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Fundraising, Major Donors

Big Rock Fundraising

by Ron Haas
April 5, 2021
In his book, First Things First, Steven Covey shared a story about a seminar leader who used an empty jar and some rocks to illustrate the importance of setting priorities. “How many rocks do you think will fit into this jar?” the instructor asked. After a few guesses from the audience, he began to carefully place as many rocks into the jar as he could. When he reached the top, he asked. “Is the jar full?” “Yes!” someone in the back shouted. He then grabbed a bucket of gravel and began pouring it into the jar, stopping occasionally to shake it into every available space between the bigger rocks. “Is the jar full?” he asked. Now the audience was catching on and someone replied, “Probably not.” “Good!” he responded as he reached for a bucket of sand and dumped it into the jar, shifting it back and forth until every crevice was filled. “Is the jar full now?” he asked. “No!” the crowd yelled. “Good!” he replied as he poured a pitcher of water into the jar of rocks, gravel, and sand. Then he asked, “What does this jar of rocks, gravel, sand and water teach you about time management and your priorities?” Somebody replied, “There are gaps in my time, and if you work really hard you can always fit something more into your life!” “Wrong answer!” he replied. “The lesson is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never fit them in.” Too Busy to Fundraise As a ministry leader you have many big rocks in your life: cast the vision, build, lead, and motivate your team, inspire enthusiasm, drive new initiatives, manage multiple constituencies, and successfully engage the board. Then there’s all the gravel, sand, and water issues of budgeting, marketing, organizing, planning, scheduling, writing, reporting, encouraging, and handling personnel issues which can easily explode into big rock issues. I’m convinced. You are an incredibly busy person with no room for another big rock in your life—especially the big rock called “fundraising.” “Big Rock” Fundraising involves two key principles: identifying major donors and investing your time with them. Yes, you need donors who can partner with you at all levels. Yes, your ministry is grateful for every donor no matter what size of gift. But to reach your gift income potential, you must cultivate personal relationships with major donors. Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of the resources will come from 20% of your donor base. The ratio is more like 95/5: 95% of your funds will come from 5% of your donors. Who are your “big rocks?” Do you know their names? Do you know what motivated them to give? Have you personally thanked them for partnering with you? The most important fundraising strategy you could implement is to list your top twenty-five donors and begin making personal visits. Connect a name with a face. Get to know them and listen to their giving priorities. Share stories of lives you’ve touched. Tell them what their gift could accomplish. Making Time for Big Rocks If you’re serious about finding more resources for your ministry, the fundraising rock must be one of the biggest rocks in your jar. Now before you pick up a rock and throw it at me, consider this. What nonprofit organization in your city has the most fundraising success? If you were to ask them why they are successful at fundraising, you would discover that their CEO devotes at least 50% of his or her time cultivating relationships with major donors. Those who invest even more time achieve extraordinary results. Those who spend less time often struggle to survive. You are thinking, “But I didn’t get into ministry to spend all my time raising money.” I understand. But think of this, there are certain things that only the executive director can do; cultivating relationships with major donors is at the top of the list. Major donors want to talk with the boss. They want to hear your passion and vision for the future. They want to make a difference with their gift, so they want to know if you will follow through with what you say you will do. They want to give to people they can trust, and you build that trust by meeting with them face to face. If you can succeed with your big rock relationships, you’ll be able to expand your personnel, programs, and even your property. I challenge you to commit even 20 percent of your time cultivating big rock donors. Delegate tasks that others could do. Focus your time on big rocks. You ask, “OK, where do I start?” The first problem you will face is the urgent often crowds out the important. Take control of your calendar and clear one day a week from all the gravel, sand, and water that gets in your way. Spend the entire day identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donors. Your “Big Rock” Day Some CEOs try to ease into this time management shift, but it is best to go “cold turkey.” Don’t worry—meetings that require your presence will fill into the cracks somewhere. Divide your time into six key strategies:

1. Research. Identify those individuals who have the capacity to support your ministry. Discover who in your organization knows them the best and can introduce you.

