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Client Impact, Donor Relations, Major Donors

World Mission: Communicating With A Long-Term Attitude

by The Timothy Group
June 2, 2020

In our recent Zoom panel discussion last week, one of our guests talked about the need to keep a long- term attitude or perspective as we negotiate through this COIVID-19 pandemic. This idea resonated with all of us on the panel.

Greg Kelley, CEO & President of World Mission, shared how the current COVID-19 narrative is being driven by the media; and how much of the dialogue we hear is based in fear. The Bible, on the other hand, tells us that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) What does this mean for us as non-profit leaders? It means we need to push back against the fear and not take a defensive posture. One way Greg and his staff countered this was by developing a long-term attitude. We are in a season and it will pass. Keeping our vision in front of us is critical. The vision is everything. It is your lifeline.

Greg shared how World Mission looked for what he called a “sticky point;” something unique they could communicate to their donors and friends to counteract the current fear, or “noise” out there. Something that would cut through the clutter. World Mission is an international evangelistic mission agency. They work in underdeveloped countries with unreached people groups. So, what they discovered is that the people they serve are more concerned about starvation than being infected with the COVID virus. Hunger and survival became the “tip of the spear” for them. It took their eyes of the COVID “noise.” As they communicated with the right message, donors and friends have responded with increased giving.

In an article entitled “COVID-19 Fundraising: How Nonprofits and Higher Education Can Adapt” (Wealthx.com, May 2020), the author states, “There is a lot of media noise, and a lot of people are looking for guardrails and foundations. Take the time to clearly re-communicate your organization’s fundamental purpose and goals to your donors. Help people to understand the enduring significance of what your organization is doing in the midst of so much uncertainty.” In other words, “double-down” on communicating vision and mission.

Remember, having a long-term attitude helps us balance our short term needs with our long-term vision. Our vision shouldn’t change, even if our needs in the short term may. Fostering and promoting this vision starts with you – the leaders. When the vision is threatened, it is no time to take a defensive posture, but to push forward. “Double down,” you will be glad you did.

Here are a few of Greg’s “sticky points” to consider:

(1) Maintain a long-term attitude. Your vision is everything.

(2) Mobilize your best team members with personal phone calls….use “ENCOURAGE, PRAY, SEED VISION”.

(3) Find a line to cut through the noise of the pandemic.  What is something that uniquely states how God is using you now? For World Mission, it is ‘the people we are serving are more concerned with starvation that getting the virus’.

(4) Be a leader.  Recognize the times we are living in and be a relevant voice. Always bring it back to vision. What distinguishes you? 

Article submitted by Kent Vanderwood, Vice President for The Timothy Group. Kent currently resides as a board member for the West Michigan chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Through his work as Development Director for The Potter’s House, Gospel Communications International, and Mel Trotter Ministries, Kent brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and development. His passion for seeing Christian stewardship principles applied in a systematic way helps the non-profit organization or ministry be successful in fulfilling its mission.

Client Impact, Donor Relations, Major Donors, Strategic Planning, Zoom Panel Forum

Donor Engagement & Energy Strengthens!

by The Timothy Group
May 27, 2020

Let’s get on with the good news!

Yes, donor engagement and energy continues to strengthen. People are being drawn together in ways that were unheard of just months ago. People are sewing masks for friends and family, donating meals to health-care workers and offering help to neighbors in need. Many businesses and institutions have pivoted to virtual engagement, and to a deeper level of connection than anyone would have ever guessed.

The Christian education, ministries, and missions that have seized upon these times as an opportunity to not be forgotten have learned new skills and broadened their reach and levels of support. They are strengthening plans for donor giving and expecting growth for the years to come.

With such effort, we have seen remarkable response to some of the urgent questions and needs of this crisis. How do we continue to educate our youth? How can we safely care for our homeless? How can we help kids to stay happy, healthy, and safe this summer? Many donors have stepped forward and continued to support these and other beloved missions wherever they’ve felt the call.

