The End-of-Year Mailer Panic (And How to Fix It)

In the fast-paced world of advancement, fall campaign season is a blur. You’re trying to secure last-minute major gifts, scheduling visits with donors during football games, and juggling Homecoming responsibilities. And let’s not forget the awards banquet for key supporters.

Then, you stop and think… “Oh wait, did I start the end-of-year solicitation mail piece yet?”

As the drive continues to do more with less – no matter the size of your shop – inevitably, something falls through the cracks. The question then becomes: How do you create a polished, effective mailer in hours, not weeks, and still get it to your donors on time?

Here are a few ideas that will help you move quickly and meet those upcoming mail deadlines.

Stay “Inside the Box”

Now isn’t the time to create that piece you’ve been dreaming of doing. There isn’t time for die-cuts, specialized envelopes or “free-miums” to include. This is the time to know what you do well and stick with it.

Your donors may expect to see a specific format for your end-of-year piece. If you have been mailing the “traditional letter in a #10 envelope” for years, do it again. If a self-mailer is your format of choice, use it this year. If your donors expect to receive a remittance envelope as opposed to a simple reply envelope, don’t change.

What you put together should be quick and simple not just for you, but also for your donors. They still need to reply and mail it back. Anything that delays or changes their habits is one variable you can still control with your final format.

Don’t Overdo It with Data

One thing that most advancement offices do well is maintain their databases. Having clean data is the most important tool you have at your disposal to construct accurate messaging for your donors.

Despite many fail-safes, you still need time to double check – or at least spot check – to make sure your data is listed correctly. Depending on how you segment your donors, you may need to check that everyone is in the right category (LYBUNT, SYBUNT, Second Ask, etc.). Of course, that takes time. If you don’t have enough of it, you open yourself up to a potential error.

When you are up against a deadline, stick with the basics. A personalized salutation and your assigned appeal codes are a given. Consider personalizing the name and address on the reply piece to make it easier for your donors. Anything past that should be carefully considered. It can be really easy to open the personalization floodgates.

When time is of the essence, keep segmentation generalized (donor vs. nondonor) and variable data minimal.

Planning for Production

The final piece of the puzzle is print and production. Here are a few things to consider:

Talk with your print/mail vendor before you get too far into the design to see what would guarantee the fastest turnaround.
Give advanced notice to your printer/mailer if you already started designing and the piece will be “coming in hot.” Any early communication will help them prepare for a quick turnaround.
Ensure you are using high-resolution pictures in your design and include bleeds and trimlines in your final files. You’ll be in a rush to try to get this out the door. Missing these simple, but important, details might not create a significant delay, but it will add stress to your day to quickly fix them.
Remember to proofread. Basic text can be easy to fix by your printer assuming basic fonts are used. If any text is designed and needs to be fixed, it will need to be addressed by your designer.
Send early drafts to your printer/mailer for review and catch potential red flags that could delay production.

Before you think to yourself, “I’ll just plan to send an e-blast,” remember that direct mail remains the best way to get your message across to your constituents. For older generations, mail is still a preferred method of communication. For younger generations, mail has become an opportunity to get away from their screens.

Before you stress out too much, remind yourself to take a deep breath and say “You got this.” Just know that when the going gets tough, JHL Advance is available to get you going.

Dan Krueger – 10/1/2025