The key to successful nonprofit advancement, which I define here as fundraising or development, marketing and advocacy, is relationships. Most of us who have been in the trade for a while or tried to raise funds know this. Some of us are good at it. Some of us, including many CEOs of nonprofits I have met, are not good at it.
The last category, not so good at moving forward, generally involves people who are managerial personalities, more inward-focused than outward-focused, technicians, or types of operations whose joys come from doing the homework of whatever the organization does on a non-profit basis. profit. Now frankly, this category includes CEOs who are not comfortable with people. Since having to “move forward” is a virtual fact in almost all nonprofits, CEOs and their advocacy staff need to develop relationships. So how do we help reserved and reticent people, as well as outgoing people, move forward?
Here’s a seemingly insignificant but practical high-impact method: Send postcards to intermediate and major donors.
That’s right. Postcard advance. Whenever the CEO, and perhaps key advocacy staff as well, travels to some “special” location, the checklist should include sending postcards to friends at the nonprofit.
This is how you do it:
- Take with you or go online to the nonprofit organization’s VIP mailing list (if there isn’t one, this is a good reason to get started).
- Once at the destination, especially outside the US, purchase a selection of postcards with local geographic or cultural locations. If there are cards available that represent something relevant to the mission of the nonprofit, all the better.
- Buy postage stamps or ask a local contact to do so before the visit.
- Compose a two-sentence update, write it for reference, use it on most cards, along with appropriate personal comments, contact the recipient.
- Write greeting cards early or during the trip, then stamp and mail them locally, always send them locally, not back home a week later.
There is no rocket science here. This is actually a no-brainer, but not many nonprofit leaders think about it, much less do.
A note of caution: be careful to choose postcards with pictures, drawings, or representations that are suitable for the audience. Avoid postcards that depict something someone might find offensive, perhaps even a famous statue or work of art.
For example, I work with a non-profit organization based on the island of Cyprus, which is the birthplace of the mythical figure of Aphrodite. Greek Cypriots are proud of their heritage and also of the Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. Virtually all depictions of Aphrodite show her in various states of partial nudity. Some memories are downright erotic. Needless to say, you would be at great risk of offending someone if you sent postcards to our fans showing Aphrodite in all her sensual splendor. So please check the postcard images to make sure they fit the intended audience.
Your first step was to access the VIP mailing list. You do this, of course, to acquire addresses. If you want to handwrite postal addresses, more power to you. But this can double your time and cause writer’s cramps. Better yet, ask the office to put on VIP list address labels and make sure these stickers are on your luggage. I don’t think this depersonalizes or defeats the purpose of the card. You are still going to write the message by hand.
I have written up to 100 cards in a given trip. This sounds over the top, and perhaps for some organizations it is. But for the nonprofit I serve it works, and while this task requires a few hours, it is not as burdensome over the course of a week or in an allotted time sitting in a local coffee shop. How many cards should be mailed, on average? Choose a number that is feasible. You can always increase the number next time.
What message should be written on the cards? Short answer: everything that can be written briefly and may interest the recipient. Long answer: whatever combines an update on the nonprofit’s work and why it’s on this journey, along with some personal connection that demonstrates the postcard reader’s knowledge. Please provide some news if possible, something about a new initiative, some results, or impact / outcome comments, as appropriate, insider information not yet ready for prime time. It is also good to thank the recipient for support related to the project or area, as long as no references to actual gift figures are included. Be personal, but don’t violate legitimate privacy concerns. Remember, anyone can read the back of a postcard.
How often should postcards be sent to specific people? It is difficult to say. Use common sense. Flooding someone’s mailbox is not a good way to win friends and influence people. Touching people periodically with meaningful comments beyond “Hi, I wish you were here” may win friends and be influential.
Back to the point: relationships. Advancement progresses as relationships grow. Everyone likes to get something for them exclusively. Postcards offer the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, personal but not overly personal, small enough that the writing task is not overwhelming, and cost-effective to mail in terms of ROI.
So try the postcard preview. I guarantee you will get good feedback later.