What seems to be working for our colleagues out in the field? Here are some ideas and encouragement shared and collected by our guest host panelists through our recent Zoom Panel Discussions. We hope it revitalizes and strengthens you!

Christian K-12

Keep active with your annual fund planning.

Consider a cost-based tuition model with an annual fund plan that covers smaller non-operating budget projects. This model sustains well through health and economic crisis.

Continue to communicate in a low-pressure way such as “We’re still here, God is providing, help when you are able” sets a calm, reassuring tone.

Replace active asking with conversations on well-being and sharing love for the mission.

When major donor gifts come in (and they will), find a cool, new way to thank your donor and show your love and appreciation. Consider driving to their home and place a gift basket and yard sign by their front porch that says “we love you” with your school verse. Give them a call as you drive away and let them know there is a surprise for them.

Be cautious as to when it is the right time to follow through with the ask. Consider language such as “hey we are still here, we know we had asked awhile back – if you can help that’s great, if not, we’ll come around another time”. Realize the ask is still there and that you are not withdrawing it, but will come around to it another time.

(Click here for more insight from Sam Barfell of Southside Christian School.)

Christian Higher Education

Move from being a big cruise ship to that of an agile kayak able to navigate through today’s changing and/or future turbulent times.

Become “lean and mean”. Look for today’s opportunities to shrink size, space and scale, streamline and/or eliminate duplication of services. This puts you in a position able to transition quickly and smoothly through crisis.

Start an educational or community initiative that collaborates and links with others in local communities that share your vision and mission.

Form a President’s Advancement Advisory Council with energetic staff, major donors, community members and others that share your vision and mission.

Don’t be afraid to go “against all odds” with fundraising events or galas. Seek new ways to hold them or invite big-hearted celebrities to join you in sharing your mission. They are very willing to help during challenging times.

Put prayer, marketing and ministry together and be spiritually creative. Try a series of prayer or other meaningful short, 30 second videos to show it’s “our turn to pray and care for you”. Try 30-minute virtual lunches to pray and share how things are going out there for your students, staff and donors.

(Click here for more insight from Bill Blocker of the College of Biblical Studies.)

Rescue Missions

Place focus and emphasize on how to keep new donors (via the current crisis)  on board and engaged for the long haul. Even with lack of funds from storefront sales, giving is ticking up.

Yes, do keep up with the personal donor phone calls. Donors will ask, so be prepared to answer when donors ask, “how else may we be of help?”

Gently steer donors to your website to give online via your phone calls or inbox e-News. Keep your “give button” front and center on each webpage. Provide current testimonials and update all content. Keep needs out front.

Blast social media with 30-second snippets featuring clients and their stories.

(Click here for more insight from Tony Gooch of Durham Rescue Mission and Greg Kelley of World Mission. An article featuring more of Greg’s thoughts will be posted next week.)

Camps & Ministries

(Click here to see the recent article submitted by Amy Carlson of Youth Haven Kids’ Ministry.)

Do you have any ideas or encouragement to share? We’d love to hear from you. Please share your comments below. Thank you!

Client Impact, Donor Relations, Strategic Planning

Youth Haven Kids’ Ministry: Delivering Hope To Kids’ Homes with New, Innovative Methods

by The Timothy Group
May 19, 2020

As we welcomed 2020, kissed our loved ones and wished them a Happy New Year, none of us imagined we would be where we are today. The world has changed, and we have all been impacted. Each one of our lives has been touched in one way or another by this virus and its effects.

For a ministry that utilizes camping programs as a primary ministry tool, the closing of schools and stay-at-home orders have posed a unique challenge. But this virus has not stopped us from reaching out to disadvantaged boys and girls with the love and hope of Jesus Christ! If anything, it has spurred us on to do more for them, and to find new and creative ways to be a part of their lives. Our methods have changed, but our mission remains the same.

