Holiday cards for nonprofit donors
We'd mail donors a holiday card in early December that thanks them and asks for nothing. We'd keep the IRS acknowledgment for gifts of $250 or more in its own letter. It must state each donor's gift and whether you gave anything in return, and a card with one message for every donor can't carry that.
Who to send donor holiday cards to
- Everyone who gave this year, at any amount.
- Monthly donors, who are easy to forget because their gifts arrive without a reminder.
- Volunteers, board members and the businesses that sponsored an event.
Mail one card per household. Donor records often list a couple twice, once for each gift, so remove repeat addresses before you mail.
Sample thank-you messages for donors
- "Thank you for standing with us this year. Your support made our work possible, and we wish you a joyful holiday season." (119 characters)
- "Because of friends like you, we served more families this year than ever before. Thank you, and happy holidays." (111 characters)
- "Thank you for every hour you gave us this year. We could not have done it without you. Wishing you a warm holiday season." (121 characters)
Only use a line like "more families than ever" if your own numbers show it. Change it to fit what your organization did this year.
The IRS acknowledgment is a separate letter
IRS Publication 1771 says a donor can't deduct any single gift of $250 or more without a written acknowledgment from the charity. The acknowledgment names the organization and states the amount of a cash gift or describes donated property. It also says whether the charity gave goods or services in return, with a good-faith estimate of their value if it did.
The IRS accepts letters, postcards and computer-generated forms that carry this information, and email too. We'd still keep the acknowledgment in a sealed letter or email, since a postcard shows the gift amount to anyone who handles the mail. The donor must receive it by the date they file their return for that year or the return's due date, including extensions, whichever is earlier.
Asking for a gift in a holiday card
We'd leave the ask out of the card and send the year-end appeal as its own letter or email. If you mail both, mail the card first.
Thanking every donor before the holidays? We print each card with "Dear" and your client's first name, your note and your name, and mail it First-Class for $2.99 a card, postage included (as of November 2026). You can mail up to 300 cards an order and see a proof of every card before you pay.
Make your cardsQuestions
Should nonprofits send holiday cards to donors?
Yes. We'd mail every donor from this year a card in early December that thanks them and asks for nothing.
Can a holiday card serve as a donation acknowledgment?
IRS Publication 1771 accepts postcards and letters, but the acknowledgment must state each donor's gift and whether the charity gave anything in return. We'd send it as its own sealed letter or email.
When is a donation acknowledgment due?
Publication 1771 says the donor must receive it by the date they file their return for the year of the gift or the return's due date, including extensions, whichever is earlier.
Should a nonprofit ask for donations in a holiday card?
We'd keep the card a thank-you and send the year-end appeal as a separate letter or email.
Sources
The pages we read for this guide.