Visibility and the Holiday Season
Our recommendation to nonprofit organizations this month is remember Rudolph the Red Nose
Reindeer: not to follow the bright red nose for light and guidance– but to be the bright light.
Make your organization visible this December and stand out from the others. Take all the
positive light shed on your nonprofit this year and make people feel good while their checkbooks
are out for end of the year donations. We recommend taking the following tips into consideration
this month to capitalize on the generosity of the giving season.
End of the Year Accomplishments
The first thing we recommend is to express your gratitude to donors and members of your
organization for the accomplishments made possible this year thanks to their generosity. Form
this into a letter, card, presentation or newsletter – whichever format you choose, it should make
donors feel good about giving to your organization and then compel them to give more. Cover
the following bases to keep your organization on their radar this month:
Focus on the positives. It doesn’t hurt to mention more than once that the
organization’s accomplishments would not have been made possible without the
generous gifts of donors like you.
Keep it short. Remember, the less you write, the more they will read.
Be creative. This is where the bright red nose comes in. Donors receive dozens of
letters during the month of December, so be creative as possible to make yours stand
out.
Look ahead. Talk about your goals for next year and what it will take to accomplish
them.
If you decide to host an event this month, be mindful of the costs and the benefits. One option is
to host a more personalized and intimate event in your home or office, offering hot apple cider
and dessert, rather than planning an expensive dinner in a hotel banquet room. We recommend
inviting some of the people that your organization serves to attend. For example, if you are a
homeless shelter, invite a handful of the individuals who rely on the shelter for a warm bed on
cold winter nights. They will appreciate the acknowledgement and donors will see first hand the
people who are benefiting from their generous dollars.
Give back
This year, go the extra mile for those that went the extra mile for you. You could hand sign
Christmas cards to all donors $1,000 and up. Drop off a Starbucks card for all your board
members. Send key networkers in your world a box of chocolates. There are dozens of cost
effective gifts that will make a big impact on your visibility this month. Don’t forget about the hard
working staff, key networkers and volunteers that have helped out throughout the year. By
acknowledging the great things they have done, you will lift their spirits and will almost always
guarantee their contribution for next year and years to come. Small gift cards of $5 each are not
a drain on the finances, but they are a nice way to let staff and volunteers know they are
appreciated.
Cathedral Consulting Group, LLC
Page 1
Attend Holiday Parties
Take advantage of the numerous holiday party invitations flooding your inbox this month. These
parties aren’t just about eggnog and cookies – this is a prime opportunity to increase your
visibility and set yourself up for meetings in January. Attend as many holiday parties as
possible and don’t be shy. Talk to everyone and mention getting together after the holidays.
When talking with people, listen carefully and ask questions. Then, be prepared to answer
questions about you and your organization. This is a great way to try out your newly articulated
mission statement we discussed previously. And if you’re not doing this already, with each
business card you get, write a note on the back of it immediately after you leave the party with
date, location and if possible, some topic you discussed. Put this in the “notes” section on your
contact database and you’ll never again forget how you know someone.
Remember, a common mistake of Executive Directors (and everyone else) is letting December
bury you. This time of year the number one thing to do is to make your organization visible!
Peter Giersch is COO of Cathedral Consulting Group, LLC and a Managing Director in the
Midwest Office. Melissa Mason is a former Associate in the Midwest Office.
For more information, please visit Cathedral Consulting Group LLC online at
www.cathedralconsulting.com or contact us at info@cathedralconsulting.com.
Cathedral Consulting Group, LLC
Page 2