My niece, Grace, is 5 years old and very special to me. She’s wise beyond her years and when she moved away from Minnesota to Florida, I was determined to keep in touch with her. I didn’t want her to forget me and I wanted to stay connected with what’s going on in her life. A year and a half later, she has taught me a few great tips for anyone we want to stay connected to, especially our donors and volunteers.

• 1. Don’t send too many emails. I’ve been told by my very precocious niece that she has “too much to do” to read all those emails.
• 2. As often as possible, include a photo in my email. Not surprisingly, Grace will NOT read or look at an email that doesn’t have a photo in it.
• 3. Only use the telephone for special meaningful conversations. Grace has been known to say, “Auntie, Why are you calling me again? You know I don’t like to talk on the telephone.” From that honest comment I learned to place my calls at times when she has something important to share OR when I have a short exciting bit of information to tell her.
• 4. Send snail mail sometimes, especially if it’s personalized. Grace gets excited when she checks the mail box and there is a fun envelope or package just for her. Come to think about it, so do I.
• 5. Ocassional in-person visits are helpful.  I visit Grace in person once or twice a year, when I was leaving on a recent visit she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I’m gonna miss you Auntie”.
• 6. Overall, don’t try to communicate too often and keep it fun. Too much only becomes something to endure because “Mom” said so. Less is more and can cause a yearning for more information when the previous call, email or letter was so interesting.

Despite a few mishaps and too frequent communication on my part, I am happy to say, Grace and I are as connected as ever. I’m grateful for her taking time to teach me these lessons.

Tagged with: email fundraising, mailings