Who’s on Your Christmas Card List?
By Mary Macuga, Development Director
All Saints Catholic Newman Center
Arizona State University
In many ways, August is too early to start thinking about my Christmas card list; except it is not. When I sit down to write out those cards every year it’s like a trip down memory lane with each one. I love to recall how each relationship, whether with someone around the corner or across the country, has made a positive impact on my life.
It’s the same in fundraising isn’t it? It is the personal relationships with individuals that give our organizations the opportunity to provide great ministry no matter the season. The longer that “Christmas list” of potential benefactors is, the more opportunity we have for greater outreach and programming. While building our database of names and addresses, which may seem like a boring and impersonal task, is actually foundational to our ministry. Managing and building a functional database gives us the opportunity to gather, analyze, and distribute information that helps develop long-term relationships with potential benefactors.
Don’t forget to engage your entire staff in helping to continually collect names and addresses to add to your database. Attached is a handy sheet for any staff member to use when collecting updated information.
Even though Christmas is a number of months away, I’d like to share my top ten ways to expand your database in time for next year’s Christmas list…
1. Have a guest book available in the back of your Church or in your common area for people to sign. Ask for name, address and e-mail. If you are in a campus ministry setting, be sure to ask, “Are you and alumnus of this university? If so, what year did you graduate?”
2. Offer on-line registration via your website. Use e-newsletters to drive people to that online page. Always let them know that by registering with you they will receive your newsletter and event calendar so they never miss out on an event.
3. Have a raffle during registration weekend. Consider asking for donations from local businesses such as an iPod, a gift certificate toward textbooks or tickets to an upcoming football game to encourage everyone to participate.
4. Have sign-in sheets asking for name and e-mail address at every event. After the event check the list against your database. If you find a person who is not registered you can e-mail them a welcome letter with a registration card to fill out. Include a place for students to provide their permanent address (often a parent’s address) on the registration card.
5. Cross reference old sacramental records with the Alumni Directory from your university to get up-to-date addresses for your alumni.
6. Advertise in your Diocesan Newspaper and University Alumni Magazine. Have alumni contact you for more information by email or phone.
7. Call previous pastors, staff and alumni and ask them for their Christmas card list of Catholic alumni.
8. Add the names and addresses of your local business owners and vendors into your database. As neighbors, they are stakeholders in your mission.
9. Go to your University library and go through old yearbooks. Often the “Newman Club” was listed as an organization with photos and names of members.
10. *At your front desk or campus booth - Have “Update My Information” cards available for people to fill out on site or mail back to you. The cards should be on bright card stock with a place for name, address, phone, and e-mail address. Print your address on them so the card can be mailed back to your organization. You can also provide a clearly marked drop-box near the cards, if they’d prefer to save postage. *Adapted from Russ Baker’s article, Building Your E-Mail List posted on PNNOnline 040803.
Mary Macuga has served as the Director of Development at the All Saints Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University since 1997; recently completing a $6 million capital campaign to build a new chapel. She has consulted with many campus ministry centers across the country and has served as a member of the Development Committee for the Catholic Campus Ministry Association.