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Development, Donor Relations, Strategic Planning

Six Things Your Board Should Be Doing

I am guessing that most of you either answer to a Board, serve on a Board, or at minimum, work for an organization that has a Board. Whether called directors, members, trustees, or governors, the bottom line is they are generally charged with providing the governance – legally, financially and ethically. Charged with seeing that the organization proves successful. Non-profit organizations or ministries are no exception.

What Does Your Board Do?

But is that ALL they do? We hope not. The role of serving as a board member is way more important than that. These members are in a position to provide influence. They are asked to serve as a cheerleader and give their time, talent, and treasure. They are also tasked with persuading others to give, to volunteer, and more.

How Well Does Your Board Perform?

Many boards struggle from time to time to fulfill these roles effectively. A strong, functioning and supportive Board can be the CEO’s best friend. A poorly performing or disengaged board can be their greatest headache.

I was recently talking with a friend who serves as the executive director for a small non-profit organization. When referring to his ministry’s future plans, he said, “I’m more and more convinced that I cannot build core competencies within the organization and it does not reside at The Board level.”

What was he really saying? Most likely he’s saying, “My organization needs to grow. There are things we do well and things we don’t do well. I have gaps within my small team and we could do so much more if only______. I need help. One place I can look to is our board, but I don’t see the time, talent, or treasure there either.”

What Should Your Board Be Doing?

So, let’s look at the opposite scenario. If (some of) the needed “competencies” did exist at the board level, what would these look like? Here are 6 things that your board members should be doing to help their organization grow and flourish:

(1) Engaging donors on behalf of the organization.


VIEW MAJOR DONOR ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY REVEALED


(2) Cultivating relationships through invitations; soliciting their support at the right time.

(3) Utilizing specialized skills or experiences to benefit the organization (accounting, financial planning, legal advice, strategic planning, counseling, etc.).

(4) Making calls (virtual and phone) to thank donors especially at year-end.

(5) Presenting on behalf of the organization at churches, service clubs, and the like – serving as an “ambassador.”

(6) Writing and sharing content, resources, and invites as posted to their organization’s website and social media accounts.

The key here is that not only can board members provide a level of expertise, but they can save their organizations precious dollars otherwise spent on hiring or outsourcing. This creates a “win-win” for both the board member and the organization being served.

What Is One Thing You Can Do To Inspire Unification?

You may want to consider inviting leadership and board members to participate in a shared book review or group study using “Ask For A Fish” by Ron Haas. It was written with board members in mind. Click here to review and order our copies today.


Author: Pat McLaughlin. Learn more about Pat and his published books.

Donor Relations, Fundraising, Major Donors

Maximize Your Donor Outreach Strategies With Wealth Screening

WealthEngine (WE) is a screening tool that we use at The Timothy Group to assist our clients in researching, profiling, and categorizing donors into the proper brackets. Wealth screening is a helpful tool to maximize your donor outreach strategies.

WealthEngine was developed over 20 years ago to help clients in both the commercial and non-profit markets expand their audiences and increase their revenue. The WealthEngine components are Wealth Search, Wealth Screening, Prospect Research, Analyze, Model and Integrations.

Using breakthrough technology, the WealthEngine 9 (WE9) platform consumes trillions of points of data to create more than 250 million pre-scored profiles complete with scoring and insight into prospect propensity, capacity, and intent. WeathEngine calls this Engagement Science™.

Fundraising organizations and agencies (like us) using the WealthEngine platform because it leads the market in delivering the best wealth intelligence and prospect research. See published case studies.

The Timothy Group offers the following three WE components to our clients:

Individual Wealth Engine Searches

Individual WE Searches pull together data from 60 sources to look through 300 million profiles and 122 million households and also provides valuable insights from the data. Some of these insights include net worth, income, assets, real estate, and charitable giving. WealthEngine also has a system developed in order to rate each search, providing a consumer-friendly approach to the data analysis. Using a “ratings and scores” method,

WealthEngine breaks down each search into the following 2 main attributes:

(1) Wealth Insight Scores include Propensity to Give (P2G), Estimated Spending Capacity, Total Assets, Net Worth, Cash on Hand, Estimated Annual Donations, and Gift Capacity Range.

