Thanksgiving Comes First: A Free Card to Jumpstart Your Year-End Strategy

Do you smell it in the air?

That’s Pumpkin Spice Latte—which means year-end giving is right around the corner.

And here’s the thing: if you wait until December, your message will just be another email in a snowstorm.

That’s why my tried-and-true move is the Thanksgiving Card strategy. It’s the perfect primer for stewarding donors before the avalanche of year-end asks.

Here’s how it works: I like to have Thanksgiving cards designed, printed, and ready to go by August. That way, there’s plenty of time to rope in volunteers to stuff, stamp, and seal so you can hit the post office weeks ahead of Thanksgiving.

Why so early? Because then your card sits on a donor’s kitchen counter—a quiet little billboard that says, again and again: you matter here.

That’s not just a card. That’s strategy. That’s pre-campaign cultivation.

This year, I’m making it easy. I’ve created a free Thanksgiving card strategy and Canva template designed to help you:

• Send a card that’s warm, personal, and unexpected

• Land in your donor’s mailbox before the year-end avalanche

• Build trust and remind supporters they matter beyond their checkbook

• Set the stage for stronger giving when your appeal arrives

What you’ll get:

• A ready-to-use card layout you can customize with your logo and photo

• Flexible language you can adapt for your mission (with examples for human services, arts & culture, and environmental orgs)

• Pro tips to get the timing right and maximize impact

It’s fast. It’s easy. And it works.

Want the template? Click here to download it free and start your year-end campaign with something donors aren’t expecting—but will absolutely remember.

Want help building a full year-end strategy around this kind of intentional donor engagement? Book a free discovery call and let’s get started.