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Fundraising, Fundraising Verse of the Week

We Are All In This Together

by Ron Haas
May 2, 2020

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need (Acts 4:32-35).

The early believers faced persecution and hardship as many were disowned by their families and shunned by former friends. No doubt, some lost their jobs and homes placing them in dire circumstances. The church responded with great power and great grace banding together to care for one another. “There were no needy persons among them” because those who had resources sold their possessions and brought them to the apostles for distribution.

You should approach this current crisis in the same way. Recognize those in desperate situations and do whatever you can to meet their needs. Perhaps this has always been your ministry focus, but now your ministry and personal needs have increased beyond what you could ever imagined. All of us are coping with budget shortfalls and wondering how to navigate the next steps.

The comforting truth is, “We are all in this together.” Some parts of the body are struggling; other parts of the body are thriving. God has blessed some of your donors with abundance. Your needs are great – greater than ever before. Now is the time to share your needs with God’s people and ask them to respond generously. “And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all” (vs. 33). This powerful grace includes the grace of giving (see 2 Corinthians 8:7).

This is the first time we meet Barnabas who “sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:37). Is it any wonder his name means “son of encouragement?” Share your financial situation with your donors and you will discover who is one with you in heart and mind (vs. 32). Perhaps God will lead a first-time ministry partner named Barnabas to encourage you.

Have a Spirit-led fundraising week,

Ron Haas, The Timothy Group

Donor Relations, Major Donors, Strategic Planning

Unspoken Donor Concerns Going Into A Season of Recovery

by The Timothy Group
April 29, 2020

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Remember the good old days, when you could go online with Delta Airlines and book a flight to a mega/major donor’s home or vacation home and make a personal visit? Then they would greet you at the door with a handshake, a hug, or even a peck on the cheek. It was a real, live “love fest” with a few hours or days of developing a deeper connection with a close friend, advisor, and key investor. You could emphasize your mission, your vision, and your core values. You could carry along a personalized proposal, share your need, and make a personal request. Those were the days. 

Our world is being reshaped by the searing experience of the coronavirus. People are fundamentally rethinking the way they work, shop, travel, gather, and give to their favorite charities. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we will be able to return to the “good old days,” we’re just not sure exactly when. Hope is on the horizon. 

A CRACK IN THE DOOR

Nearly 30 states have either re-opened their economy or set dates to slowly allow people to return to their businesses and their work-a-day world. There appears to be life BC (before COVID-19) and AC (after COVID19). The door is not yet fully open, but the process is at least beginning. We have been encouraging you to call, text, email, or meet virtually with your donors in the meantime because in the very near future there will be a “season of recovery.” Life will slowly begin to look a bit more normal and I hope as you return to your office and reboot your ministry, your donors reflect and appreciate your efforts to contact them during the “bench time” (my baseball background sneaks in often).  

SEASON OF RECOVERY

In the past, donors gave to your ministry because of their clear understanding of your mission, your vision, and your core values. With their gift income dollars and your strategy, energy, competence, and integrity, you have made a good team. It’s time to call them again and let them know of your planned revival. Ask them to level with you about their real and felt needs. Help draw out any unspoken concerns they may have. What does their individual fear, uncertainty, or doubt about the immediate future look like? Inquire about their family, extended family, anyone who is sick, or even someone who they know who has passed. Practice one of my favorite acrostics, W.A.I.T. or Why Am I Talking? Listen deeply to your ministry partner, hear what they are saying, and even offer to pray with them. Share a virtual hug and prepare for the upcoming ministry moment.  

Be sure to inform them of any updates to your ministry plans, and any changes with staff they may know and love. Perhaps a student, resident, or client they have helped you fund in the past. Graciously, appropriately, tactfully, courteously, and politely share a specific need. Make a soft ask and invite them to help you with some start-up costs for that specific need. They still love and appreciate your ministry and because you kept the relationship active, they remember that. Invite them to make an eternal investment in your ministry going forward. Remember that generosity is not about finances or fear, but rather our trust in Jehovah-Jireh, for He is Our Provider. Let the Season of Recovery begin! 

Article Submitted By Pat McLaughlin of The Timothy Group 4.30.20

Capital Campaigns, Strategic Planning

Is Now The Right Time For A Pre-Campaign Study?

by The Timothy Group
April 29, 2020

There is an abundance of important questions being raised today, such as:  

“What activities should we minimize or eliminate?”  

“Should we postpone or cancel events?”  

“Should we press forward with donor asks or pull back?”  

