One Email You Need to Send to Increase Generosity

Hola, amigos! I’m back from a fabulous two-week vacation in Costa Rica. It may not have been relaxing, but it was awe-inspiring seeing all the beautiful, weird, and fascinating creatures that God has created.

I mean, really, the sloth is hilarious. You can’t help but wonder how the toucan flies with that bill, and the truly weird fern caterpillar is mind-blowing. It’s good to be back, but I’ll be keeping the memories of Costa Rica close for a long time.
 
Speaking of coming home…do you know how much mail accumulates over two weeks?
 
You can try to hazard a guess at how many of those pieces were year-end appeals. Let’s just say it was a lot. I should have counted, but easily between political, nonprofit, and church asks, there were at least 40. 40! Sadly, most went straight to recycling.
 
But which ones did I set aside to open? The organizations that are near and dear to my heart.
 
If you have done a good job of communicating with your people over the past year and they are invested in your (which is also their) success, your year-end letter will see the light of day. Hooray!
 
But there’s more to do – one more thing to unleash a little extra generosity…
 
Follow your year-end letter with an email – preferably after Christmas and just before December 31st – reminding them why their gift is important. Send something like this:
 
A few weeks ago, I sent you a letter requesting a year-end gift. Your financial support will go toward ensuring our ministries to children and the elderly in our church continue with ease. Your gift will help feed the neighbors in our community through the Food Bank. And your gift will help provide life-saving medical treatment to our brothers and sisters in Africa.
 
If you’ve already given, thank you. If you're waiting to give…now is the time! Use this link to our giving page. [Make sure you add the link.]
 
Thank you for all the ways your kindness makes a difference. God bless you!
 
[Insert your name here: AKA, The Most Awesome Pastor in the City]
 
There’s something about December 31st that creates a sense of urgency. The end of the year. The ball dropping in Times Square. Checking off the to-do list before midnight.
 
Keep your congregation or nonprofit front and center. That last email you send may be just the encouragement someone needs to make that all-important gift.
 
*** Before we end the year…I want you to know that I am so blessed to have such great readers. Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place. May the Light that’s coming into our world this Christmas shine brightly in your hearts. Lord knows, we need more Light. You are the Light of the world. What a gift!
 
I’ll be back on January 7 with the Top 5 Posts, followed by your 2026 Stewardship Calendar.

Top photo Credit: ChapGPT.
Bottom photo: Yours Truly.

###Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. Have you overdosed on Hallmark Christmas movies yet? Cesie wants you to see one more by the funny Holderness family: Every Hallmark Movie Ever.
 
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
 
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