I know Thanksgiving is here, and we're all very busy. But let's remember what this season is all about!

People remember a personal "thank you," and, right now, on the front edge of the holiday season, you have full license to call them for no other reason than to say "thank you."

How many donors have you had in the last year? If it's oh-so-many thousands, you'll need to stratify. If it's oh-so-few, call them all. Yes, call—not a note. Notes and cards are fine too, but they don't get remembered the way a call does.

Make your list. Get your core team of callers, made up of people of some stature within your organization. Ideally, board members who are a bit chatty and well organized. Staff members can be part of the team, but the more volunteers the better. Get the executive director calling too. But don't make anyone do this—only have people on the calling team who want to do this and think this will be fun!

Either bring them all together for an evening of eggnog and cookies, or dole out the lists and have them call from home or office. Daytime calls and leaving a message is fine. The script goes something like this:

"Hello, may I please speak to _________? My name is ___________, I'm on the board of _________. I was just calling to say thank you for your support this year. It has meant a great deal to us. This year we've grown. We've been able to offer our services to more people in our community. Your support helped to make that possible. Thank you."

If, heaven forbid, the caller actually reaches a real person, they may chat a bit. The caller should be prepared with a few general facts, but needn't feel they need to take a cram course before they're qualified to get on the phone. They can always refer the question to a staff member for a call back.

What are you telling the donor with this call?

• We noticed you gave.
• It mattered.
• We appreciate you.

That's exactly what a donor needs to know to keep giving year after year.

The callers will love it too.