Same Mission, New Method

Youth Haven’s mission is to provide life-changing, Christ-centered experiences for disadvantaged children. The kids we serve at Youth Haven were already facing difficult circumstances before this pandemic began. Now, many of them are stuck at home in situations where they are being treated unkindly or needs aren’t being met. At the same time, more and more children are facing financial hardships because their parents have lost jobs.

We had to ask ourselves two questions: How can we meet the needs of our kids in a way that respects the guidelines put in place by the authorities and protects our kids and staff? And how do we help our supporters understand how important they are to us during this time?

Haven For Kids Online

The first step was to ensure we continued to fulfill our mission in any way we could. The most obvious need was that, suddenly, kids were stuck at home looking for things to do. Unfortunately, the Internet can often be an unsafe place for kids. We recognized the need for kids to have a haven online, where they could find fun things to do without having to worry about harmful content or safety issues.

In response to the need for kids to have safe, fun things to do at home, we launched a new kids’ website at www.havenforkids.fun. It’s full of fun activities, videos, stories, answers to questions kids might have, challenges for them to participate in, and more. We’ve seen a great response so far, and it has allowed us to share the hope of Jesus with kids all over our nation who are going through difficult times.

Virtual Summer Camp

We’re also excited to begin our first ever virtual camp experience this summer, allowing us to reach kids with the message of God’s love in the own homes. The kids will be registered for a specific week of virtual camp, and we’ll mail or hand deliver a special supply kit full of activities, snacks, instructions, and a few other items just for fun. They’ll receive an access code to a password-protected web site, where they can watch videos and livestreams from Youth Haven and interact with our staff. They’ll be able to earn points by completing various activities, and we’ll mail special prizes at the end of each week

Kids’ Care Packs

We also understand many of the kids who attend Youth Haven are in situations right now where their basic needs aren’t being met. Our schools did a fabulous job of stepping in to provide meals for kids, but we knew that wouldn’t meet all of their needs, so we developed a program called Kids’ Care Packs. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have delivered over 600 care packages to children in need during this difficult time, with snacks, personal hygiene items, activities, and small toys. We have received numerous e-mails from grateful parents with photos and videos of their kids opening the care packages.

Birthday Brigade & Bibles

But perhaps the most important need we’re meeting is the need for the children to feel loved, and to know they’re not alone. They need to be reminded that God loves them and is with them, no matter what they may be going through – and that they have friends here at Youth Haven who also love them. The web site, virtual camp, and care packages certainly help meet this need. In addition, we’re beginning a new Birthday Brigade to take cupcakes and gifts to kids on their birthdays. We’ve increased the number of mailed activities and Bible lessons we’re sending to the children. And we’ve mailed multiple copies of our custom Bibles to kids who visited our kids’ website and didn’t have Bibles of their own.

Donor Calls & Hearts’ Desires

Through all of this, we also knew how vital it was to continue building relationships with our supporters. We want them to realize this is a partnership, and we are working together to reach kids for Christ and meet their needs. We quickly began making phone calls to people who stand with us financially, simply asking how we could pray for them. What we found was that most of them turned the conversation around to asking how they could help us help the kids. That is their hearts’ desire, and we have been so grateful.

Personal Notes & Prayers

In addition to the phone calls, we have continued to send hand-signed thank-you letters with every gift receipt, a practice that is standard for us. We established a prayer team, inviting people to sign up to receive a weekly e-mail that includes first names of children they can be praying for. And we’ve relied heavily on our direct mail program to communicate with our supporters. We have also utilized social media, but given the fact that we also have parents and agency workers who follow our social media sites, we do have to be mindful of what we post there. Direct mail allows us to personalize our message to the group of people we’re trying to reach.

We’re so grateful for everyone who has continued to give and pray for the children during this time when so many are struggling. All of our programs are – and have always been – provided to disadvantaged children free of charge. God has been faithful, and as we continue to adapt and meet the needs of His children, He continues to provide partners who stand with us.

Guest post article submitted by Amy Carlson, Director of Communications and Marketing, Youth Haven. Amy’s husband, Lars Carlson, serves as President & CEO for Youth Haven.

