A lush green farm field stretches into the horizon under a partly cloudy sky, illuminated by the warm glow of the setting or rising sun. The text "Fundraising Lessons from Farming" is prominently displayed at the top in bold black letters, with a Bible reference beneath it. The image conveys themes of growth, cultivation, and patience, symbolizing the parallels between farming and effective fundraising.

Fundraising Lessons from Farming

by Ron Haas

March 19, 2025

“When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?” (Isaiah 28:24)

Fundraising and farming share many similarities. Farmers must sow seed on fertile ground, provide the plants with plenty of sunshine and water, remove life-sapping weeds, and patiently wait for the harvest. Isaiah portrays God as a heavenly farmer who plants and brings forth an eternal harvest by his great wisdom. His parable applies to fundraising in three ways:

Know when to stop cultivating
When farmers prepare the ground, they are careful not overwork the soil. Modern farming techniques such as low-till or no-till, keep soil disturbance to a minimum. At some point, a wise farmer stops plowing the ground and sows the seed. Yet some fundraisers are always in cultivation mode. They look for one more conversation, one more visit, one more event before they are ready to ask. It sounds spiritual to keep preparing the ground because you think the donor needs more time, but if you don’t plant seed, you won’t reap a harvest. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive.

Choose the best plants for the soil
A wise farmer knows which plants thrive in which soil type. Are you planting caraway, cumin, wheat, barley, or spelt? (see Isaiah 28:25). Caraway prefers cool weather, cumin requires full sun, and fertile, well-drained soil. Wheat likes lots of sunshine and warm weather. Barley can tolerate somewhat alkaline soils. Spelt can be grown on poorly drained, low fertility soils. Similarly, your donors also have individual interests. Perhaps they are motivated to help the homeless, scholarship an underprivileged child, or give to enhance your technology. Some donors like bricks and mortar projects, some don’t. Ask the right donor the right gift amount for the right project.

Use the appropriate tools
“Caraway is not threshed with a sledge nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod and cumin with a stick” (Isa. 28:27). Caraway and cumin produce delicate seeds that are used as spices. The farmer would crush the seeds if he used a sledge or rolled over them with his cart. Instead, he chooses the right tools to protect the grain for the greatest yield. Cash gifts are not always the best way for your donor to give. Perhaps it would be better for them to transfer an appreciated stock, give real estate, make an in-kind gift of goods or services, or donate tangible property like rare books, works of art, or valuable collectibles. Use the right tools to help your ministry partner maximize their gift.

Think About This: Farming requires great knowledge, so does fundraising. How does the farmer know when to plant and when to harvest? Isaiah 28:26 says, “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.” How do you know when to stop cultivating and ask for a gift? The Spirit will lead you to say the right words at the right time.

Response: Father, give me wisdom and skill to sow seed and reap a bountiful harvest. I’m grateful for your provision for our ministry because, “All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent” (Isa. 28:29).

A group of people stands together at sunset, silhouetted against the sky with their arms raised in celebration. The warm colors of the setting sun create a vibrant and uplifting atmosphere. The text "Fundraise at the Speed of Relationships" is prominently displayed at the top, with a reference to 1 Thessalonians 2:1. This image conveys themes of teamwork, unity, and the power of relationships in fundraising.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Fundraise at the Speed of Relationships

by Ron Haas

March 12, 2025

“You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results” (1 Thess. 2:1).

Paul spent three weeks in Thessalonica proving why Jesus had to suffer and rise from the dead. Some Jews believed, along with some God-fearing Greeks, and several prominent women. The Jewish leaders were jealous of Paul’s success and recruited some bad dudes from the marketplace to start a riot which forced Paul and Silas to escape during the night (see Acts 17:1-9). Paul was only in town for a brief time, but he developed some deep friendships and successfully planted a church.

Cultivating friendships is a vital step in fundraising, yet it doesn’t have to take years and years or even months to establish meaningful relationships with major donors. Let’s apply five fundraising principles from Paul’s experience.

Love
Sincere friendships are built on love. Paul expressed, “Because we loved you so much, we are delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well” (1 Thess. 2:8). Paul didn’t just talk about love, he lived it. You can feel it when you’re the presence of a ministry leader who really loves you. Be that person. You can also tell if someone is insincere.

Genuineness
The believers in Thessalonica knew Paul was the real deal. His motives were pure, he never tricked them, never used flattery, never put on a mask to cover up greed, or sought praise from anyone (1 Thess. 2:3-4). Unfortunately, Christian ministries are full of posers. Be transparent in your finances, relationships, board decisions, and plans.

