Persistence in Uncertain Times
During the past several months, how many times have you heard the phrase, “these uncertain or challenging times?” No doubt, you have faced times of difficulty and discouragement. Thankfully, recent reports give hope that new medications, therapies, and a possible vaccine for COVID-19 are expected to be available soon.

Scriptures encourage us to endure and trust God for guidance, direction, and provision. “Be strong and courageous,” and, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” As you battle through these final months of 2020, you must give a 110% effort to your fundraising activities. You must remain diligent in the work. If you do your part, you can trust God for the increase. Here are some action steps for your last few weeks of 2020.

November 2020
• Initial year-end appeal sent out via email and snail mail on or before Nov. 15th.
• Conduct a Ministry Briefing event and arrange follow up visits to those expressing interest in learning more about your ministry.
• Schedule personal visits with major/mega donors during final quarter of 2020 by CEO, COO, and CDO. Prepare a sample script for contact by phone with the goal of scheduling visit appointments, not soliciting gifts.
• Thank you calls. Recruit team members to make “thank you” calls to major, mega, and faithful donors as part of your year-end outreach. Acknowledge gifts received during 2020, particularly major gifts, and remind them of your year-end appeal. Team members should include board members, administrative staff, development staff, and faithful volunteers dedicated to your ministry’s mission and vision. Prepare a sample script for call team members to use for donor outreach calls in December.
• Personal or virtual visits. CEO, COO, and CDO to make personal or virtual visits with key donors for solicitation of significant year-end gift commitments.

December 2020
• Follow up year-end appeal sent out via email and snail mail on or before Dec 10th.
• Conduct another Ministry Briefing event and arrange follow up visits to those expressing interest in learning more about the ministry.
• Finalize personal contact with major/mega donors to schedule personal or virtual visits during final quarter of 2020 by CEO, COO, and CDO. Prepare a sample script for contact by phone with the goal of making visit appointments. Don’t solicit during the call, just schedule the appointment.
• Thank you calls. Team members to make “thank you” calls to major, mega, and faithful donors. Provide a sample script for call team members to use for donor outreach calls after year-end appeal follow up is sent out via mail and email. Make these calls between 12/10 to 12/20.
• Personal or virtual visits. CEO, COO and CDO travel to make personal or virtual visits with key donors to solicit significant year-end gifts.
• Prepare for last minute gifts. Administrative and development staff should be on call to follow up with key donors interested in arranging special or last-minute year-end gifts (gifts of stock; IRA Rollover, planned gifts, etc.).

Take these action steps and share your ministry story. Then trust God to “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10). Please email us and let us know how your year-end fundraising plans are coming. We would love to hear from you.

Author: Dan DiDonato, Consulant

“Finishing Well”
When I think of the phrase, “finishing well,” I am reminded of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). 2020 has been incredibly challenging from a fundraising perspective, but we must continue “fighting the good fight” to ensure the success of our year-end appeals and gift solicitations. Your fundraising activity in the final months of 2020 will be more critical than ever to catch up from the pandemic restrictions and limitations forced on us.

Our Fall and Year-End Solicitation Guideline included preliminary activities that you should have initiated over the summer months which included a Fall mail and email appeal in September. If you have not initiated your year-end gift planning, you are behind schedule and must work diligently to catch up. 

Here are your October and November action steps:
October 2020
• Fall appeal follow up via email out on or before 10/15; customize for donor segmentation.
• Prepare draft of year-end appeal and personal solicitation materials. Copy should include information on benefits of planned gifts at year end; (stock gifts, IRA Rollovers, planned giving, etc.).
• Conduct Ministry Briefing event and arrange follow up visits to those attending event expressing interest in learning more about the ministry.
• Continue personal contact with major/mega donors to schedule personal visits during final quarter of 2020 by CEO, COO, and CDO; prepare sample script for contact by phone with goal of making visit appointments (not solicitation of gifts).
• Recruit team members to make “thank you” calls to major, mega, and faithful donor groups as part of year-end outreach. These will be acknowledgements of gifts received during 2020, particularly major gifts. Team members could/should include board members, administrative staff, development department staff and faithful friends or donors (volunteers) dedicated to the ministry’s mission and vision.

November 2020
• Initial year-end appeal sent out via email and snail mail on or before Nov. 15th.
• Conduct Ministry Briefing event and arrange follow up visits to those attending event expressing interest in learning more about the ministry.
• Continue personal contact with major/mega donors to schedule personal visits during final quarter of 2020 by CEO, COO and CDO; prepare sample script for contact by phone with goal of making visit appointments (not solicitation of gifts).
• Continue to recruit team members to make “thank you” calls to major, mega and faithful donor groups as part of year-end outreach. These will be acknowledgements of gifts received during 2020, particularly major gifts and reminder re: year-end appeal. Team members could/should include board members, administrative staff, development department staff and faithful friends or donors (volunteers) dedicated to the ministry’s mission and vision. Prepare sample script for call team members to use for donor outreach calls in December.
• CEO, COO, and CDO travel to make personal visits with key donors for solicitation of significant year-end gift commitments.

We will continue these Fall and Year-End Solicitation planning reminders through the end of this year. Please also visit our website for other resources that can assist you in specific planning for general appeals and major/mega donor contacts and gift requests. Do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of help or assistance.

Author: Dan DiDonato, Consulant

“Stepping through the Planning Timetable”

In a previous issue of “What’s New in Donor Relations,” we provided a complete Fall and Year-End Solicitation Guideline. This document gives some step by step recommendations and reminders for planning and executing fund raising activities as you close out 2020. For most non-profits, 50-60% of their gift income is received during the final four months of the calendar year. No doubt, with the challenges and limitations we all faced during the second and third quarters of this most unusual year, solicitations for contributions through the remainder of this year will be more critical than ever.

For September, consider these action steps:

• Fall appeal out via mail, email, and social and digital media platforms on or before Sept. 15th!

• Prepare follow up appeal via email to be sent out on or before Oct. 15th.

• Begin personal contact with major/mega donors to schedule personal visits (if possible) during final quarter of the year by the CEO, COO, and CDO as well as other key staff, board members and volunteers.

• Prepare sample script for personal contacts by phone or virtual call with the goal of making appointments for personal visits or Zoom calls – NOT for solicitation of gifts.

• Identify hosts (board members a priority) for Fall and Year-End Ministry Briefing events and confirm date, time, and location. (Note: In-person small groups are preferred, if possible. However, arranging these events via “Zoom Call” can be an alternative this year as meeting restrictions continue to be a challenge.)

• Prepare invitations for mailing to those friends and faithful donors of the ministry near the event location. Provide additional copies of the invite to your designated host for a personal invite to their network of friends and associates.

With this article, we begin a monthly series of Fall and Year-End Solicitation planning reminders that will continue through the end of this year. Please also visit our website for other resources that can assist you in specific planning for general appeals and major/mega donor gift proposals. Do not hesitate to contact us if we can assist you. We would consider it a privilege to partner with you on these most urgent year-end fundraising activities!

Author: Dan DiDonato, Consulant