The Analog Charm of Broadcast Voice Messages: Thank-You Edition
There are few better moments to reach out and thank your donors than the beginning and end of the year. After a busy season of giving touchpoints in December with Giving Tuesday, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, it’s no surprise that some charities see a third or more of their annual revenue arrive in December alone. That’s a lot of donors, so why not start the new year off by sharing a heartfelt thank you message.
In a world overflowing with digital communications, broadcast voice messages (BVMs) offer something refreshingly human. They’re personal, warm, and surprisingly affordable. Here’s a look at three standout messages that show just how powerful this channel can be for thanking donors*.
A New Voice, a Shared Mission: Ray’s First Holiday Message to Donors
Ratanak International is a nonprofit organization that has served Cambodia for over 35 years. The charity’s work currently focuses on preventing exploitation and to support Cambodian survivors of trafficking through their journey to healing.
Ratanak used an early December BVM to introduce their new executive director, Rachele (Ray) Lamont, to donors. She’d only been in the role for about eight months. In a warm holiday message, Ray thanks donors and declares how she’s been “absolutely blown away by what donors like you have helped to accomplish.” This praise from a newcomer demonstrates brilliant stewardship; it validates the donors’ choice of giving to an effective charity like Ratanak and deepens their connection to the mission.
She goes on to describe the over 745 lives who’ve found safety and hope after escaping human trafficking, thanks to Ratanak’s Transitional Care Home in Cambodia. Just this year alone, 83 survivors were welcomed into the home and received not only a safe place to stay, but also trauma-informed therapy, medical care, and the kind of support that helps them start rebuilding their lives. Besides wanting to create a personal touch, Ratanak also wanted to use the BVM to prime donors for a follow-up fundraising SMS send out the next day.
Ray ends her message by saying how honoured she feels to be joining such a caring, impactful community — one that continues to shine hope into some of the darkest places.
Listen to Ray Lamont’s BVM
A Smart Fit Within a Larger Campaign
BVMs shine when they’re part of a bigger communication mix — email, SMS, direct mail — and used for stewardship rather than solicitations (important given CRTC rules).
Greater Vancouver Food Bank’s 2024 holiday BVM is a great example. Recorded by CEO David Long, it lands right after an intense December fundraising stretch — Giving Tuesday, holiday initiatives, and a wave of year-end generosity.
Sending a warm, timely thank-you call just before Christmas was a smart, cost-effective way to engage donors at scale. David Long’s closing sentiment hits close to home: many families in Vancouver will celebrate the holidays thanks to the previous generosity of donors. It’s simple, powerful, and deeply memorable — a clear reminder that gifts have had an impact.
Listen to David Long’s BVM
Community Values Front and Centre
Kelowna Gospel Mission’s pre-Easter 2024 BVM may be the most heartfelt of the three. Executive Director Carmen Rempel opens with a personal touch — “I wanted to thank you personally” — and speaks directly to donors’ role in uplifting people experiencing homelessness and strengthening the community as a whole.
She praises donors for rising to the occasion and reinforces a beautiful truth: helping one person lifts the entire community. Her message ends on a hopeful note, wishing supporters a joyful Easter and expressing excitement about the renewal that spring brings. It’s positive, forward-looking, and gently sets the stage for future engagement—while staying well within CRTC guidelines.
The entire message feels authentic and grounded, resonating with values of compassion and collective action.
Listen to Carmen Rempel’s BVM
The Takeaway
BVM thank-you messages work best when they’re brief, sincere, and unmistakably human. They deliver updates on the year, celebrate donors’ impact, and make supporters feel seen in a way that email simply can’t.
As charities wrap up campaigns or head into new seasons of giving, BVMs offer a warm, personable way to say what every donor deserves to hear: thank you.
*Keep in mind that the CRTC prohibits the use of BVMs for fundraising.
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