Write Your Year-End Letter Right Now!

Write Your Year-End Letter Right Now!
 
And the winner is…Twin Falls United Methodist Church of the Idaho Magic Valley Ministries!  They win on two counts – they already have their end-of-year giving letter ready and rarin’ to go and they live in an area called “Magic Valley.”  I mean really, who wouldn’t want to live in the Magic Valley?  It sounds so, well, magical.

If you haven’t done so, it is time – before the crush of all that is Christmas – to write your year-end letter.  You can learn a lot from the Twin Falls letter: It’s easy to read You can scan it and get the gist of its contents It’s positive There’s a picture to make it interesting (yea, Imagine No Malaria!) It’s forward looking, even as they reflect on their past accomplishments They added a “P.S.”

Just today I read a great blog piece by Claire Axelrad about the use of the word “because” in your letter.  What’s more compelling: saying “Yes! I want to give” or  “Yes! I want to give because I want to change the world”?  Saying, “Please give to our great cause” or “Please give to our great cause because vital ministries are happening here”?
 
You need to give people something to give to. You know that your church, camp, or organization does great things – but everyone else might not know what you know.  You need to spell it out.  Because. 
 
So go ahead, take one hour to draft your year-end letter.  Once you get going, you’ll feel like a million bucks.  And then, send it on to me – I’ll be happy to give you some feedback (if you can believe this: the pros charge, and I kid you not, 500 buckaroos to do this).  Thanks to the Collins Foundation – guess what you have to pay?  Nada.
 
Oh, and take a look at where the Magic Valley is.  When you visit, I bet you’ll see a unicorn or two…and experience some life affirming and life changing ministries.

Cesie Delve Scheuermann is a consultant in stewardship, development, and grant writing. Over the past decade, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she helped raise over $2 million dollars for numerous non-profit organizations. She served as the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Lay Leader from 2008-2012.  She was in the Magic Valley this summer - it really is a blissfully beautiful area of our country.  Go visit.  Her position with the Conference is funded through a  generous grant from the Collins Foundation. You can reach her at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com.

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