One important question we at The Timothy Group have been hearing frequently is:  

“We were planning to conduct a Pre-campaign (or Feasibility) Study over this Spring and Summer, with a Capital Campaign planned in the Fall. Is this a good or bad time to try to do this?” 

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no simple answer to this question. States and non-profit organizations will begin re-opening activities and group gatherings on varied schedules; about a dozen states have begun the process as of today. Each organization will also be impacted differently. For example, a school must consider the upcoming summer vacation and uncertainty about the Fall: while a rescue mission may experience higher demand for services now than normal. So, know your organization and begin steps now that will allow you to “jump-start” it once you get the green light. 

Donor Research: The first step in a Pre-campaign Study is identifying who you want to hear from to determine your readiness to conduct a successful campaign. You want to know the “buy-in” for the project and the potential available support from your constituents, both financially and in a volunteering capacity. So, identifying who you need to talk to is important. Who are your top 10, your next 20, and your next 200? Regardless of whether you launch a study next week or in two months, you can get your lists in order. Our advice is to get it done now! 

Case for Support Development: In your Pre-campaign Study, you will “test” or measure the interest in, and support for, what you plan to accomplish in your Capital Campaign. Your “Case for Support” is a document that lays out that plan in a thorough and compelling way, so your closest friends and donors can realize your vision and thereafter share their level of interest. You will need a strong Case at some point, so start writing it today. We often complete several reiterations of this document before we finalize it, so why not get started on a draft now? You’ll be a step ahead when the time comes.  

Your Calendar: A well thought through Pre-Campaign Study takes about 90 – 120 days to plan and carry out. We can often finish a Study in 3 months, although the timeline is heavily dependent on communication  between parties. Here is a typical breakdown we would recommend: 

Month 1: Preparation of all documents. This includes the Case for Support, the Questionnaire, and the Cover Letters, envelopes, etc. and the segmentation of potential interviewee lists.

Month 2: Data and input collection. This includes the mailing of materials, the completion of personal interviews, and the return and compilation of mail and online surveys. 

Month 3: Results analysis. This month consists of breaking down all the compiled data and creating a written Report of the results of the Study. 

Month 4: Report presentation. This consists of preparing and presenting the final Report to the Client. This month also includes plenty of Capital Campaign pre-planning and often results in a decision regarding whether to move forward or not being made.  

One additional crucial factor to weigh is a little more subjective – when will your donors and supporters be ready to give input and make any Pre-Campaign or Campaign decisions? We have heard that some donors may need time to recover and therefore, may not be ready to make any financial commitments before the year’s end. Others we know are ready now as this time has not affected them as adversely. So, this is a question only you can answer, as you know your constituents best. We don’t believe you should hold off just because you’re unsure of what donors will say. That is, after all, one of the main reasons to conduct a Pre-campaign Study in the first place. 

In summary, you may be more ready than you think. We talk about a “season of recovery” which we believe will begin by late Summer or early Fall, when normal fundraising activities will resume. If these factors line up reasonably with your long-range plans, that makes this Summer a great time to conduct your Pre-Campaign Study! 

Who Is Ready? To put your mind at ease a bit, we have a client who is currently pushing forward with their Pre-Campaign Study. They will be mailing out their Case Statement this week and plan to conduct face-to-face interviews, likely virtually, in late May. Their long-range plan is to complete the Study by early June with an anticipated Capital Campaign launch this Fall. The factors, for them, are aligned at this time. 

We encourage you to walk in faith and have full confidence that God is with you. Here is a Scripture passage we often share with anyone pondering a Capital Campaign for ministry growth:  

“All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the LORD’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan. Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” I Chronicles 28:19-20

Article Submitted By: Kent Vanderwood, Vice President, The Timothy Group, April 30, 2020

Extra Inspiration

Say “Hey! Have A Psalm 91 Day!”

by The Timothy Group
April 21, 2020

After nearly a month on house arrest/stay at home order here in Michigan, I am ready for some good news, something positive. I need some hope. You too are part of the COVID-19 impact on your ministry, your church, your favorite restaurant, etc. There are no haircuts, we can’t get our lawns mowed. 22 million people have applied for unemployment the past 4 weeks. So, God where are you, are you hearing our prayers for safety and deliverance from this unseen foe? Then He showed me a word of encouragement from His Word. 

Psalm 91: 

There is hope! There are 8 words, concepts that the Psalmist mentions in this unique passage of scripture: Shelter, Refuge, Fortress, Strength, Shield, Deliverer, Rescuer, Protector. Those words seem to be counter-cultural amid the pandemic. While the media is feasting on bad news, we can find hope, peace, and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Why? Because of Psalm 91 and hundreds of other passages.  