2. Relationship. Invest time cultivating these donor relationships before asking for a large gift. Educate them about how your ministry impact lives.

3. Request. You must ask for a specific gift. Hinting is not enough; you must be straightforward and ask. “Big Rock” donors want to know what you want from them.

4. Recognize. Say, “Thank You” in an appropriate way.

5. Recruit. Encourage your new donor to open doors to others who might also support your cause.

6. Report. How your organization shows appreciation to donors becomes an important factor in whether your donor cultivation cycle keeps moving forward or grinds to a halt. Continue sharing compelling stories of changed lives.

You have an important decision to make. You can spend your time shifting around gravel, sand, and water, trying to squeeze in enough room for big rocks, or you can dump the jar and start over. Remember, if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never fit them in. Resource: Stephen Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First, New York, NY: Fireside, 1996
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.
Development, Donor Relations, Fundraising

Donor Research Basics – (Part 2)

by Jody Fausnight
March 22, 2021

In our last article we reviewed three sources of donor prospecting research available to all ministries: internal, advocate, and external resources. We also categorized donors as general, mid-level, or major. Now that you have identified your donors, the next steps are qualify and cultivate.

Qualifying Donors
Major donors typically represent the top 10-20% of your donors. These individuals have given, or you believe have the capacity to give at your major donor giving threshold. Your time is limited, so you should qualify your major donor prospects to make sure they are genuine major donors. Some gifts meet your major donor criteria, but as you follow up you might learn that the donor made a one-time gift because they tithed an inheritance or sold a property. These donors may be great supporters but should probably be categorized and cultivated as mid-level donors.

The 4C Rating System
Qualifying donors requires some investigation work. Uncover this key donor information:

1. Connection – Does this person have a current or past connection to your ministry?

          • As a service recipient, or family member of a recipient?
          • As a former staff member of your ministry?
          • As a current or past advocate?
          • As a current or past volunteer?

2. Current – Is this person currently involved, or recently involved in the last 12-36 months?

          • As a donor to our ministry in the last three years?
          • As a service recipient, or family member of a service recipient?
          • As a current or past volunteer?
          • As an attendee at a recent community ministry or fundraising event?
          • Any of the above but more than three years prior?

3. Capacity – What do internal, advocacy, and external sources tell you about this person’s ability to give at your major gift level?

          • Are they someone who has given a major gift in the past to your ministry?
          • If not, has their pattern of giving or involvement indicated that they may be able to increase their giving?
          • Would advocacy sources such as your board members or development committee volunteers know these prospects and be willing to make an introduction?

4. Commitment – Does this prospect have a demonstrated commitment to your ministry mission? What is their interest level?

          • Are they a current donor or past donor?
          • What are their interests/hot buttons reflected in giving records or CRM notations?
          • Are they a current volunteer, past volunteer, or leader, but perhaps not a donor yet?
          • If so, how have they served?
          • Have they seen the impact of your ministry in a loved one, friends, or neighbors in the community?

Use the following 4C Score for each prospect based on the information you discover:

Prioritize your initial efforts with those donors and prospects having a 16-20 combined ratings total, then focus on those in the 12-15 range. Those who are mid-level donors or prospects may fall in the 8-12 range and should be engaged after you have reached those with higher ratings.

Cultivating Donors
Treat every donor with kindness and respect but concentrate your time with donors who have the capacity to significantly advance your ministry. You should invest 50 percent or more of your time cultivating relationships with these key donors through phone, direct email, and in-person or zoom meetings. In every phase of your donor relationships, you should always be in a discovery mode.  Never stop learning about your donors. Consider these questions to cultivate a deeper understanding about what connects them to your ministry.

