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Keep Calm and Carry on . . . with End-of-Year Tasks



This post applies mainly to Cru readers, but all are welcome to glean from this post.

Keep Calm and Carry on . . . with End-of-Year Tasks

As I suggested in Mark Your Calendars, I’m plugging away with all those looming end-of-year deadlines. I’m swamped with MPD, medical, and family things in my schedule, so the best I can do on this post is to direct you to a few places that may help you complete your end-of-year tasks. I don’t have time for detailed explanations, but I think the links I give you will help.

Here’s my story. I know you’ll relate to pieces of this puzzle. I hope I can help in a small way.

December 28, 2023

This is the last day to submit your P&A manual claims that will apply to your 2023 balance. This gives P&A enough time to review and process an expected high volume of claims. Any medical expenses submitted after December 28th will be applied to your 2024 balance.

Take a few minutes to plan how often to work on your manual claims to submit them on time. You can only submit 10 items per manual claim. If I submit a claim every 4 – 5 days, I should be done before December 28th with all my 2023 claims.

Because P&A tends to send us individual checks instead of a lump sum, I space the claims out so I’m not too confused about a flood of small deposits. (What was $15.87? Which doctor’s visit is this $50 check for?)

Don’t sweat this deadline if you aren’t in a rush to be reimbursed or don’t care if your expenses go toward this year’s or next year’s total. Most of us don’t come close to the annual limit.

December 31, 2023

Because I’ve met my deductible, I hope to schedule a few more lab tests and medical appointments. I’m trying to do these before December 1st, so the EOBs will be processed in 2023, but I’m cutting it close.

Keep up with approving your EOBs. If a benefits claim is older than 12 months, Cru’s healthcare plan (BCBS or MetLife) won’t accept that claim for processing. You may still manually submit the EOB on P&A if you miss this deadline.

In general, approve your claims immediately after you’re alerted by P&A.

MPD and the Fund Appeal

Today, I’m catching up with thank you notes and following up on some missing donations.

Free for You

Here’s the form I created today to follow up on some missing donations. Feel free to make it your own.

The basics are: a logo, positive text, our signature, and a screenshot of their giving.

I will also put this blog post on Workplace where you can find the form.

The EOYA Fund Appeal

Tomorrow, I should be able to start working on details for our End-of-Year Ask Fund Appeal (EOYA). I’m hoping to Keep It Simple, Sus (K.I.S.S.) I’m very detailed, so I’ll have to keep myself in check.

If I Can Fit It In

I really want to do a few more things (below). Find these discussions on Workplace through the links. Ask questions from others about how they’re implementing these ideas:

If you’re tight on time, it’s okay to do the non-cash changes on your give site after you’ve mailed your EOYA.

January

You’ll need time to write a lot of thank you notes! Leave time in your schedule to write about 4 – 6 a day.

I hope I’ve been able to help you. Write me if you have questions.

NOTES:

  • I also recommend re-reading Mark Your Calendars. For instance, this post has links for articles on fund appeal email campaigns, how to send a reminder email at the end of December, and more.
  • “Keep Calm and Carry On” was a message circulated by Britain’s Ministry of Information as World War II approached. The mug displays the look of the original 1939 poster. The message was meant to raise the morale of the British people as they faced the prospect of mass air attacks on their major cities.
  • MPD is Ministry Partner Development.
  • Only Cru staff can access Cru Workplace.

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