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January 26, 2009
Send a personal, handwritten note to your donors today
When someone receives a handwritten note, they remember.
Our mail boxes are cluttered. Our e-mail inbox's are cluttered. Our voicemail inbox's are cluttered. Even our family schedules are cluttered. (When was the last time you were able to spend a night at home with the family?...Exactly!)
Even though it's nearly impossible to do, it's absolutely vital that your membership, especially your best givers, hear from you on a regular basis. Your most generous people need to hear more than what you need from them. They need to know that you care for them more than their money and that you value their total contribution - not just their money - to your Church.
So how can you cut through the clutter? What could you possibly do to make an unforgettable impression? It's simple. In fact, I wrote about it a couple of years ago in Pastor Skills: A Simple, Handwritten Note.
When was the last time you sent a personal note to your best givers? If it's been more than a month, then get a list of all the consistent givers for the previous month and divide that number into daily increments to make it a managable process.
Just to clarify, this is not a task to delegate. The leader of the organization needs to communicate with those who have made an emotional connection with your organization and believe in your ministry to the point that they are moved to invest in and financally support and fund your budget. Anything less will "cheapen" the experience.
Personal, handwritten notes are memorable. And in the search for sustainable funding, being memorable in the eyes of your donors is absolutely vital to your existence.
Get writing!!!
Posted by bstroup at January 26, 2009 7:22 AM
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