As a pastor’s daughter, Amy has always been familiar with full-time ministry. When she met Lars Carlson in high school, God was already preparing their hearts for the calling He would place on their lives. They married in 1995, and Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Western Michigan University in 1997. That same year, Lars and Amy felt God calling them into full-time service at Youth Haven.

Capital Campaigns, Client Impact, Extra Inspiration, Strategic Planning

Simpson Rising!

by The Timothy Group
May 8, 2020

On occasion, The Timothy Group loves to share what Kingdom-inspiring things our friends are up to in hopes that it helps others clarify their “3 M” story – Ministry, Message, and Money. Here is what’s happening at Simpson University in Redding, CA.

MINISTRY

For almost 100 years, Simpson University has been a “Gateway to World Service!” Simpson is a Christian liberal arts university committed to creating an unapologetically evangelical Christ-centered learning community. Simpson desires to train students who are passionate about learn­ing and serving, with a deep desire to live their lives out loud as Christ-followers and influential leaders for the Kingdom.

MESSAGE

Simpson University’s passion is to be the university of choice for students who aspire to achieve their chosen life goals through a Christ-led, transformational and innovative education.

Simpson’s goal is to develop each student in mind, faith and character for a lifetime of meaningful work and service in a constantly changing world. The phrase “Simp­son Rising!” has come to symbolize their collective sense of what God is doing there. Simpson trustees have developed a visionary strategic plan that includes some exciting new projects that will position Simpson to be the university of choice for the next generation of Christian leaders.

One innovative way that Simpson is creating engagement and excitement is by making sure their “Simpson Rising” card gets into the hands, hearts, and minds of their constituency. (see photo below). This very well done half-page card showcases their 5-year strategic plan using graphic charts and visuals. Simpson’s President, Norman Hall, prefers using the “optics of momentum” as a positive alternative to some of the news messaging being published today. (Check out Norman’s thoughts as a guest host panelist from The Timothy Group’s Zoom Panel Forum discussion on “Visualizing A Season Of Recovery”.)

MONEY

Of course, Simpson’s visionary planning comes with raising the necessary funds to match their Kingdom goals. Their hopes and plans include raising $10M for a Business Technology and Engineering Building, $5M for a new Events Center, and another $5M for their Simpson Fund. They have begun to conduct a pre-campaign study which goes along with garnering alumni, family, friends, and community donor support.

The Timothy Group is supporting and praying for Simpson University’s Kingdom accomplishments! Simpson is Rising!

Simpson Rising Forecast Card
Client Impact

Hooray! Thank You For The Nice Words!

by The Timothy Group
April 15, 2020

Greetings in the Name of Jesus, Pat, Kent and Ron! Thank You!!! I very much appreciated your time and sharing efforts over the past few days. Job well done! I look forward to our future interactions and reinforcing the partnership between our two organizations. May God continue to lead, guide, and bless our collaborations! In His Service, Dan Reichard, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, World Mission.

Capital Campaigns, Client Impact, Development, Donor Relations, Fundraising, Major Donors, Strategic Planning

Hope Academy Discovers 4 Key Relationship Principles During Virtual Visits ~ Guest Post By Jim Stigman

by The Timothy Group
April 14, 2020

“Face-to-Face Virtual Visits: An Opportunity to Love Donors”

Hope Academy is a unique school. This year, 550 children are receiving a remarkable, God-centered education. Most are from low-income families in Minneapolis, a state that leads the nation in the size of the achievement gap between white and non-white students. We are 90% privately funded, but all families have some financial “skin-in-the-game.”

Our development model is also somewhat unique. In a typical non-profit, .7% of the donors may give 70% or more of the donations*. At Hope, we cultivate relationships with financial “partners” who each sponsor one or more students at $3,000 or more per year, and whose generous support make up over 85% of our total annual contributions. We currently have nearly 400 partners, over 95% recommitting year-over-year, and many who have been with us five or more years.

