It’s been a year. You know it. I know it. A year like no other (and you thought 2020 was hard). It seemed that every day brought something new – something that targeted the community you served, that pulled funding away that you were counting on. And the sector you chose to work in because of your passion to make a difference was belittled by elected officials at the highest level.
You are tired, and yet you are giving year-end fundraising everything you’ve got. There really is no time or energy to do anything.
And yet, I am going to suggest there is something important you need to do before the holiday break. Like right now.
Yes, like all the other “right now” things.
But don’t worry. I’m going to make it really easy for you
You need to write a note of appreciation. To your board, your staff, your donors.
Use the basic template as you see fit – grab it all and save time, or maybe customize it in a way that feels authentic to you.
I wrote it so that it could be sent to all those who have supported and been a part of your organization’s village this year.
Have a read.
Subject Line: And We Thought 2020 Was Tough
To All Our Friends at ______:
I’m taking just a few minutes from the craziness of year-end fundraising to reflect on the year we’ve had. And it’s been a year. The subject line is true – we didn’t think we would ever experience a year like a year with a global pandemic.
The big difference? In 2020, there was the promise of a vaccine – a belief that the world would return to “normal.” And the vaccine arrived, and we eased back into something akin to normal.
Then along came 2025 with elected officials at the highest levels attacking the nonprofit sector, those of us who lead them, fueling a certain lack of trust in the sector that I continue to find incomprehensible. With every passing day this year, we have had news about policies, executive orders, and pauses in federal funding. We’d find ourselves thinking about how to deal with problem A, and then the next day, a new executive order presented new challenges.
<ADD IF APPROPRIATE>
<As you know, we provide services for marginalized communities who are under attack and terrified, and they look to us to advocate for them. How hard it has been when our staff and our village of supporters are also members of those communities. Trauma has been a central theme this year.>
How did we get through it? How did we navigate these turbulent waters that now seem shark-infested?
We did it because you stood with us, partnered with us, provided moral support, and stood as thought partners in untangling some of the biggest knots we have ever faced. We did it because you wrote checks as donors, gave time as volunteers, and helped us plan for different scenarios.
In some cases, these challenging times made remarkable things happen – some big, some small
<ADD SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OR TWO THAT SPOTLIGHT THE ROLE OF A BOARD MEMBER OR DONOR OR VOLUNTEER>
You can’t begin to imagine how inspiring these actions – large and small – were for a team that just simply felt under siege all year long.
So, this note is simply a note of thanks. Thank you for choosing ____________ <organization> and for not sitting on the sidelines. Thank you for combining your anger and your passion and bringing us ideas, time, and treasure.
As you surround yourself with family and friends this holiday season, tell them the stories of 2025 through the lens of our work and the work of the nonprofit sector. This could be just what folks need to climb out of the stands and onto the field.
And spoiler alert: this is a marathon, not a sprint. There is no vaccine coming in 2026. We will need you all in 2026 – to create a new normal, to fiercely advocate for our <clients / community>, and to help us think more creatively than ever before.
Because the world is counting on us.
Enjoy your holidays – spend time with those you hold dear – and know that each of you made a meaningful contribution to our organization at a time when we needed you both.
OPTIONAL:
<P.S. In the spirit of thinking differently in 2026, and building on what we were able to accomplish in 2025, I have sent along a powerful book – an easy read – and excellent food for thought. It’s called Mindset. Not a new book, but felt. For far too long, the nonprofit sector has operated from a place of scarcity – what author Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset.” The coming years will require a different mindset about motivation, about what is possible when you come to problems with a “growth mindset.”
I’ll be reading it over the holidays and look forward to incorporating some of its themes into our work together in 2026.
With deep appreciation and warm wishes for the holidays.
<Your name here>
I hope you will consider this book idea – inexpensive food for thought. It came back on my radar screen thanks to this Harvard Business Review piece that hit my inbox. Have a read, and I think you will see the core tenets of the growth mindset and the critical role a shift like this could have for your village of stakeholders.
And don’t feel like you have to get it to everyone by year’s end – it’s a great gift to start off the new year, too.
Hoping this template will help you expedite an important note of appreciation to your “village people.” You will regret not sending something out, and a letter like this may very well fuel your stakeholders to engage more deeply in the New Year.
And you will need them.