I love reading this passage from The Message: “You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, say this; “God you are my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!” That’s right, He rescues you from hidden traps and shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you, under them you are perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing, not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, nor disease that prowls through the darkness, nor disaster the erupts at high noon.” 

God is truly my refuse and my strength. Some people are experiencing anxious moments about pay checks and mortgage payments, nut who is really in charge? Is it the Federal Government, State Mandates, Local and Regional Authorities, or is it Jehovah God? The paraphrase from Eugene Peterson in The Message goes on to say: 

“Yes, because God’s your refuge, evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they will catch you. Their job is to keep you from falling. If you’ll hold onto me for dear life, says God, I ‘ll get you out of trouble. I’ll give you the best of care, if you’ll only get to know me and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times. I’ll rescue you, then throw a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation.” 

The reality of life:  

I am honoring the stay at home order, I am washing my hands, I am wearing a mask when I am at the grocery store. Careless behavior is not condoned by God and neither is the misuse of Scripture. Even during the tough times, we are all living under God’s protection and the comfort of his presence. All of us can rest in the shadow of the Almighty! He is a covering for His people. God’s comfort is a wing of security amidst this world’s uncertainty and suffering. Here is my thought for the day, and through the rest of this time: Make each day a Psalm 91 day. 

Say to your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors from 6 feet away, “Hey, have a Psalm 91 day!”   

Donor Relations, Strategic Planning

Are You Digitally Ready For Donor Bounce Back?

by The Timothy Group
April 21, 2020

What kind of strategic marketing strategies should you be working on now to maximize the current climate and help you to be digitally ready for donor bounce back? The below 7 digital marketing tools can help you respond to the need to move closer to the digital environment where donors and volunteers tend to spend most of their time.

Website Storytelling Is More Important Than Ever

Does your “brand story” show the best version of you? Does your brand story engage your users? Is your website helping you to persuade volunteers and donors? This is a great time to get the foundation of your digital marketing right.

Optimizing Your Site to Receive Organic Search Traffic (SEO)

Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the dominant source of trackable web traffic, with 53% of traffic coming via this channel compared to paid’s 27% (smartinsights.com). This makes SEO the most powerful content marketing strategy when it comes to grabbing your audience’s attention and acquiring customers. Regardless of what they’re looking for, it’s content that provides it. And the more of it you publish, the higher your chance for greater search visibility and page ranking. SEO is more important than ever to prepare your brand for its bounce back.

Omnichannel Content Strategy

There are several different channels and formats of content for your audience to enjoy, and that’s why you need to be thinking about widening your net and publishing content across multiple channels. Seize this opportunity to review and refine your omnichannel content strategy and align it to engage your donors.

Mobile Clarity

To connect with more of your audience, it’s imperative to optimize everything for mobile use. At the moment, only 13% of websites are able to retain the same position for a particular search across all devices. So, you may be ranking well on desktop but not even appear on the first page of results on mobile. In fact, 30% of pages that show on the first page of desktop search results do not appear in the top 10 results on mobile (smartinsights.com). That means that any content you create for mobile channels, including a mobile version of your website, must look good on a smaller screen.

Visual & Voice Search

Text search may take a back seat to new types of searches. The first digital search trend gaining ground involves visual search. With this type of search, someone can take a picture and then use that picture to find more information. This offers an opportunity for nonprofits to incorporate and optimize more visual content. For instance, you could incorporate storytelling through visuals and let the pictures do the talking for you.

The other type of search that is set to grow in popularity is artificial intelligence voice search through smartphone tools like Siri as well as through virtual assistants from Amazon, including Echo, and Google’s Home device, which are appearing in more homes and businesses. With this search preference, you may have to change your search engine optimization (SEO) tactics and optimization strategies. People tend to use different words when they speak versus typing out a query. For example, voice queries tend to be longer and use more natural language.

Private Messaging

As more nonprofits focus on personalization, another trend is direct engagement with individual donors, volunteers, and prospects. Private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger open direct individual dialogue to share information about results from that donor’s contributions, ask questions, exchange ideas, and build trust in this digital world. As a result of the direct and always-open channel, donors and volunteers may feel more involved and connected to your nonprofit. These audience members know they can reach you directly and get specific responses.

Be On The Lookout

These are just a few of the digital marketing responses we’ve seen and are personally preparing for. However, there may be other digital tools that are more applicable to your nonprofit segment. due to the current climate, more trends are destined to appear throughout the year. Be on the lookout of shifting trends as well as remaining flexible and digitally ready for donor bounce back.

