Dear Donor, I big heart you

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I have a confession to make. I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. (Except for those little boxes of candy hearts—the orange hearts are my favorite.) But don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-Valentine either. Love is awesome, and it powers a whole lot of good in this world.

Maybe I don’t like it because it’s a day that can easily let you down. I mean, you kind of hope you get something from someone on Valentine’s Day, right? A card at the least. And if you don’t, well, it sucks. This is exactly why February is the perfect time to tell a donor they’re special. Not because they expect it but because they want to hear it. To know that someone thinks of the world of them? That’s the best Valentine’s Day gift ever.

Second confession. I’m a stationary hoarder (Seriously, I could be on a show). Picking out the perfect card, handwriting a thoughtful note, and sending it by mail brings me a ton of joy. So just in case this post has inspired you to send an awesome donor a Valentine, I wanted to be sure I shared a few of my favorites.

Delight on, my friends!

Coming soon to a ballroom near you

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2012. Otherwise known as the year I made that awesome event trailer. Talk about creating a buzz. This little teaser was a big ol’ beehive!

Pretty cool, right? I thought so. And so did other people. Because after we shared it, they shared it. And then this happened:

  1. A record number of first-time guests were buying tickets, hosting tables, and emailing for advice on what to wear.
  2. Companies who declined our sponsorship requests in previous years were eager for our materials.
  3. We hit record attendance weeks before our RSVP deadline.

All because of a trailer? Of course not. But it sure made a difference. Just like a well-made movie trailer, it piqued interest. People were excited, intrigued, and ready to learn more. Is there any other way you’d a like potential donor to feel?

So back to 2013. Is this the year you make an awesome event trailer? Let me know if you do. You know I’m a big fan of sharesies!

High fives and fist bumps to visual media musketeer John Nierras of www.jnportfolio.com who knocked this trailer out of the park. He is impossibly talented this one.

Giving your donors a gold star

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starsYou know those boring end-of-year tax receipt summaries you send to donors? Stop sending them. Okay, not really. Rather, make them a bit more delightful and then send them.

Most likely, this little summary is the first thing your donors will see and read from you this year. So bring the happy! Or as my friend Erica Mills would say, layoff the lame.

Besides including the usual stuff —amount contributed, date of gift(s), and other blabbity blah the IRS requires—use this as an opportunity to show some serious donor love. Be generous with your gratitude. How generous? Two sentences. At least.

Or want to seriously up the delight factor? Then add a gold star. That’s right, people. We’re going old school. Remember how excited you felt as a kid when a teacher awarded you a gold star? That’s how you want your donor to feel.

So get some stars and start sticking! And don’t forget to add the note. My personal favorite? “Why should kids get all the stickers? You’re just as awesome.”