While the support of our faithful partners is certainly a strength, the current national lockdown provides a challenge for our advancement team, primarily as we seek to love our partners. Face-to-face visits are an obvious no-no. And like the rest of the world, our partners are being impacted in some big ways. Our number one priority is to connect with them, listen well, and pray with them. It is critical that we maintain this contact. Enter virtual visits!

In late February, we started pivoting to virtual visits (Microsoft TEAMS or Zoom, whichever works best for them) and the response has been very well received. During these visits, four key principles guide our development team:

Ministry vs. Manipulation: The calls aren’t designed to “get” something from our partners, but as a way to “give” them something.

Steady vs. Staggering: Hope Academy continues to provide our students and families with frontline support and a remarkable education, albeit remotely.

Hope vs. Harried: We are trying to plan for the coming school year, but we are not ringing our hands. We have hope that He will provide.

Christ vs. Crisis: What an opportunity to point to Jesus!

As we listen, God reveals an opportunity to minister through prayer:

“Please pray for our unsaved children.”

“My husband is dying.”

“I am a surgeon and quarantined from my family after work.”

“There is a 50/50 chance my business won’t survive this.”

“Our daughter’s wedding is cancelled.”

“We can’t visit my 93-year old mother in the nursing home.”

And the list goes on. We purpose to focus on them, often for the entire call. When appropriate, we give a Hope Academy update. We stress that the need for a remarkable, God-centered education for low-income, urban children is greater now than ever; by God’s grace, Hope is positioned for such a time as this; and we are all in this together moving by faith. We close by asking them to keep in touch, to keep us updated on prayer requests, and to let us know about their support when they are able. Many let us know on the spot that they are committed to Hope for the coming year.

As we increase our requests for remote video calls, some prefer a good old-fashioned phone, or to wait until this all blows over to meet for coffee. We pivot accordingly. But most take us up on the virtual visit offer. For now, a new normal. And a wonderful opportunity to support and encourage those who support and encourage us!

A final thought: I have enjoyed a strong working relationship with The Timothy Group over the years. The team was a great help as we launched and completed a $9 million capital campaign. I’m grateful for their wisdom, strategic guidance, personal attention, faith ignition, and good humor. ?

Jim Stigman, VP for Ministry Advancement, Hope Academy, Minneapolis MN

*www.fundraisingreportcard.com/benchmarks

Capital Campaigns, Client Impact, Fundraising

A Letter From Hope Academy

by The Timothy Group
November 2, 2017

October 19, 2017

Dear Pat, Kent and our friends at TTG,

At long last, I am writing to express my deep gratitude and satisfaction for the critical role that you played in our Growing Hope Capital Campaign. Your wisdom, experience, and guidance were invaluable as we took this huge step of faith. I’m certain that we wouldn’t have traveled as far, and as fast, as we did under your consultancy. Beginning with the pre-campaign study you helped us conduct (participation and positive responses were off the charts), you headed us on the right trajectory, helping us set a tone and pace towards success.

Here are just some of the highlights of our engagement with you:

Trustworthy:

Your years in the trenches helping Christ-centered organizations expand their impact gives you credibility beyond compare; we were able to trust your advice and move forward in confidence.

Inspiring:

While God has given us a vision to expand our work, you stimulated our move into action and help galvanize our resolve to move forward in faith.

Methodical:

While recognizing our unique scenario, you helped us develop a track to run on and helped us stay focused on the critical next steps.

Organized:

Your team provided timely and efficient support as we needed it, working together as a unit.

Thinkers:

Problem solving and strategy requires brain power – we benefited from your wisdom and experience.

Hopeful:

You recognize that development in a Christian environment requires faith – together we were focused on the Provider of all good gifts.

Yielding:

While God brings the harvest, your guidance positioned us for results – $8.3 million committed in 11 months.

Thank you for the important role that you’ve played in helping us to grow and spread Hope. Please share our gratefulness with others who may be interested in working with you.

In Him,

Jim Stigman, Head of Institutional Advancement, Hope Academy

Hope Academy

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