As the COVID Cloud seems to be dissipating, at least we hope so, it gives all of us the opportunity to get back into the field with our ministry partners. This is a great time to ask your top 10, next 20, or even your top 50 donors for a personal year end appeal. You have already done your internal and external donor research to know their giving capacity (the first “R”). Hopefully, during this COVID downtime you have deepened your donor relationships by sharing how much you love and appreciate them (the second “R”). Now, you are ready to make a request (the third “R”). Here are a few tips for your mega/major donor relationship asks.

Goldilocks gives us some fundraising insight. The porridge was either too hot, too cold, or about right. Your gift request can be too high, too low, or about right. To determine the right amount, you should ask some key questions. What was their gift last year? Are you sharing an urgent need, launching an innovative program, or asking for a project they are keenly interested in? Have they had a recent wealth event such as a business sale, inheritance, or other windfall? All these factors make a difference. If your need is large enough you may want to ask them to share a large year end gift and roll part of their fulfillment into the next fiscal year.

This is somewhat counterintuitive; asking too low could offend your major donors. If in doubt, ask high, or even higher. It is usually better to stretch a donor’s stewardship decision rather than to feel like you asked too low. If it’s too high, they will tell you. Rarely will they say, “You didn’t ask for enough so how about we add a zero or two to your request?” My old pal Dr. Charlie Phillips of the Maclellan Foundation wrote, “No large ask should be a surprise; every smaller ask could be an insult.”

For the past 40 years, I have regularly been in the field with a CEO, president, major gifts officer, or an advancement officer making a personal request. Why? It’s fun! It is also where true stewardship decisions are made. This week, a college president and I visited some ministry partners. As we sat at their dining room table, the president shared the case for support and I shared a personalized request. In a pre-campaign study, they indicated their potential gift of $25K so we asked for $25K-$50K over two years. I concluded my ask with this famous fundraising phrase, “If you can do more than the amount we requested, we certainly need it and will appreciate it.” They surprised us with, “We can do more than you asked. If we had three years, we could give $100,000.” Of course, the President said, “YES!” We asked too low, but God-Jehovah Jireh, our Provider had already intervened. Five days earlier, they had received a bonus and wanted to share part of their unexpected bounty with the college.

Major donors want to make an impact with their dollars. They want to be challenged to consider a large gift. No reason to be shy. Asking too low may communicate to your key ministry partners the following:

1. You don’t really know them.
2. You don’t really know their hot buttons. Do you know what makes your donor pound the table and say, “Yes, we want this to happen, and we can help in a big way!”?
3. You suffer from “Ministry FUD” (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt), and are afraid to really challenge them.
4. Your faith is too small; you’re not trusting God to meet and exceed your need.

There is an art and science to any major donor presentation. If you ask too high the donor will likely say, “That is more than we were thinking.” A good response is, “Mr. and Mrs. Donor this is the largest step of faith in our 40-year history. We are asking our ministry partners to take this step of faith with us and consider the largest gift they have ever given.”

Don’t offend them by asking too low. Pray for open minds, hearts, and checkbooks for each of your mega/major donors asks this calendar year end. Do your homework, determine if you have the relationship, present a clear and credible need, and invite their major/huge participation.

For individualized help with your major donor ask strategies contact Pat at [email protected]

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.

Even if you have a huge development staff, you will need a large group of volunteers to implement a comprehensive capital campaign. The right team of volunteers will help you open new donor doors, build organizational capacity, and ensure you will meet your campaign goal. Many a conundrum has developed in a campaign because of ineffective leadership. From campaign chair to committee/team chairs to your committees/team members, you must recruit capable, faithful, loyal, and committed workers. Encourage these leaders to own your campaign. Recruit the brightest and the best volunteers just as you recruit the brightest and the best donors, then train them to help you succeed.

Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University Athletic Director, made this profound statement, “Our mission statement is to excel in everything we do because we have the resources to embrace that. We expect to challenge for Atlantic Coast Conference titles and that in turn will make us competitive nationally.” The secret to Wake’s success? “Hiring good coaches and keeping them,” Wellman says. “If you have that in place, it will be reflected in the teams you produce. Sometimes a team falls short of its coach, but I’ve never seen a team outperform its coach .”

By the same token, it will be difficult to outperform the quality of the volunteer leadership dedicated to your campaign effort. Use the Wake Forest model. Recruit wisely and empower them to help you perform your campaign tasks.

We have worked on a campaign with more than one hundred campaign volunteers and one that recruited and trained two hundred volunteers. These volunteers all had job descriptions and functioned under the able leadership of good advancement staff and very engaged volunteer leadership.

Steve Wilson, the advancement director at Lakeland Christian School (LCS), reflected on his successful campaign, “Pat, we have great material, a good plan, excellent training, and mentoring by the Timothy Group but the key to our success is our campaign leadership. Your Timothy Group campaign manual provided comprehensive job descriptions for our campaign volunteers.” We identified several key volunteers in their pre-campaign study, but Steve handpicked his leadership team. “We have recruited committed community leaders and they are winners,” Steve said. “They have not failed in their lives and businesses and will not allow our campaign to fail. These people have placed their personal and professional reputations on the line with us, and their names are printed in the campaign material.”

