Tools to make donor communication efficient
ARTICLE
You want to keep your donors in the loop. You know it’s important and you even enjoy sharing what God is doing through your ministry. But when the schedule is full and your to-do list is long, donor communication is often the first thing to slip through the cracks.
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You’re not alone. For most ministry teams, time—not intention—is the biggest barrier. The good news is, with the right tools and systems in place, staying connected doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It can be simple, consistent, and effective.
AI Writing Assistants
These tools can save you hours by helping you write newsletters, donor updates, thank-you letters, and event recaps. Instead of starting from scratch, you can feed them bullet points, rough drafts, or a short description of what you want to say, and they’ll generate a polished version you can edit and personalize.
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Our experience finds that ChatGPT and Claude are two of the best tools out there. ChatGPT is the most popular of AI tools. Claude produces writing that feels more human in our opinion. Try out both and see which one fits your style better.
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To get the best results, be specific with your prompts. Mention the tone you want, the length, and the audience. Try to give the tool as much information as you can. It will make all the difference in taking the writing it produces from generic and vague to something impactful.
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Here's an example of a prompt you can use:
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Write a 200-word donor newsletter update in a warm, conversational tone. The audience is people who have supported our ministry financially in the past or who currently give. The update should highlight a recent outreach event where ... End with a note of gratitude and a reminder that their support makes this kind of outreach possible.
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You can continue to refine what the tool gives you by feeding it follow up prompts.
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Think of these tools not as replacements for your voice, but as assistants that help you work faster and communicate more clearly.
Mail List Hacks
Imagine you've written your newsletter and crafted the perfect design. The final step is to get your mail list together. But you have no system in place. So, you find yourself scrambling to comb through old texts and emails trying to find your donors' addresses.
What should have taken minutes now takes hours and days. This all could've been avoided if you committed to keeping your mailing list clean. So how do you keep your list clean?
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Start by storing your mailing list in Excel or Google Sheets, then use the following tips to make clean up efficient:
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Use separate columns for Name, Street Address, City, State, and Zip. If you have all of that data in one column and want to separate it out, select the data you want to transform and use the Text to Columns function under the Data tab.
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Use the Remove Duplicates function under the Data tab to quickly eliminate any repeated entries.
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Sort your list alphabetically to scan for missing info or odd formatting.
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If there is a common mistake throughout your spreadsheet, you can use Ctrl + H to find and replace repetitive data.
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Need to start from square one and get your donors' addresses or need updated addresses? Create a simple form with all the information you need by using a tool like Google Forms. Then share that with your supporters via email or text. You can download the responses into a spreadsheet.
Design Tools
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create clean, compelling mail pieces that represent your ministry well. Tools like Canva make it easy to design newsletters, postcards, and flyers using drag-and-drop templates and your own photos. You can even save templates to keep every piece consistent and prevent yourself from having to start from scratch each time.
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Canva's free accounts feature more than enough tools to make your designs look sharp. Start with a pre-designed template and swap in your ministry’s colors, fonts, and photos to keep it on-brand. Search terms like "church newsletter" or "non-profit postcard" will show you templates close to your use case.
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Once you’ve built a newsletter or postcard you like, click “Duplicate” and just update the content next time. This saves time and keeps your look consistent.
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When designing a print piece, make sure that you check with your print provider for the right template specs. A lot of the time, you'll need to build your design with extra margin so nothing gets cut off in the print process.
Print & Mail Partner
Staying in touch with donors is essential but handling the printing, stuffing, stamping, and mailing all yourself can eat up time you don’t have. That’s where a trusted print and mail partner makes a real difference.
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There are many print & mail providers out there for all types of industries. We got into the business to serve ministries and faith-based non-profits because we know the world they work in, and we speak their language.
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We help you take your finished design or letter and turn it into a professionally printed piece, mailing it directly to your supporters without trips to the post office or late-night folding sessions. We handle the logistics so you can stay focused on ministry. When your communication looks and feels professional, your mission creates even more of an impact!
Need a partner to facilitate your printing & mailing needs? Our team is ready to serve.