For more great digital cartoons and advice, please visit: https://marketoonist.com/

Donor Relations

Share A Virtual Coffee With Your Donors

by The Timothy Group
April 1, 2020

For the moment, the way we do fundraising has changed. Ministries that relied on group events have had to cancel their meetings. Stay at home orders have prevented face to face donor visits, banquets, and ministry briefings. Even golf events are forced to reschedule. How can you pivot and use this time to connect with your donors in a deeper way? 

Phone calls. Now is a great time to call your donors. Chances are you’ll actually catch them at home for once! Spend some quality time getting to know them on a deeper level. Show concern about their families who may live in areas that are being impacted more severely. Everyone is under stress. Share honestly about your ministry’s financial situation, and if the Spirit leads ask them to help with a special gift at this critical time. For help, check out our. Effective Guide To Making Donor Thank You Calls.

Texting. Texting is another great way to stay in touch with your key donors. You can text verses, ask for prayer requests, send links to ministry videos. Every means of contact keeps your donor relationship fresh. You may wish to share one of our Fundraising Verses of the Week.

Video Calls. Many ministries are connecting through various video platforms. FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, and Skype are just a few of the many options. Your donors connect with friends and family this way, there is no reason why you shouldn’t as well. One ministry is successfully using Zoom calls to update their donors and ask for their financial partnership.   

Live Videos. Phil Betz from the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp in Ventura, Iowa is using this 30-day window to post a 5-minute video on Facebook. He shares a devotional thought and films each day from a different location on the campgrounds creating enthusiasm for his campers, families, and donors. 

Recorded Videos. World Help, a Christian relief and development mission, effectively uses videos from their founder to share critical ministry updates. The videos are emailed to the entire mailing list. You could send a special video to your major donor list sharing more “insider” information. Recorded videos are great, but they don’t replace personal live conversations. It’s the difference between seeing a YouTube video and talking with a friend. 

Hand-written notes. High tech is cool, but there’s something to be said about high touch. Don’t forget to send a “Thinking of You” card to encourage your donors during this uncertain time. Check out Help Scout’s post for some great examples.

Share some creative ways you are staying in touch with your major donors and we will share them!

Development, Donor Relations

A Message Of Hope

by The Timothy Group
March 30, 2020

I was watching Fox News yesterday from home and Lt. Col. Dan Rooney was on as a guest (view video news clip). His non-profit organization, “Folds of Honor,” started in 2007 and their mission is to  provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. Perhaps you have heard of them. One of many quality non-profits serving out veterans and their families.

Anyway, Lt. Col. Rooney told a story about a fellow veteran, U.S. Marine Sergeant Rocky Sickmann and how his situation could teach us lessons during this COVID-19 crisis. Sergeant Sickmann was one of 52 marines and other Americans who were captured by radical Islamic terrorists at the embassy in Iran in 1979. We, who were around then remember that terrible day in history. Over the next 444 days, He and his fellow hostages endured privation, mental, physical and psychological torture as officials sought their release. That finally came in January 1980.

Sickmann describes life in a foreign country 7,000 miles from home. You’re not allowed to talk to anybody. Your mind plays games with you. You lose hope not knowing if you will live or die. You keep thinking. “this has to end soon.” He describes being literally chained to a chair for the first 30 days. He describes being handcuffed with his hands behind his back for days at a time and spending an entire week tied to a bed. He went outside a total of seven times, 15 minutes total, in those 444 days.

When asked what carried him through, he mentioned three things: 1) his faith in God, 2) his few friends who were there with him and 3) keeping control of his mind and his thoughts – staying focused on what little he could actually do in the circumstances.

We are facing a similar enemy today – COVID-19. It has changed our lives. For a couple of weeks now, we have been largely “home bound.” We have been ordered by government authorities to stay home. We can’t go to work, visit our friends, eat dinner out or entertain ourselves as normal. I don’t know about you, but it is starting to get to me. I am bored, easily frustrated, short tempered, angry, you name it. And then I pause after hearing a story like that of Lt. Col. Sickmann, and I want to repent to God for my thoughts.

My hardship is NOTHING compared to what he and other have endured. And, think about what got him through – we can still exercise our faith, we still have our family and we can exercise our minds and stay alert. Oh – we can even go outside for a walk on a nice day, as long as we practice “social distancing.” For me, maybe it’s a good time to pick up that book I never finished, play a board game or do a jigsaw puzzle with my family, or learn a new skill or hobby. Our “prison” is only temporary and will hopefully end shortly (I hear references to Easter Sunday being a significant marker). Let’s pray, love, give, support, encourage and serve those God has placed in our lives.

In God’s Love, Kent

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