The LCS campaign was very volunteer-driven, not just staff-driven. They used three different volunteer campaign leaders to make financial requests for three separate seven-figure gifts. For Steve, it has been all about recruiting the right leaders and inspiring them to not just talk about the campaign but to get active and make it happen. These trained, empowered volunteers took ownership with Steve and headmaster Dr. Mike Sligh for their capital campaign success.

For more guidance about choosing the best and the brightest volunteers, contact Pat at [email protected].

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A foundation agreed to underwrite a pre-campaign study for a college and asked us to call the president and chat about our capital campaign services. I called and got the president’s voicemail message saying he was out of the office on donor visits. My next attempt also failed because the president once again was making donor visits. When we finally caught up, I commended him on his performance, he merely stated, “I was just out doing my job.” I loved it. Remember the fundraising adage, “See the people. See the people. See the people. And see what God will do!” Prior to a campaign, this president was out in the field calling on donors, building, and enhancing relationships.

If you are the CEO, president, executive director, or head of school, you must become the number one fundraiser in your organization. Major donors want to talk with the boss. The larger the gift requests, the more you need to be involved. Major donors ask major questions, which is how they got to be major donors. Your major donors, foundation directors, and business owners who will potentially contribute to your capital campaign want answers about your outcomes and to hear your vision for the future. They want to sit across the table, look you in the eye, and decide, “Do I trust this person will do what they say they plan to do?” Major donors make their giving decisions based on their confidence in your leadership.

One of the first things Bill did as new head of school was to have lunch with John, the former head of school. They talked about the school’s history, challenges and opportunities, and John’s opinion about where the school was and where it could go. John wished Bill well and offered to help any way he could. Bill responded, “John, the greatest help you could give me would be to introduce me to all the former board members.” John was surprised, but Bill was serious. So, John diligently scheduled breakfast, lunch, and coffee with twenty-seven former board members over the next six weeks. Those conversations started some key relationships with major donors who eventually supported the next capital campaign.

When major donors ask tough questions, they expect answers. Most CEO’s must be involved in the four R’s of your advancement plan: Constituent relations; public relations (branding); student or volunteer recruitment, and fundraising. Your leadership in these areas will encourage your entire organization and set you on course for a conundrum-free campaign.

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Capital campaigns are comprised of two very different but equally significant parts: the private mathematics of the gift chart (fundraising) and the public mechanics of momentum (good will).

As the graphic below demonstrates, campaigns often break down into thirds. In a perfect world and in a conundrum-free campaign, your gift chart and giving would show one third of your gifts given by your top ten donors, one third by the next one hundred donors, and the remaining third by the rest of your donor base.

Some years ago at a national seminar, a man asked me which is more important in the overall development/advancement campaign process, fundraising, or public relations (the generation of good will). Great questions require great, or at least good answers. In a teaching format, I often answer a question first with another question. I believe this helps those asking grasp what the real question is, allowing deep learning to take place. Many times, they end up answering their own question.

So here was my response: “Which is more important to a bird in flight, its right wing or its left wing?” The man immediately complained that I didn’t answer his question. But I did answer his question with this further reply: “For the bird, it depends on the wind, the weather, the path of flight (up or down), if the bird is tired, etc.” Similar factors can have an impact on a campaign. Is it early or late in a campaign? Is the communication strategy clear? Are you addressing all the appropriate target audiences? Is the mission and vision of the organization foremost in the mind of the donors?

Just so you don’t accuse me of dodging the question, here is my answer in plain English. Both fundraising and public relations are very important for capital campaign success. The two factors, however, will have differing degrees of importance, depending upon what stage you are in the campaign timeline (the quiet/leadership phase or the public phase). Your organization should communicate differently to your top one hundred donors than the rest of your donor file. The message will remain the same for both fundraising and goodwill, but your methodology will vary. Public relations through personal visits versus indirect contact through mail, email, and telephone build a stronger foundation for fundraising. Good news is communicated to your entire donor base, but bad news (campaign delays, no’s on large requests, etc.) is usually communicated to those who have already made large investments.

Communicate with your major donors like investors, not like customers or participants. If you had eggs and bacon this morning for breakfast, here’s an analogy for you. The hen was a participant in your breakfast, but the pig was an investor. You must give the right information to the right donor segments to maintain good will in your campaign. This is where outside consulting help is a great investment. After hundreds of successful campaigns, we have been there and done that. We know how to help you effectively communicate the right message to the right audience at the right time. Conundrum-free campaigns carefully plan for both fundraising and good will throughout your capital campaign (two, three, four, or five years).

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.

A successful capital campaign starts at
the top of your donor pyramid, not at the
bottom. Challenge your brightest and best
to commit first. A bottom-to-top campaign
is a conundrum in the making. You must
invite your major donors to set the pace
with their leadership-size gifts.