(2) Wealth Attribute Ratings include Gift Capacity Rating, RFM, Planned Giving—Bequest, Annuity & Trust, Influence, Inclination/Giving, and Inclination/Affiliation.

They are also able to provide demographic and lifestyle attributes for each search to help focus your donor criteria.

Batch Wealth Engine Screens

Batch Wealth Screens help by utilizing your current contact database and integrating it with the WE “rating and scores” method in bulk. Using the same data key points as the wealth search, screens will help you identify, segment, and prioritize your current donor base. These screens are also useful in identifying inaccurate information in your current database and updating that information for you. With results delivered via the cloud, you can rest assured that your contacts personal information is safe and secure. Using wealth screens can help you really maximize your donor outreach strategies.

Prospect Research

Prospect Research can help identify targeted custom audiences who may not be in your database yet. Using criteria and attributes based on income, work and home residences, donation preference, etc. you can develop a segmented contact list of donor prospects who may have giving interests similar to your ministry. These prospects should end up being very receptive to your mission and will have many goals in common.

The attributes available to use for segmentation include identity, wealth, giving, real estate, demographics, life events, lifestyle, interests, professional, vehicles, organizations, buying and technology. You can also use the criteria from successful past or current donors to create a look-alike model to base your prospecting from. By understanding past donor success, you can prospect to people with characteristics in common with your best donors.

All screens are completed and delivered digitally and can be completed in a day’s time as folows:

(1) We send the search template to you via email.

(2) You complete the template and send back.

(3) We submit the template and are notified that the results have been received.

(4) We process the results and then send them to you digitally.

(5) After you receive the results and have a chance to review them, we are available by phone to discuss the results with you. This phone conversation generally ranges from 30 minutes to one hour.

We would love to be of assistance to you through the use of WealthEngine. Please contact us if you have questions about the process. You can also check out the WealthEngine website at www.wealthengine.com.


Author: Jessie Blodgett, Marketing & Operations Manager of The Timothy Group

Development, Donor Relations, Fundraising, Major Donors, Stewardship

3 Ways To Treat Donors as Partners

President John F. Kennedy inspired a generation with his Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Kennedy shifted the focus from receiving to giving and, in doing so, motivated hundreds of thousands of volunteers to give their lives in public service to make the world a better place.

Nonprofits should apply this famous quote to their donor relationships, “Ask not what your donors can do for you – ask what you can do for your donors.” Too often we fixate on meeting our needs and asking donors to help us achieve our goals. In so doing, we become too one-sided in our approach to donors.

Let’s be honest though – there is a practical side to fundraising.

We must meet our budget or risk going out of business. But this organizational self-focus overlooks the mutual benefit donors can share by partnering with your ministry – helping them thrive!

Donors thrive when you include them in your mission to change lives for eternity. Paul referred to his relationship to the Philippian church as a “partnership in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5). They were partners because they gave generously time and time again to share in his troubles (Phil. 4:14-16). They saw themselves as coworkers. Here are three ways to treat your donors like full partners.

(1) Communicate Good News and Bad News

It’s easy to share the good news about growing enrollment, an unexpected gift, or a positive answer from the zoning commission, but our donor communications tend to be guarded, and almost cautious, when we have to share bad news.

Recently a ministry sent a cryptic letter explaining why the executive director was fired. One donor reacted, “The letter said something without saying anything.” Open and transparent communication will strengthen your bond with your donors. We coached this ministry to over communicate with their ministry partners by calling key stakeholders to answer any questions they might have about the situation.

Paul was authentic about the many ministry challenges he faced. “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). He was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, left for dead, and shipwrecked. “I have labored and toiled and often gone without sleep, I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides all this, I face the daily pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:27,28). As Paul’s readers experienced his story, their hearts joined his.

Key Takeaway: There is nothing to hide. Be honest, open, and forthright with your ministry partners.

(2) Speak from your Donor’s Perspective

Too often we ask our donors to support us as we do the work . When Paul sat chained in prison, in a real sense those Philippian believers were right there with him. When he floated to shore during his shipwreck (Acts 27), they were also bobbing up and down in the waves with him. When he preached the gospel and men, women and children came to faith, the Philippians shared in his harvest because they had invested in planting the seed.

