Now it’s easier to thank donors and send a tax receipt!

Canada Post announced this week that they have acted upon the advocacy of Steve Falk, CEO of Prime Data, and other industry leaders and have included thank you notes with tax receipts in the Personalized Mail category.  Until this change in classification,  tax receipts were sent at Lettermail rates.  This change makes it easier to develop strong, lasting relationships with donors using printed mail and challenges trends in email delivered receipts and thank you’s.

A promptly-mailed thank you letter hits the mark according to the Philanthropy Centre report “Learning To Say Thank You”.  It’s been shown that paper thank-you notes improve a donor’s ongoing support. Therefore, sending a note is paramount to successful lifetime fundraising outcomes. The new classification will encourage donor relations practices and improve outcomes for charitable giving in Canada.

Steve Falk, CEO of Prime Data, is keenly aware of what impacts the nonprofit sector’s success in individual fundraising.  Prime Data prints and mails millions of engaging letters per year to the over 6 million Canadians who respond to direct mail fundraising from the likes of hospitals, international aid, environmental and animal advocates. 

Since many of these donors give to multiple charities, the outcome of this change is that charities can engage more meaningfully with their donors.  As a member The Association of Fundraising Professionals Government Relations Committee and a board member of The National Association of Major Mail Users, Steve has had platforms to advocate on behalf of the charity sector. At the same time, he has continued to serve on NFP boards and committees, providing a unique lens into the challenges faced from within. From this 360 degree vantage point, he saw the erosion of donor engagement with the charities they support, and was able to show the impact of thanking a donor and sending a required tax receipt.

Direct mail contributes $9.6 billion dollars of charitable giving in Canada*.  Despite our digital era, online fundraising raises less than 9% of donations**.  With an understanding of how important this postal derived revenue is to charities, Steve reviewed the effect that direct mail was having on charities financial results and their decisions.  They were required by law to send a tax receipt so many organizations looked to send them by email, a much less effective method.  These new postal classifications make sending the most engaging and impactful thank you’s, in the post, an easier choice.

Fun Fact: Steve has already written thank you notes to the individuals at Canada Post who listened and helped steer this positive change.

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References:

• Learning to Say Thank You: The Role of Donor Acknowledgements, authored by Jen Shang, Adrian Sargeant, Kathryn Carpenter, and Harriet Day
• Rideau Foundation and Imagine Canada – Canada’s 30 Years of Giving Report, 2018
• Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report
• AFP Global Article – Individual Donations: A Postal Issue? By Steve Falk

About Prime Data

Prime Data is a privately-owned Canadian martech company that has been helping their clients be more effective in reaching their selling, marketing and fundraising goals for over 20 years.   Under the leadership of owner Steve Falk, they adopt an “Always in beta” culture that is constantly innovating to develop the best ways to integrate printed mail communications effectively into the modern digital marketing mix. 

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For more information, please contact:

Steve Falk
President, Prime Data
(289) 802-0584
1 (800) 261-2584 x 301
sfalk@primedata.ca