Moses led around three million people out
of Egypt, give or take a few thousand. God
gave instructions to Moses for building the
tabernacle. In Exodus 25, Moses asked those
whose hearts were willing to give. He
started at the top by asking for gifts of gold,
silver, and bronze. I have a sneaking
suspicion that Moses and Aaron understood
this campaign principle. I believe they were successful
because they asked those key donors with the resources to make their commitment first and then invite their friends and traveling companions to join them.

NEWS FLASH! This is still the way great campaigns are conducted today. The number one reason people give is because of who asks. There is a relationship between the asker and the one being asked. Good news. We are still a relational society and high touch still works. It is sometimes much easier for a major donor to invest dollars in your campaign than time, but you need both. Think about your campaign from the salesperson standpoint. Who do major donors hang around with, vacation with, golf with, and live near? The answer is obvious—other major donors. They are often people of affluence but are also people of influence.

We are involved in a campaign now where a major donor flew his personal plane to another state to invite a very close business friend and investor to match his own million-dollar gift. He said, “I believe I have enough skin in the game to ask my close friend to join me in this campaign.” He went on to say that he had helped his friend build equity in his business that had just sold for more than $50 million. This donor transitioned from customer to salesperson. Ask your major donors to invest their time, talent, and treasure (skin in the game) in your campaign and invite others to do the same.

If  you would like to learn more about how to engage your major donors to give and get their friends to give, email Pat at [email protected].

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.

This is article 7 of 12 on Capital Campaign strategies, click here to read Pat’s previous articles.

Somehow, we have lost sight of “high touch” in our high-tech society. The most popular method of raising funds is direct mail because it can be cost effective and easy. Direct mail can saturate a large segment of people, communicate a compelling story, and make a credible request for funding. But direct mail is impersonal and rarely builds the depth of relationship required for a six- or seven-figure gift. Imagine how challenging it would be to only communicate with your potential spouse through mail or email. The relationship can only go so far without personal contact. My point is that you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to conduct a capital campaign by direct mail, email, or your website.

To clarify this point, here are the close ratios for the most popular methods of fundraising practiced in the US and Canada.

Do you want to be successful with your capital campaign? Here is a very simple 4 “C” formula. See the people. See the people. See the people. And see what God will do!

One major donor ask in a capital campaign can produce more gift income than an entire year of direct mail. One well-prepared major donor prospect can provide the momentum to either catapult a campaign from its beginning (quiet/leadership phase) or provide the final gift to create a fulfillment celebration. Getting personally acquainted with your high-capacity donors will make a significant impact on your capital campaign. If you want to be successful with your campaign, invest the time and money to personally get to know your major-donor prospects and suspects.

Cultivating major donor relationships doesn’t have to take years. Having a board member or donor introduce you to their circle of friends cuts down your relationship-building time. Ask a friend to host a small friend-raising gathering in their home. These informal events are great ways to meet new potential donors and share your ministry story.

A Remarkable Story

Jeff, a board member, invited a few friends to his home to introduce them to the great work a of a local rescue mission. The mission had launched a capital campaign to remodel an apartment building for their women’s transitional housing program. Only four couples attended—it’s not how many who come, but who comes.

Jeff welcomed everyone and shared why he and his wife were involved with the mission. He introduced the executive director who spoke briefly about the mission’s history, vision, programs, and impact. Then the director introduced the women’s shelter director who began her presentation with this stunning statement, “I spent 17 ½ years of my life behind bars.” Instantly, she had everyone’s attention. She shared her compelling conversion experience and how God had totally changed her life.

This donor briefing would have been successful, had it stopped right then—but there was more. The women’s shelter director introduced Teri, a beautiful 23-year-old woman who had made some bad choices, landed in jail, and temporarily lost custody her two young children. Upon her release from prison, Teri enrolled in the mission’s transitional shelter program where Jesus Christ miraculously transformed her life. She regained custody of her children and was ready to start over with the joy that can only be found in Christ.

At the end of her testimony, there was not a dry eye in the room. The executive director closed the program by asking guests to fill out a response card indicating when they might be available for a follow-up conversation. The hostess offered coffee and dessert, and everyone enjoyed a time of fellowship. Immediately, two couples asked if they could tour the facilities and scheduled appointments right then.

One older man named Richard made an interesting comment, “You know, the symphony visits often and asks for $25,000 for this project, and $25,000 for that project, but they aren’t changing lives like your program.” This gentleman was on the rescue mission’s prospective donor list, but the executive director had never met him because he couldn’t get past his administrative assistant. That night, Richard became a friend of the ministry—because a friend invited him.

There is no magic formula for building your donor base. The best strategy is friends sharing with friends. The rescue mission connected with four new friends at this briefing without using a PowerPoint presentation, video, or a 4-color brochure. They just simply shared a powerful story of how Jesus Christ was impacting lives through their ministry.

Take the time to cultivate relationships with your major donors, it’s worth every minute!

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 1,800 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.