Help them see their value by placing them on the front lines of ministry. Recently at a donor event the executive director of a relief and development agency made his appeal extremely personal. “Next week you will be serving food to refugees in Syria providing a warm meal and hope. You will be in Thailand rescuing young women trapped in sex-trafficking. You will be in Iraq sharing Bibles with people who have never seen a Bible. And you will be in India meeting the most urgent needs of a child in poverty.” These phrases transported donors from being spectators to becoming participants. It helped them thrive.

Key Takeaway: People learn best not by watching from the sideline but by playing in the game! Help your donors engage an “in-game” experience.

(3) Emphasize Eternal Dividends

Who really benefits from a donor’s gift? You do, because you can raise the funds to stay in business. The people you serve benefit, because you can continue ministering to them. Your donors also benefit because they will receive eternal rewards. Paul responded to the Philippians’ generosity, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account (Phil 4:17).

Donor partnership is not just a one-way street. It should be a genuine partnership mutually beneficial to both your ministry and your donors. As a Christian ministry, you give your donors the unique opportunity of laying up treasures in heaven.

In all your donor communication you must tell great stories of changed lives. It’s not about your buildings, but what happens inside your buildings. It’s not about your staff; it’s how they impact your service recipients. It’s really not about your ministry at all; it’s about helping your donors fulfill their God-given responsibility to be good stewards. Give them compelling reasons to partner with you to impact eternity. Help them thrive!

Key Takeaway: Your ministry partners are not investing in a program or a product; they are investing in changed lives. Treat them as full partners in the gospel.


Download our free e-guide and HELP OTHERS DISCOVER THE GRACE OF GIVING.


Authors: Pat McLaughin and Ron Haas. Check out their published books.

Learn more about Pat here.

Ron has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Donor Relations, Fundraising, Fundraising Verse of the Week, Major Donors

4 Types Of Donor Heart Responses

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:3-8).

The parable of the four types of soil reveal different heart responses of 4 types of donors. Jesus’ message of forgiveness was the same for everyone, but not everyone could receive it. Your ministry faces these same reactions from potential donors.

Path

This donor doesn’t resonate at all with your mission. Your message bounces off their heart and never takes root.

Rocky

This donor makes an emotional response to your appeal but has no genuine connection to your mission and their support quickly fades.

Thorns

This person receives your message and responds but has too many other concerns that prevent them from becoming a faithful supporter. Jesus comments on this soil, “but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).

Good

This donor receives your message and responds generously. Some produce thirty, some sixty and some one hundred.

How should this inform us regarding our major donor strategy? We can spend lots of time cultivating relationships with those along the path, on rocky soil, or infested with thorns – yet none of these soils produce fruit. Instead, focus your efforts on those donors whose heart connects with yours.

One Christian university analyzed their million-dollar gifts and discovered that in almost every situation, the donor’s first gift was small, but their gifts grew as their relationship grew.

Challenge

Spend your time in the right soil cultivating gifts that are thirty, so they grow into sixty, one hundred – or even a million.


Author: Ron Haas, The Timothy Group. Ron has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Video Animator: Madison Bluhm, The Timothy Group

Donor Relations, Major Donors, Strategic Planning

Partnering With Principal Gift Donors

Common fundraising wisdom suggests that 80% of dollars come from 20% of donors – the Pareto Principle applied to fundraising. In recent years, there has been a shift toward a higher percentage of dollars coming from a smaller percentage of donors. For the most part, 80/20 has been replaced with a 95/5 ratio. This shift emphasizes how important your top ten donors are to your success. A principal gifts strategy focuses your efforts on those few individuals who can make the greatest impact on your mission with their most generous gifts.

Cultivating principal gifts is different from your major gift strategy because these generous friends have the potential to move your ministry in an entirely new direction. This requires closer personal relationships and a greater emphasis on partnership. Large gifts require shared objectives, careful planning, and confidence in in your organization’s leaders. Principal gift donors don’t just want to support your vision, they want to dream with you. They look for ministries who have leaders with big ideas who can follow through.

