I don't agree that you need consensus. Try both approaches. Test them out. In the marketing world, it's called A/B testing - you try two different messages and measure which one gets the better response. You can even make it fun for everyone and make it a friendly competition. The sector needs a little levity.

Wow, with all the data we have as professional fundraisers, it would be odd to have a divided team about the need to personalize donor communication. Knowing people, and reflecting that relationship with personalized approaches is absolutely the right thing to do always. If the division is about which personalization approach to take, a good leader listens to all parties. If the culture supports taking risks, then why not try both approaches and measure which personalization results in greater impact.

This isn't uncommon. Communications styles can be very personal and vary. Like in many other decision-making situations, the team leader must effectively grasp the wisdom of the whole. This starts with carefully listening to and understanding the different perspectives. What are the underlying rationales? Then determine the personality types of the donor base. What are their best communication channels and messaging fits? Perhaps, a composite of the different perspectives may be the strongest solution. The bottom line is ending up with the communications approach and messaging that reinforces the culture of the organization and most robustly connects with the target audience.