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Donating Holiday Cheer
by Todd W. Van Beck, president of the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, Texas. He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and is dean of two colleges of ICFA University, the Funeral and Commemorative Services College and the new College of Embalming and Restorative Arts. He can be reached at (281) 873-0262 and at tvanbeck@yahoo.com.
Before the holidays, I suggest instituting a poinsettia donation program. Giving away this beautiful holiday symbol is excellent public relations for your cemetery, and whether you give away one dozen or many dozens, the act will brighten the holiday for so many people.
Larger trees or decorations that have enhanced your building can be donated immediately after the holidays to generate additional goodwill in nursing homes that may enjoy extending the season.
Week One: Program Assessment
Review your budget. Consider the expense of the flowers money well spent, especially in relation to the excellent community response you will receive. Special rates for bulk poinsettia purchases will also make the decision to go ahead with the program easier.
It's a good idea to set some limits for the program, especially if it seems to be building too quickly. The planning should begin about six weeks before Christmas. Decide exactly how many donations are possible the first year, in terms of budget and time, and also talk about long-term projections. (Refer to the timeline.)
Make a list. Develop a donation list that can be updated from year to year, but start slowly. Draw from the following groups of people for your list:
- The retirement centers and nursing homes in your community.
- Those you know who have lost loved ones in the past year.
- The elderly or those who will be alone during the holidays.
- The sick or disabled.
- Poor families brought to your attention.
- In addition, make a list of those to receive special poinsettia gifts, such as the members of your board of directors, your community advisory committee and your staff.
Weeks Two and Three: Arrange the Details
If possible, enlist the help of your staff and volunteers to deliver the poinsettia gifts personally to each recipient. Determine the number of volunteers needed to make the deliveries. With deliveries spread out over a couple of weeks, you should be able to meet your goals. Your staff will enjoy the opportunity to give, too. Below is a sample letter to volunteers.
Sample letter to volunteers:
Thank you for offering to deliver poinsettias for Van Beck Funeral Home this year. We are sure you will enjoy making the deliveries, as it is always such fun to give to people.
We would like to ask you to make a total of 15 deliveries throughout a two-week period (December 10-24). Your assignments can be clustered so that you won't have to travel back and forth across the city.
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call. Otherwise, we'll look forward to seeing you sometime on December 10.
Week Four: Promote the Program
As your poinsettia donation program develops, reporters will probably hear about it and come to you. Send out a brief news release, but remember that this activity comes from the heart, and any publicity that comes along with it is extra. (Click here to download a sample press release.)
Remember to take photographs that can be added to your community scrapbook.
Week Five: Finish Deliveries
Week Six: Evaluate the Program and Thank Volunteers
Evaluation along the way is critical, especially after the first year. Start small at first, realizing that you can expand later. Your network of volunteers must grow at the same rate.
Thank your volunteers in writing for their help, from those who helped make arrangements to those who made the actual deliveries.
Sample thank-you letter to volunteers:
Thank you for being part of our fourth annual Poinsettia Donation Program. We greatly appreciated your willingness to deliver the flowers during the two busy weeks before Christmas.
As you probably witnessed, there is no way to adequately express what this program means to the community. I am sure you experienced much joy as you made the deliveries.
Our job would be so much more difficult without your help. Please let us know if you have any other suggestions for the program. Thank you.
This is a marvelous opportunity that can increase over time. It's a group effort that, unlike any other, will bring your staff together with the community.
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Copyright ICFA 2002
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