Nehemiah was that leader with a big idea (Nehemiah 1:1-2:9). The walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed making the Israelites vulnerable to their enemies, but Nehemiah was 900 miles away and lacked resources. So, he did the only thing he could do – he prayed. He shed tears, fasted, and pleaded with God for four months. His answer came in the form of a principal donor. Nehemiah’s example teaches us seven important lessons about principal gift engagement.

Personal Relationship

Nehemiah and King Artaxerxes weren’t equals, but they were friends. They were close enough that the king noticed that something was troubling Nehemiah. How well do you know your top ten donors? Have you spent enough time with them to move from a casual acquaintance to an intimate friendship? Do you know their struggles with work, health, or children? Can they sense when you are carrying a heavy burden? The conventional wisdom when in the presence of kings and donors is, “put on a happy face.” You should be so close to some of your key donors that your hearts align as you listen to the Holy Spirit for “what’s next.”

Prayer

It wasn’t enough that Nehemiah had spent four months fasting and praying about the troubles in Jerusalem. He also breathed a quick prayer before answering the king when he asked what was troubling him (Neh. 2:4). Some people approach donors as ATM machines – punch in the right code, take the money, and leave. But successful donor relationships start with the premise that God is the ultimate source of our wealth. By asking for God to work in the situation, Nehemiah demonstrated that he relied more on God than on his own skills of persuasiveness. You might have a winning personality, a great brochure, and a fantastic video, but have you prayed? Proverbs 21:1 teaches, “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.”

Passion

Nehemiah started with “Why,” not “What.” He didn’t flood the king with a long, detailed case statement with a site plan of Jerusalem and schematics of the wall construction. His request wasn’t about bricks, mortar, and timber; it wasn’t even about building a wall and hanging city gates. Instead, Nehemiah answered the “So What?” question, “How will this project change lives?” Principal gift donors are motivated by stories and Nehemiah’s was compelling. He was sad because Jerusalem was in ruins and desired to bring relief to his people who were suffering. Nehemiah shared his heart with passion and the king responded with equal passion.

A Plan

King Artaxerxes responded to with, “What is it you want?” (Neh. 2:4). When a donor asks, “What do you want from me?” you better be ready with an answer. Nehemiah had spent four months not just praying, but planning. He had his requests ready including: time off, passports, a list of materials, and a security detail. When the king asked about a specific timeline, Nehemiah had a specific answer.

Do you know where you are going? How long it will take to get there? How much it will cost? How you will know when you’ve finally arrived? Many organizations have a fuzzy strategic plan – “We’re just going to do more of the same things we already do.” Principal donors are looking for a solid business plan. They are principal donors because they had a vision for accomplishing something in their own lives and figured out the steps necessary to achieve their goals. They expect the same from you. If you don’t have a clear strategic plan, focus on that first before asking principal donors to join you.

“Please”

Nehemiah asked boldly, “If it pleases the king…” His approach reveals two important aspects of the “ask.” First of all, be polite. Nehemiah didn’t demand a gift, he asked. Sometimes ministry leaders can be abrupt with donors. Here’s a phrase someone actually used, “God has blessed you with this nice house and lots of money, you ought to give to our cause.” Needless to say, his request was unsuccessful. Ask for a gift in the way you would like to be asked.

The second lesson is to focus on the interests of the donor. How can you work with them to accomplish their goals? What motivates them to give? How do they want to make an impact? After all, God has entrusted them with the responsibility to be stewards of their resources. The gift should “please” them in the sense that it will accomplish something of eternal significance.

Partners

When you ask a donor for a gift, you are asking that person to become your partner. Both parties in this partnership are important. You provide the front line of ministry, and your donor provides the support that makes your ministry possible. Nehemiah’s partner was the king and that relationship gave Nehemiah confidence when he faced opposition. The confidence that your major donors place in you should give you strength in tough times.

A donor wants to have confidence in your leadership; that you know what you are doing, that you will use the gift for the purposes that it was given, that you will follow through. Viewing your donors as partners raises your own stewardship of the gift. You’re not just accountable to your board for the way in which you manage the gift, you are accountable to the donor.

Praise

Because Nehemiah was so close to the king, it’s safe to assume that he thanked him for his generous gift. But Nehemiah realized the ultimate source of the gift, “Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests” (Neh. 2:8).

