Mail nobody saw coming
The nicest mail comes from someone you don't know.
Write a few warm lines for someone you've never met, and we turn them into real mail. Out of the blue, a little surprise lands on someone's doormat. You stay anonymous, and taking part costs you nothing.
Take part
How would you like to take part?
There are two ways to take part, and you're welcome to pick both: write a card for a stranger, or sign up to get mail yourself.
I got mail
I got mail from Schrijfmaatje
Did you find a letter or a card from us in your letterbox? Lovely that you're taking a look at what it is. Pick below what you received, and we'll explain exactly what you can do with it. Not quite sure? Go ahead and click, there's no harm in clicking the wrong one.
From your pen to someone's doormat
Schrijfmaatje is the go-between. Every card and every reply travels through us, in both directions. In three steps, your card makes its way from the screen to someone's doormat.
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You write a card
Tell something ordinary from your day and ask one everyday question. What you ate, what you spotted outside, a song stuck in your head. It's the ordinary that makes it personal, and there's no need for clever lines. We add the recipient's first name at the top ourselves.
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We check it and send it by post
We read every message ourselves and make sure it's kind and safe. If it's all good, we copy it by hand onto a card and pop it in the post ourselves.
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Writing back is welcome, on paper or online
The card comes with an insert that explains things and a link. If the recipient feels like writing back, they can do that on paper or online, and it always goes through us.
That's how it becomes a cycle: your card goes out on a stamp someone else donated, and the stamps you send will soon carry someone else's greeting on its way. Read about the stamps.
Want the fuller version, step by step? Read the full explanation.
Take part
All on their way to someone
Freshly written cards on the line, ready to head out the door. Write one yourself, as often as you like. You never know whose day you will brighten.
Why a card stays with you
Most mail is ads and bills. A handwritten card in among them is something else entirely: for you, from someone you don't know, with nothing expected of you in return. You read something like that twice. You stand it on the windowsill, and it sits there for days. It says something small and something big at the same time: someone was thinking of you for a moment. And that gives an ordinary day a different colour.
Quietly arranged: safe & private
We work with real addresses belonging to real people, and we look after them carefully. Nothing complicated, just a few things we've taken care of for you, so you can write or receive mail with an easy mind.
- We read along and approve. Every card is read and approved by a person at Schrijfmaatje before it goes in the post. If a message doesn't fit, we don't pass it on.
- Addresses stay private. We only use an address to deliver the card, and we share it with no one. The sender and the recipient never get to know each other's address or name, in either direction.
- Only after confirmation. We only use an address once the resident has confirmed it themselves, with a code we send by post. That way nobody can sign up an address that isn't theirs.
- No account needed. There's no profile to create anywhere, no password to remember and nothing to log into. The code from the letter is all you need.
- A person, not a machine. Schrijfmaatje is small, and we read and write out every card ourselves. Got a question? You'll reach a real person, not an automated line.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a good card?
The recipe is simple: tell something ordinary from your day and ask one everyday question. What you ate, what you saw, what you heard. And then one question, like "What's the first thing you hear in the morning?" It's the ordinary that's personal.
What does it cost?
Taking part costs you nothing. We run on stamps, not money. Got a few to spare? Then you help the next greeting on its way. Read about the stamps.
Who receives my card?
Someone from our list of people who'd love mail but rarely get any. We choose the recipient, so you don't know in advance where your card goes.
Can the recipient write back?
Yes. Every card comes with an insert that explains things and a link. Writing back can be done on paper or online, always anonymously through us. You don't have to give an address, only your conversation code and your account code.
I got a card. How do I write back?
On paper or online. For both you need two codes: your conversation code and your account code. Those two together keep it safe. On paper, you send a card or note with both codes written on it. Online, you use the QR code or the link on the insert. Read how writing back works.
Can I sign up someone close to me?
Of course, a grandparent or a neighbour who'd love some mail, for instance. Enter their address on the sign-up page. We'll then send a letter with the account code to that address, so the resident can confirm the sign-up themselves.
What keeps Schrijfmaatje going
Schrijfmaatje travels on stamps
We don't ask for money, just stamps. Every card goes by real post, and that's what we run on entirely. Got a few stamps sitting in a drawer that you won't use anyway? Pop them in an envelope to us, and they'll soon carry someone else's greeting on its way. It really needn't be more than that.
Ready to surprise someone?
A few warm lines are all it takes, and you don't have to give your name. We turn them into mail and make sure they reach someone. Feel free to start today, it only takes a few minutes.