the clutter.

Where possible go for specificity. Specificity is real. Briefly remind your donors of the impact of their giving. Thank them for being generous. And take it a step further. Don’t just thank them for doing a generous thing, thank them for being generous. Express gratitude for them as human beings.

Now, there is a line here, right? Go too far and you’re pandering. You don’t want to pander.

Nothing clarifies like examples. Here are a few:

For Your Donors

Dear [Name],

                Holiday greetings from [organization]! I hope this card finds you well and getting into the spirit of the season.

As the year draws to a close, I just want to say thanks. Thanks for your enthusiasm and generosity. Thanks for being you. Your support helps us [specific thing recipient helped you do, or specific people they helped you serve]. We’re truly grateful.

                I look forward to catching up in 2016. In the meantime, I wish you and your family joy and good cheer during the holidays!

Warmly,

[Your name]

For Your Prospects

You’re probably cultivating prospects who haven’t yet given a dime to your organization. A holiday or New Year’s card can be a small but helpful part of the process.

Although you’re not necessarily saying “thank you,” you still want to say something real about the recipient. If your prospect is already involved in the community, go with something like this:

Dear [Name],

                Holiday greetings from [organization]! I hope this card finds you well and getting into the spirit of the season.

                It has been a pleasure getting to know you this year. I remain impressed by your commitment to [type of charitable work recipient is involved in]. The [something specific recipient mentioned from a prior conversation] project you were telling me about is sure to make a huge impact. Thanks again for your leadership in our community.

                I look forward to finding a time to [bring you down for a visit/continue our conversation] in the New Year. In the meantime, I wish you and your family joy and good cheer during the holidays!

Warmly,

[Your name]

Educational fundraisers work largely with alumni. Here’s a template you can use when cultivating graduates of your institution:

Dear [Name],

                Holiday greetings from [organization]! I hope this card finds you well and getting into the spirit of the season.

                It was wonderful seeing you at [place/event you last saw recipient]. Thanks, as always, for your enthusiasm as a(n) [organization name] alumnus/a. I look forward to keeping you up-to-date on [program/project/area of interest to your recipient] in the New Year and, perhaps, finding the right opportunity to bring you back to campus.

                In the meantime, I wish you and your family joy and good cheer during the holidays!

Warmly,

[Your name]

Or, if your prospect a businessperson and you previously connected on the basis of her expertise (i.e. you met for an “advice visit”), give this one a try:

Dear [Name],

                Holiday greetings from [organization]! I hope this card finds you well and getting into the spirit of the season.

                It was wonderful seeing you at [place/event you last saw recipient]. Thanks again for your insight and fresh perspective on [area where recipient is an expert and provided you with advice]. I’ll touch base in the New Year to let you know how things are going.

In the meantime, I wish you and your family joy and good cheer during the Holidays!

Warmly,

[Your name]

Simple enough, right?

Personal, hand-written holiday cards should be part of every gift officer’s cultivation arsenal. Just use these templates to get started.

If you get stuck or need help tweaking the language, leave a comment below. I’d be happy to help you find something that will work for you and your organization.

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