Reply Slips in Holiday Cards: Tacky or Tactical?

Where the Buck Slip Stops Depends on Your Card’s Main Purpose

A custom holiday card can be the cherry on top of your year-end fundraising efforts. A great photo and a seasonal message can warm donors’ hearts, when done well.

But the same question seems to come up every year: Is it tacky to include a reply slip – also known as a buck slip or response device – in your holiday card?

There are strong opinions on both sides of this debate. But with all things nonprofit, I don’t think there’s a simple answer to this question. Here’s why.

The “it’s tacky” camp

The argument here is that a holiday card should thank donors and celebrate the milestones they made possible, not ask them for money. Plus, program staff will feel more comfortable sending cards to volunteers and vendors if there’s no response device.

In this scenario, the holiday card becomes a marketing tool to boost brand equity rather than a means of bringing in revenue. However, both strategies can and should be measured.

I think this view is most prevalent among organizations that struggle with consistent communications. If you only send mail to your donors once or twice a year, then you’re bound to feel that at least one of those touchpoints should be a pure thank you.

And you’re not wrong. Fundraising expert Sandy Rees (whom we love!) suggests sending three non-asks for every ask.

The real issue here is one of frequency. Over a year’s time, you should touch your donors at least four times by mail in different formats. One such cadence is 2 newsletters and 2 donation letters, all with response devices. A holiday card would be a fifth touchpoint.

In addition, you’d mix traditional tools like mail with digital tactics, like monthly emails and an optimized donation page. That’s because these kinds of integrated campaigns have much higher response rates than using any one tactic alone.

Don’t donors get tired of being asked? Yes, donor fatigue certainly exists. But according to donor communications pro Tom Ahern, you can ask donors to give 21 times in a year before gifts start falling off.

And with donor retention rates hovering below 50%, it’s more likely that nonprofits under-communicate rather than over-communicate.

The “it’s tactical” camp

The “always include a reply slip” camp sees things differently. They believe that a donor gives because your mission is personally relevant to her in some way.

In this case, the response device isn’t a nuisance. Instead, it’s a convenient way for the donor to express what she’s passionate about. Her gift is a reflection of who she is and what she believes.

And it’s the fundraiser’s job is to make that process as easy as possible – especially in December when nearly a third of all fundraising revenue comes in.

The logic goes that those who aren’t ready to give yet will simply ignore the reply slip. And you didn’t deprive them of their choice, one way or another!

Where things get muddied is when you receive one of those ALL CAPS messages from a passive aggressive donor. Every nonprofit has a few of these guys.

Because the message is so extreme, we tend to want to solve it in an extreme manner. Cut back on communications! Remove all the buck slips! Switch to some (often unproven) method!

Instead, I suggest taking a deep breath and calmly weighing the complaint against the data.

Did some people return the reply slip with donations? Did most simply ignore it for now – instead of the one or two people who complained? Is there any data-informed reason we should change tactics?

Things can get tense near the end of the year. There’s so much to do!

Don’t let something as small as the holiday card slow your momentum. If it’s a branding tactic, then skip the reply slip and make sure you have a way to measure awareness, such as web visits or Facebook followers.

But if it’s a fundraising tactic, then include a reply slip as a courtesy. Your most passionate donors will thank you.

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