There’s growing evidence that the dispatch of Christmas cards is becoming a lost art. Most folks will tell you that what used to be a bulging mailbox every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas is increasingly more sparse. Data as recent as ten years ago showed we still sent more than 2-billion cards each year, but most surveys suggest that those numbers have dwindled dramatically.
Here in Michigan’s Great Southwest, at least one notable organization elects to continue to send its clientele cardboard greetings each yuletide, but as I have told you before they have masterfully converted the brief greeting into a miniature annual report with some key metrics about their institutional performance that is very enlightening.
Kinexus of Benton Harbor, a team of change agents dedicated to advancing the community of Michigan’s Great Southwest, has once again pressed their Christmas card into action not simply as a goodwill gesture, but rather as an important benchmark of the work they’ve accomplished in and on behalf of the entire community at large.
While most businesses or organizations consider the purchase and dispatch of Christmas cards to be an expense, Kinexus employs the message and methodology to share the good news of their relevant work over the past year, in a colorful, quick-read format on a simple, double-sided card, just as they have done over the past couple of years.
The Benton Harbor-based organization with tentacles into Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties this week dispatched a small, 4″ by 6″, two sided post-card style holiday card to its mailing list that goes far beyond the simple message of good cheer. In barely 60 words, Kinexus shares some astounding statistics regarding the impact of the work that they perform, in a tastefully done card with a message.
Using the framework of “Memorable Moments of 2017,” Kinexus drives home a powerful testimony to their achievements in the past year. The card delivers four key statistics to sum up their core workload:
- Filled 2,459 positions for 617 local employers…
- Trained 343 people in industries that grow our economy…
- Secured $1.2-million to train 1,061 additional workers…
- Served 2,430 at-risk students in 37 cities across Michigan…
- Helped 653 students obtain their high school diploma or GED
The card offers “Happy Holidays,” over a snow-flocked cityscape with a “Happy New Year” banner stretched across one building’s facade and their logo in the foreground foretelling of Economy.Workforce.Community.
There is also an invitation on the data side of the card inviting stakeholders and other interested parties to visit them online at this link: http://kinexus.org
This methodology from the community and economic development agency is an excellent way in which to share the impact they have in the region. In their first such effort, back in 2013, Kinexus used a similar approach with a slightly more complex infographic-style of card. The approach is a decidedly smart way to carry not only the goodwill of the holiday season, but to also share key data with stakeholders and others who like to see measurable results.
The Kinexus mission is to be change agents who create solutions for workforce, business, and community challenges to promote economic vitality in the Southwest Michigan region. Headed up by CEO Todd Gustafson, the organization is clearly having an impact in the region on an every day basis.