          • What or who first ignited your interest in serving with or giving to our ministry?
          • What inspires you most about our mission? Why?
          • How would you relate your involvement with our ministry to your spiritual walk and life?
          • Can you think of a time when a ministry did something or responded in a way that surprised or delighted you? What was that experience like?
          • What strengths or opportunities do you see for our ministry?

Listen well to every donor conversation and record key points in your CRM to help build your institutional knowledge about each major donor.

Ask good questions and listen for your donors’ passions. Then you can present a tailor-made proposal that aligns perfectly with their capacity, interest, and heart!

About the Author: Jody Fausnight, CFRE, has worked in the fund development field for more than 25 years serving as a director of advancement, a community/public relations director with four non-profit organizations, and as a consultant. Jody has expertise in Christian school recruiting, public relations, fund development, and major gift cultivation strategies. He has successfully raised many millions on behalf of numerous organizations and has grown ministry development programs from the ground up on more than one occasion.

Development, Fundraising, Major Donors, Stewardship

Fundraising with Heart!

by Kent Vanderwood
March 22, 2021

We often talk about fundraising metrics: donor retention rate (DRR), donor attrition (DA), donor churn (DC), donor frequency (DF), donor lifetime value (DLV), return on investment (ROI), cost to raise a dollar (CRD), the stress levels of advancement personnel (SLAP). Wait, I made that last one up. You get the idea. We have devised many ways to measure many things, but when it comes right down to it, relationships are the key to all successful donor engagements. Let me share a brief testimonial.

As consultants, we often work on behalf of our clients—meeting donors, assisting with solicitation calls, making thank you calls, and more. Recently, I delivered some donor appreciation gifts for one of my clients. The gift was a beautiful picture and “thank you” inscription framed in a nice plaque. One of my deliveries was to an elderly donor whom I first met in December, when I called on her for a year-end gift. She has been a widow for two or three years and became a major donor last year when she attended the ministry’s fall banquet with her church group. No one from the ministry had met with her personally before me. We had an enjoyable visit as she shared how she and her husband made giving decisions. He loved supporting Christian ministries that made an eternal impact. So, when I called her last week to ask if I could stop by to deliver a gift, she quickly responded, “yes!”

When I arrived at her home, she graciously led me to her kitchen table. I noted that her speech was somewhat slurred but did not draw attention to it. I asked how she was feeling. She shared that she had recently had a tumor removed in the back of her throat—that explained why it was difficult for her to speak clearly. She was scheduled for radiation therapy next week, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. We talked about how her sons and friends would rotate driving duties to and from her treatment sessions.

I asked her if I could pray with her and she readily accepted. As we held hands and prayed, I felt God touching her body as I spoke words of peace to her. When we ended, I told her we would add her name to the ministry’s prayer list, and she thanked me. I asked if I could call her halfway through her radiation treatments to see how she was doing. We hugged and she led me to the door, but not before handing me an envelope—inside was a $5,000 gift to the ministry.

Now, here is the point I want to make. Was she going to give that money anyway? Perhaps, but maybe not now, or in this way. I noted the date on the check was the date of my visit. She wrote that check knowing I was coming. She could have mailed it, but instead personally handed it to me. I believe that was intentional. I am sure this was not the last time I will meet with her or pick up a donation at her kitchen table. Her hug was the metric I value because it shows that this ministry has connected with her heart!

About the Author: Kent Vanderwood, Vice President – Kent offers clients over 35 years of non-profit experience including teaching, administrative, consulting, and directorships. 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. He currently serves as a board member for the West Michigan chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 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.

Development, Donor Relations, Fundraising

Donor Research Basics – Identify (Part 1)

by Jody Fausnight
March 10, 2021

How do you find the right people with the capacity and heart to advance your mission? You have limited time and resources to cultivate relationships with your donors and must be strategic by fishing where the fish are likely to bite. Who in your database are most likely to support the mission, initiatives, and impact opportunities of your ministry? Where do you start? Begin with methodical research and move to appropriate segmentation activities and communications.

