For December fundraising, break out the clip art!

This is going to be some very hard news for some people.

But it’s worth reading because it can improve your revenue in December.

The news: Ugly holiday clip-art is good for fundraising!

How do I know that? I’ve tested it.

It works.

When I say ugly holiday clip-art, what I mean are those tacky, non-religious symbols of the Holiday Season that tend to decorate retail space and retail ads. They’ve discovered these cheerful reminders help get customers into a festive Holiday mood.

There’s a wide range of these types of images, some more Christmas-specific than others. What you use is a judgement call. If you are a religious organization, you should edge into more religious holiday imagery: angels, stars, babe-in-the-manger, menorahs, dreidls, or other specific faith-inspired images.

Be who you are, and who your donors are.

But don’t be afraid of looking “corny,” “old-fashioned,” or any of those things we spend so much energy trying not to be!

Tasteful, clever images that the viewer has to think about — just say no! Calm, non-Holiday colors that you so much prefer because they’re different and sophisticated … bad idea.

Here’s the goal: Remind your donors that it’s that time of year when we feel more generous, more connected, more giving. I know they don’t really need reminding, as pretty much everything is decorated anyway, and the songs are non-stop.

But it helps to join the festivities.

Remember, fundraising is about connecting with donors. Not about showing them how tasteful you are.