Fundraising does not depend upon the philanthropic spirit of donors. Ultimately, it is the blessing of God who chooses to work through individuals. Christian donors want to be thanked for their gift, but they want the praise directed to the Lord.

Do you feel like you’re carrying the burden of your ministry all by yourself? Ask God to help you identify principal donors whom you could invite to join your cause. Then walk with them as you discover God’s will for what he wants you and your principal donors to accomplish together.


Author: Ron Haas

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Donor Relations, Fundraising Verse of the Week

The BEST Donor Script

“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20

If you decide to answer a random number on your cell, you may quickly realize it’s an auto-attendant script. Some expert has meticulously input the right trigger words to pique your interest and move you to action before you end the call.

Actors memorize, internalize and personalize their scripts to become the character they are portraying. These steps are helpful as you prepare for your donor calls and visits. You should learn everything possible about your ministry.

Memorize your mission, vision, core values, and key phrases from your strategic plan.

Internalize these concepts so they become part of you, not just rote facts.

Personalize your presentation by sharing impact stories of how your ministry is making a difference.

While we should “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks” (1 Peter 3:15), Jesus told his disciples when they were called before the judge, not to worry about what to say or how to say it because it wouldn’t be them speaking, but the Spirit speaking through them.

It’s important to prepare for your donor call and visits, but sometimes we worry, “what if I don’t say the right thing, or worse, what if I say the wrong thing?” Ultimately, you are not responsible for the outcome. You are God’s spokesperson to present your ministry to the best of your ability and ask for their support. Before your next visit, ask God for “what to say and how to say it.”

Then let the Spirit speak through you.


Ron Haas, Vice President of The Timothy Group, has also served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Donor Relations, Major Donors

Making It Right With Donors On Your List

Have you ever been puzzled why one donor is riveted by your cause and seems to spur an avalanche of giving while another, equally dire, seems to be offended? In this Lunch & Learn Webinar Series, Pat shares and unpacks the ways donors become turned off, what we fundraisers expect is not always what we get, the 10 uncontrollables/5 controllables to make things right and how to re-win friends.


Learn more about Pat and his published books.

Donor Relations, Fundraising Verse of the Week, Major Donors

Are You The First Person A Donor Calls?

“You are those who have stood by me in my trials” (Luke 22:28).

One of the scenes during the Last Supper includes the disciples arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus taught them one last time about what it means to be a servant. Then he commends them for standing by him through all his trials. They had faithfully followed him for three years; some early followers had turned back because his teaching was too difficult to accept (see John 6:66). Jesus’ words of affirmation seem ironic on the night all his disciples would scatter. Nevertheless, Jesus in kindness shared his genuine appreciation for his remaining disciples.

Standing By

Donors appreciate your presence when you stand by them in difficult life moments. Perhaps you visited them in the hospital, cried with them over a prodigal child, encouraged them through a financial crisis, or mourned with them at the graveside of a loved one. As a donor representative you have the unique privilege of accompanying your ministry partners as they walk through the dark valleys.

A True Friend

Jim is a development director who genuinely cares for his donors. They aren’t just names on his donor portfolio, they are close friends. Bill and Mary had supported Jim’s ministry faithfully over the years. For one capital campaign, Jim challenged them to consider a $1 million gift. Even though Bill had the financial capacity, he resisted and told Jim, “I hope the fact that we can’t give this gift won’t harm our friendship.” Jim responded, “Bill, nothing could come between us. I am just grateful for the privilege of asking you for a gift of this size. Not everyone has this ability.”

During Times of Trial.

Bill and Mary prayed about the gift. Two weeks later Bill called Jim and said, “Mary and I have been thinking and talking. God has been so good to us and we want to give that gift.” Jim expressed his incredible thankfulness for Bill and Mary’s generosity. Now the rest of the story: Several years later, Bill passed away and Jim was the first person Mary called. She sent her private jet to pick up Jim so he could fly to Florida and accompany her as they brought Bill’s body home. She did not ask her sons—she asked Jim.

What true friend are you standing by during times of trial?


Ron Haas, Vice President of The Timothy Group, has also served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

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