You have three research resources available to you:

Internal sources – your database/CRM provides historical giving records as well as notes on past involvement in events, activities, and volunteer engagement.

Advocate sources – your board members and key volunteers can offer confidential anecdotal input about prospective donors’ interests, capacity, and potential support for your mission. Great starter questions for board or committee members are:

•   “Who do you know on this list and how do you know them?”

•   “How long have you known them?”

•   “Do they know anything about our ministry?

•   “Are they aligned with our mission?”

•   “Who is not on our list that should be?”

External sources– third-party wealth screening resources can help you determine potential giving capacity.

The first two choices are great qualification opportunities that only cost your time and effort. Limited external research is also available at no additional cost through Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social media sources. Wealth screening services such as Wealth Engine and DonorSearch can help you develop a clearer picture of your donors’ interests and capacity.

Donor Segments
Prioritize your current donors and prospects as major or general donors. First, define what a major donor is for your ministry. For smaller organizations, a major donor might be $500 or $1000 given in a year (one-time gifts or a series of gifts). In larger ministries, a major donor may give $10,000 or more annually. Many ministries also develop special mid-level donor strategies to reach those who fall between your general and major donor categories.

Donor Communication
Your ministry should be cultivating relationships with individuals, business owners, and foundation representatives using multiple tools like newsletters, appeals, event invitations, email, and social media. Some people in your database are lapsed donors that you need to reconnect. Many times, it’s easier to rewin a friend than to make a new one. Perhaps some in your donor base have never given. These could be current or past volunteers, past recipients of ministry services or family members of those recipients. You may not be able to invest lot of time cultivating these donors face-to-face, but you can cultivate them through your communication channels.

Look for creative ways to share your story. One ministry sends weekly prayer emails and occasional video updates. Recently, when the executive director met a new donor, the donor said, “I’ve never met you, but I feel that I know you because I read your emails every week and watch your videos.”

In part 2, we will discuss how to qualify those donors we’ve identified.

About the Author: Jody Fausnight, CFRE, has worked in the fund development field for more than 25 years serving as a director of advancement, a community/public relations director with four non-profit organizations, and as a consultant. Jody has expertise in Christian school recruiting, public relations, fund development, and major gift cultivation strategies. He has successfully raised many millions on behalf of numerous organizations and has grown ministry development programs from the ground up on more than one occasion.

Development, Fundraising, Major Donors, Stewardship

Leadership Giving

by Kent Vanderwood
March 10, 2021

Your first question might be, what exactly is leadership giving?

Leadership giving is a principle introduced in the Old Testament that is still relevant today. Two main passages teach this concept. In Exodus 25, Moses asked for gifts to build the tabernacle:

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breast piece.’” (Exodus 25:1-7).

In 1 Chronicles 29, David gathered resources to construct the temple:

“Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?’  Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly” (1 Chronicles 29:1-9).

We see a model for giving in each of these passages. God told Moses to start with gifts of “gold, silver and bronze” (Ex. 25:2). Who had valuable gifts like this to give? The leaders of Israel, presumably. But He also added the phrase, “from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.” Moses invited everyone to give, but he asked the leaders to give first.

King David followed the same model. The first gifts were gold, silver, bronze, iron, followed by wood, fine stones, and marble. The key phrase appears in 1 Chronicles 29:3-5, where David gave his OWN treasures for the temple. He did not ask others to do what he was not willing to do himself. He set the pace, and everyone followed his lead.

This is how the 1 Chronicles 29 campaign ended, “Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work (all) gave willingly” (vs. 6). When the people saw their leaders give, they rejoiced for what God was accomplishing (vs. 9). When your leaders set the pace, others will be inspired to give.

Who are the “leaders” in your organization? Who should be the first to give? Depending on the type of non-profit you are, this would include the trustees, foundation board, steering committee (if you are engaged in a capital campaign), staff, parents, and possibly even service recipients. Each of these groups serves in leadership in some way and together they form your “leadership giving.”

