Good fundraisers are some of the best at personal relationship building.
It is critical to long-term fundraising success.
Part of the relationship-building process is finding ways to stay in touch with donors on a regular, unexpected, and pleasant basis.
Few like receiving direct mail exclusively, but everybody likes to be acknowledged for things that are important to them: their birthday, their anniversary, their special accomplishments, their participation in an event, their donation of time, their gift! As a fundraiser, you send out cards - a lot of cards! And if you are like me, you've been tempted to start sending e-cards because they are affordable (if not free), and can be typed.
BUT, the reason I never did this was because I was never sure if the recipient actually received the card, their were limited card choices, it wasn't in my handwriting, and it just simply isn't personal.
To stand out, one must do something that is unexpected.
And today, in the age of mass electronic communication, a real card in one's mail box stands out.
Think about it.
How often do you get a "real" piece of mail? Aren't you excited to get a real card or letter that is more than a bill, an advertisement or a credit card offer? Sure! And you remember it! I recently found the perfect solution - a relatively new greeting card company called "Send Out Cards" (SOC) based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
I watched a demonstration and instantly was hooked.
The scoop - I get to choose from over 13,000 (and growing) cards by category (birthday, sympathy, motivational, thank you, blank, etc.
) or create my own by uploading photos.
This is perfect for sending out cards with donor pictures from events and thanking them for their participation.
A lot of organizations host golf outings.
What a great way to thank you golfers.
Upload a picture of their foursome, send a card, and thank them for their participation and what it meant to you.
The cards are printed that night and mailed the following day.
And even better is that fact that in addition to having so many card options, you get a database that easily tracks those important dates and sends you a reminder when one is approaching.
You can easily upload your contacts from an Excel file.
Never miss a birthday or anniversary again! And most cards are only $.
62 (2 points) and postage.
As an SOC member at the wholesale or entrepreneur level, you also get your personalized font and four signatures.
You can choose from a variety of fonts or use your own handwriting.
Additionally, you can set up mass mailings and the cards are printed on recycled paper with environment-friendly inks.
An executive director at a non-profit recently write and said "SOC is the best development tool I've used in years".
And if you are really excited about the product, sign-up today at the same web address.
The training videos and customer service are great and can walk you through setting up your account.
The wholesale account ($298) is attractive for many non-profits, but many others have created entrepreneur accounts ($398) with their government ID.
Why? It allows them to create their own web link that appears on the back of each card sent (very small print) that directs people to the organizations SOC web site.
If somebody signs up because of the web link for card service, your organization gets a little payback.
One organization I know has already earned their initial cost back and is now generating income for their annual fund.
Have fun, build relationships, never get tired of writing cards again (or traveling to the store and Post Office for cards and stamps).
Best wishes in your fundraising success!
It is critical to long-term fundraising success.
Part of the relationship-building process is finding ways to stay in touch with donors on a regular, unexpected, and pleasant basis.
Few like receiving direct mail exclusively, but everybody likes to be acknowledged for things that are important to them: their birthday, their anniversary, their special accomplishments, their participation in an event, their donation of time, their gift! As a fundraiser, you send out cards - a lot of cards! And if you are like me, you've been tempted to start sending e-cards because they are affordable (if not free), and can be typed.
BUT, the reason I never did this was because I was never sure if the recipient actually received the card, their were limited card choices, it wasn't in my handwriting, and it just simply isn't personal.
To stand out, one must do something that is unexpected.
And today, in the age of mass electronic communication, a real card in one's mail box stands out.
Think about it.
How often do you get a "real" piece of mail? Aren't you excited to get a real card or letter that is more than a bill, an advertisement or a credit card offer? Sure! And you remember it! I recently found the perfect solution - a relatively new greeting card company called "Send Out Cards" (SOC) based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
I watched a demonstration and instantly was hooked.
The scoop - I get to choose from over 13,000 (and growing) cards by category (birthday, sympathy, motivational, thank you, blank, etc.
) or create my own by uploading photos.
This is perfect for sending out cards with donor pictures from events and thanking them for their participation.
A lot of organizations host golf outings.
What a great way to thank you golfers.
Upload a picture of their foursome, send a card, and thank them for their participation and what it meant to you.
The cards are printed that night and mailed the following day.
And even better is that fact that in addition to having so many card options, you get a database that easily tracks those important dates and sends you a reminder when one is approaching.
You can easily upload your contacts from an Excel file.
Never miss a birthday or anniversary again! And most cards are only $.
62 (2 points) and postage.
As an SOC member at the wholesale or entrepreneur level, you also get your personalized font and four signatures.
You can choose from a variety of fonts or use your own handwriting.
Additionally, you can set up mass mailings and the cards are printed on recycled paper with environment-friendly inks.
An executive director at a non-profit recently write and said "SOC is the best development tool I've used in years".
And if you are really excited about the product, sign-up today at the same web address.
The training videos and customer service are great and can walk you through setting up your account.
The wholesale account ($298) is attractive for many non-profits, but many others have created entrepreneur accounts ($398) with their government ID.
Why? It allows them to create their own web link that appears on the back of each card sent (very small print) that directs people to the organizations SOC web site.
If somebody signs up because of the web link for card service, your organization gets a little payback.
One organization I know has already earned their initial cost back and is now generating income for their annual fund.
Have fun, build relationships, never get tired of writing cards again (or traveling to the store and Post Office for cards and stamps).
Best wishes in your fundraising success!
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