To send a Christmas card or not to send a Christmas card, that is the question. Every year since 1991 I have wrestled with this question, not personally but professionally. My family sends Christmas cards to relatives, friends and some acquaintances. That’s not a problem: it’s a great way to share news, convey best wishes, and generally stay in touch.

So what’s the problem professionally? Aren’t these same benefits available to a nonprofit organization when it sends out Christmas cards, or more broadly, any type of Christmas card, to its members? It depends.

If nonprofits send personalized cards, I think they generate a positive return on investment. In other words, if nonprofits, no matter how many cards they choose to mail, insert some news, notes, individualized names, then I think the card is worth the money. Without this customization I’m not so sure.

Cards sent in bulk
When I served 17 years as president of the university, my name and title appeared on the VIP lists of countless organizations. In the vernacular, I was “somebody”. Since I was apparently considered worthy, or at least my position was considered important, my office received dozens of cards: Christmas, but eventually Thanksgiving cards and sometimes birthday cards as well.

What I found fascinating was that virtually all of these cards were computer generated. My name did not appear anywhere other than on the label of the envelope. Inside, no message relevant to my relationship with the organization could be found. No news that connected in any way with who I was or even what the university was versus the non-profit organization that sent the card. No actual signature from the president of the nonprofit, even many times when I personally met the fellow nonprofit executive. Any.

This even happened with birthday cards. I received cards from non-profit organizations during the week of my birthday, but the card did not contain any written message or name. Incredible. Try this with your spouse: Give them a birthday or anniversary card without a message or your name. Not good.

Even more interesting to me, since I stepped down from my university presidency, I no longer receive cards from most of those non-profit organizations. This is true for organizations that I personally had a close relationship with and it is true for organizations where I still know the leaders.

The takeaway from this is that I didn’t matter much now and only mattered “back then” because I was in a position that nonprofits saw as influential and possibly helpful to them. But even back then, to repeat myself, apparently I didn’t care much because I received a card just generated by a tickler file.

Some nonprofits and their executives, I know, take pride in how long or big their Christmas card list has become. I have heard presidents proclaim a number as if it were a sign of great achievement. You know, my Rolodex is bigger than your Rolodex. Or in more contemporary terms, my mailing list is bigger than your mailing list.

But does this matter? Means something? Do all these impersonal cards really reinforce the nonprofit’s mission and vision? Are voters overwhelmed with joy when they receive such a card? Is the practice of sending non-personalized cards to tens, hundreds, or even thousands an effective advancement tool? I do not think so.

personalized cards
When it came time to decide whether to spend my hard-earned college funds, I asked myself, “Is it worth it?” I still consider the same question every year now in a different nonprofit leadership role. Why should I spend or how much of the non-profit organization’s funds should I spend to send a card? It depends.

I’m not recommending that nonprofits not send Christmas cards. I’m also not against a long list, per se. What I am suggesting is that sending cards impersonally will not have as positive an impact as sending personalized cards. So if I’m responsible for deciding to spend a nonprofit’s funds, resources that could be spent on operations or programs that accomplish the mission, then I want to adopt an approach that will have the greatest impact and ultimately be the most cash possible. For me, that’s personalized cards.

Every Thanksgiving I spend several hours in front of the football games signing Christmas cards. I choose a pen usually with blue ink, but really anything but black ink. This ensures that my name and message stand out against the typical black font of the card’s printed message.

It takes more time, but I like to write the person’s name, either Fred or Fred and Mary or Mr. and Mrs. Smith, depending on how well I know them. Follow that with a sentence about the nonprofit’s work, such as “It’s been a challenging but fruitful year,” or “Thank you for helping us touch lives,” or “As the year ends, we’re excited to launch the new Program… .” Then follow this up with some kind of Christmas or holiday greeting: “Blessings to you and yours this season” or “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” or “Best wishes at this wonderful time of year.” Finally, I sign my first name.

I guarantee that this method will catch the attention of the voter receiving the card. Why? Because I respond to personalized cards and I know others do, and because people who have received these cards have later expressed their appreciation for them. And, a personalized card will stand out on the dining room table or office desk, because it’s the only one with a personal, handwritten greeting.

Now you say, “I don’t have time to do this.” To which I say, “You don’t have time not to do this.” Or if you’re really pressed, narrow down your list of holiday cards. Don’t send more than you have the time and willingness to customize. As many as they are, the people who receive them will feel special and valued, which after all is what a non-profit organization expects its members to feel.

Electronic cards
The phenomenon of electronic cards is still relatively new. Some non-profit organizations are using this method to send Christmas greetings to their constituents; It’s cheap and instant. But the same rule applies. Personalized eCards generate a higher ROI than non-personalized eCards.

And while I’m not anti-tech, I’d still say that a handwritten note sent via snail mail generates a greater positive response than something emailed and easily deleted. This may be an old-school attitude or assessment, but the now-worn adage, “High Tech, High Touch,” still applies. People enjoy and remember being “touched”.

Personalized cards in mass or by email
After all of this, you can say, “If I narrow my list down to a handful that I customize, our nonprofit will miss out on a key opportunity to share news and engage our constituents.” OK maybe.

If a nonprofit concludes that it must send select tens, hundreds, or thousands of holiday cards, I still strongly recommend that these cards be personalized in some identifiable way. Do not pick them up at the print shop and leave them in the mailbox. Don’t just buy an electronic card and submit it to a vast database. Customize.

Customizing is different from customizing. Personalize means that the recipient’s name is on the card and that the nonprofit executive has signed the card with a personal message, even if it is an electronic card. Personalize means the nonprofit has added content that somehow identifies the card as the nonprofit card, not a stock purchase or even a special design that doesn’t include nonprofit news or names. profit.

The personalized card should include current information, an expression of thanks, and someone’s name and title, even if it’s not personally signed. Do not send cards from “The Staff” or, worse, any source of origin other than the return address on the envelope, or an institutional name such as “The University” or “XYZ Ministries.” Put the name of a person, perhaps the Chairman of the Board, the President or the Vice President of Promotion, on the card. Almost any name is better than no name.

conclusion
Nonprofits spend thousands of dollars each year sending out Christmas cards to charter. But this practice, especially long lists, may be more of a cultural tradition than a good forward methodology.

The question of sending a Christmas card or not sending a Christmas card should be answered on the basis of perceived effectiveness in improving the mission. Since the best advancement is all about relationships, it seems logical to conclude that the best Christmas cards strengthen personal connections to the nonprofit. We build relationships by at least personalizing an email, but better yet, personalizing it.

Sign non-profit Christmas cards with news, notes and names.

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