Four Takeaways:

•  Start with your giving. David gave first in 1 Chronicles 29:1-5, then the other the leaders gave (vs. 6-7), and finally the rest of the people joined in (vs. 8-9).

•  Start at the top. Top-down giving begins with the leaders (gold, silver bronze).

•  Move inside-out. Giving should start with those who are the closest to the ministry, then move to those who are less involved.

•  Invite everyone to give. Exodus 25:2 and 35:4, “Everyone who is willing…” It’s important to ask everyone in your constituency to partner in fulfilling your mission.

So, how much should each person give?
This is a very personal matter, between the individual and God, leading through his Holy Spirit. Moses said, “From what you have, take an offering for the Lord” (Exodus 35:4). Can you give a gift of gold? If so, you should. Maybe your gift is fine linen, acacia wood, or onyx stone. Giving is about “equal sacrifice, not equal gifts.” If you pray and ask God with a sincere and open heart, he will speak to you.

Paul gives this instruction for leaders:
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:15-17).

Leaders demonstrate their leadership through their sacrificial giving. Lead by example and others will follow.

About the Author: Kent Vanderwood, Vice President – Kent offers clients over 35 years of non-profit experience including teaching, administrative, consulting, and directorships. Through his work as Development Director for The Potter’s House, Gospel Communications Inte
rnational, and Mel Trotter Ministries, Kent brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and development. He currently serves as a board member for the West Michigan chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 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.

Development, Fundraising, Major Donors

Fundraising Superpower: Mind Reader

by Kent Vanderwood
February 10, 2021

Perhaps you’ve heard this famous fundraising axiom, “Successful fundraising is the right person asking the right prospect for the right amount for the right project at the right time in the right way¹”.

So, how do you know the right amount to ask for? What if you ask too high? Or, too low? Can you go back for seconds if you asked for the wrong amount the first time? Here’s where the fundraising superpower of reading your donors’ minds would come in handy. You could nail the right ask every time. This superpower doesn’t come by gamma radiation, exposure to chemicals from another planet, a science experiment gone wrong, or a radioactive spider bite. But it’s not as complicated as you might think.

Asking for the right amount starts with research. Who is this donor or prospect? Have they given before? How much? What do you know about them personally? What other ministries do they support? How much do they usually give? You can research this donor with internal and external data. Internally, you should review your donors’ giving records, talk to staff who know them, ask board members if they have any personal or business relationships. Check out external online wealth screening resources such as Blackbaud Analytics, Donor Search, Donor Scape, iWave, and Wealth Engine to name a few. Both internal and external research provide key datapoints to help you determine the right gift amount.

Rules of Thumb

•  Start with their largest annual gift. If you are   asking for another annual gift, suggest the donor increase their gift by 25% or more.

•  If you’re asking for a capital campaign multiple year pledge, you could request 10 to 25 times their largest single gift, depending on their capacity.

•  If in doubt, ask high. It is usually better to ask a donor to “stretch” their stewardship decision, rather than feel like you asked too low. If it is too high, they will tell you. Rarely will they say, “You didn’t ask enough, I was planning to give $_______.” Charles W. Phillips of the McLellan Foundation once remarked, “No large ask should be a surprise; every smaller ask is an insult.”

A client shared a recent capital campaign ask where the donor responded, “You’re leaving money on the table. You asked for $4,500 but we could give $10,000.” Their largest single gift was $1,500, so she tripled it for the three-year campaign ask, but she didn’t realize that this donor was silent partner in a very successful local car dealership whose profits were up this year. If she had done her research, perhaps she would have asked for more and received more.

“Sweet Spot” Solicitation

Personal solicitation is built on relationships which you cultivate before the actual ask. Get to know your donors – their interests, passions, and what motivates them most about what you do. The more you know, the more accurately you will discern the right project and the right amount. A donor’s “sweet spot” is not always easy to detect or uncover, but once you do, you have a better chance to hit a home run. Just like in baseball, hit the sweet spot, and watch it fly out of the park!

I saw this principle happen firsthand on a recent visit with a client engaged in a major capital campaign. The development director and I visited a couple and presented a gift proposal for $30,000, based on their last campaign gift eight years ago and their annual giving since that time. It was a bit of a “stretch” over their past giving.

The visit went well; they loved the campaign components. After our $30,000 ask, the donor said that he and his wife would talk and have an answer in a week. We then showed him a list of named gift opportunities ranging from $100,000 to $1 million. It’s helpful to share this information even if the donor can’t give more or is not interested in recognition, because they may know someone who might be.

Little did we know that one of the items on that named gift list hit a “sweet spot.” Four hours after our visit, the donor came to the office with a completed pledge card for $150,000! That is right – not the $30,000 we asked him, but five times that amount. Their family’s interest in music, drama, and the arts had gone largely undetected, but they wanted to leave a legacy. As they discussed the campaign, they decided to put their name on an outside amphitheater.

Just think of the success you could have with every major donor if you took the time to uncover their “sweet spots.” It doesn’t always happen the way I described above but you need to be intentional about discovering your donors’ true interests. It’s hard work, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

You really don’t need to be a superhero to know how much to ask your donor. Listen to their heart and passion, then you can pitch the right project and the right gift amount!

Resource: ¹Weinstein, Stanley. The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management, 4th Ed. Wiley. 2017.

About the Author: Kent Vanderwood, Vice President – Kent offers clients over 35 years of non-profit experience including teaching, administrative, consulting, and directorships. 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. He currently serves as a board member for the West Michigan chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 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, Development, Fundraising

Rejoice! Sterling College

by The Timothy Group
January 27, 2021

Sterling College recently dedicated the new Gleason Center Expansion, the first of three building projects that are part of a $25 million SterlingNOW campaign. The College also plans to build Zaid-West Science and Research Center, a 30,000 square foot science and math building, and renovate Thompson Hall, a 24,000 square foot building that currently houses the science, math, and business programs.

The Gleason addition features 32,000 square feet of new and renovated space, including three classrooms, 20 offices for faculty and coaches, the Dudrey Center for Health Sciences, the Mabee Wellness Center & Weight room, the First Bank Lobby & Hall of Fame, new and additional locker room space and the new Wilkey Fieldhouse.

For the first 13 months of our campaign, we employed another fundraising consulting firm to lead us through the College’s first campaign in over thirteen years. Among other concerns with the firm, we became aware that the feasibility study this firm conducted on our behalf was dishonest. Not the start that a first-time President, a new Vice President for Advancement, and a Board of Trustees had in mind.

 

Then Pat McLaughlin and Ron Haas of The Timothy Group (TTG) stepped in. They quickly helped us organize and re-tool our campaign. The training delivered by TTG to staff, board, and campaign committee members was outstanding and customized to who we are and where we were in the campaign equipping us very well for campaign success. Their research and evaluation of our campaign status provided our President and board the assurance that we were on track and that we could achieve our goal.

More specifically, TTG coached us through the intricacies of major gift solicitation. They sharpened the case for support when making the ask, refined our listening skills, and accompanied us in the field with donor briefings and solicitations. TTG built our confidence and helped us be bold with our prospective donors. They helped us craft the proposal and took part in our presentation that secured a $2 million matching challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation.

Personally, Pat and Ron were invaluable to me as they provided insight, encouragement, and took evening and weekend phone calls to help me in some of the most challenging times and situations during the campaign. The Timothy Group was integral to our success.

About the Author: Scott Carter is the former Sterling Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Relations. After leading Sterling’s successful campaign, he now serves as Director of Development-Athletics at University of Colorado Boulder. Scott, Heather, and their two children live in Estes Park, Colorado and enjoy occasional visits from black bears and mountain lions.

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