Hard Work
Paul had a reputation for diligence. “Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone” (1 Thess. 2:9). Your donors have worked hard for what they have, and they appreciate ministry leaders who also work hard. Ministry partners notice whether you have a reputation of sticking with the job until it’s done or taking extended sabbaticals.

Prayer
Imagine how encouraged you would be if Paul wrote this note to you, “We constantly pray for you that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith” (2 Thess. 1:11). Do you pray for the success of your donors’ business endeavors? Have you encouraged them recently?

Answers
In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul answered some deep eschatological questions about the antichrist. How amazing that Paul’s discipleship curriculum included a section on prophecy. “Don’t you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things?” (2 Thess. 2:5). This should encourage you to have deep conversations about your ministry’s mission and vision. Don’t shy away from difficult topics. Iron sharpens iron and your key donors look to you for answers to tough questions.

Think About This: Everyone wants their major donor relationships to move fast, but few are willing to invest in the hard work of building trust. Be intentional about every major donor move.

Response: Father, thank you for our faithful donors—old and new. Give me wisdom to identify, cultivate, and solicit new ministry partners.

An older man and a younger man stand side by side in a lush green field with rolling hills in the background. The younger man has his arm around the older man's shoulders, symbolizing a close, supportive relationship. The word "Grandpartners" is prominently displayed, emphasizing the bond between grandparents and younger generations. The warm lighting and scenic view create a peaceful and heartfelt atmosphere.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Grandpartners

by Ron Haas

February 19, 2025

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).

There was no one like Timothy. He had a son-father relationship with Paul (see Phil. 2:22), accompanied him on missionary journeys, and became the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Long before he met Paul, Timothy’s faith journey began through the godly influence of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. They lived their faith out loud, and Timothy followed their examples.

Parents and grandparents are key partners in Christian education. Many Christian schools host Grandparents’ Day to honor them. It provides a great opportunity to see their grandchildren in class and love on them. Grandparents can get involved in five important ways.

Pray
Grandparents are prayer warriors. They already pray for God’s blessing on their grandchildren, and they will faithfully pray for your prayer requests. Give them specific needs and let them know how God answered their prayers. If you are considering a building campaign, encourage them to ask God for wisdom and the resources to accomplish your goal.

Encourage
One school organizes an encouragers’ campaign. They send blank note cards to their grandparents asking them to write an encouraging note to their grandchildren which will be delivered during finals week. The notes encourage both grandchildren and grandparents. The school asks for a donation but emphasizes a gift is not required. Ninety-five percent of the cards are returned with a gift.

Serve
Grandparents can serve as faithful volunteers. They can read to elementary classes, help with science projects, chaperone field trips, or assist with music or athletics. Take note of special interests and find creative ways to get people involved. When grandparents see first-hand the impact you are making and the needs you have, they are more likely to give generously.

Give
Grandparents typically have more resources than their children who are still trying to build their wealth. Help them understand the many ways their gifts could impact the next generation. Build donor loyalty by asking them to give to your annual operating fund or to other current needs, then ask them to participate in a significant way in your capital projects.

Remember
Legacy gifts can make a substantial impact by providing seed money for a capital campaign or funding an endowment. Have you ever specifically asked a grandparent to remember your school in their will? It’s one thing to ask in a group setting or mention estate planning in your marketing materials, but it is much more effective to meet your grandparents face to face and boldly ask.

Think About This: Colleges seem to be at a disadvantage with grandparent strategies. Some host a Grandparent’s Day but most don’t know many grandparents by name. Ask your students for their grandparents’ contact information by referencing 2 Timothy 1:5 as your reason. Frame it like this, “The faithful prayers of your grandparents are the reason you are a student at our college/university, we want to thank them for their godly influence in your life by sending a gift, please share their names and addresses.”

Response: Father, please give us creative ideas to involve our grandparents as true ministry partners.

An image featuring a light blue background with a person’s hand holding a megaphone on the right side. Bold white text in a playful font reads "DONOR CAPEESH," with "2 Corinthians 1:13" written below in smaller text. The image conveys a message about donor communication and understanding.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Donor Capeesh

by Ron Haas

February 12, 2025

“For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand” (2 Corinthians 1:13).

Humorist Will Rogers once said, “The minute you read something that you can’t understand, you can almost be sure that it was drawn up by a lawyer.” Unfortunately, some fundraisers send confusing messages to their donors. A ministry embroiled in several controversies sent a letter to their key constituents to reassure them everything would be all right. A savvy major donor noted the letter, “said something without saying anything.” Here are five thoughts to improve your communication skills.

Clear
Good communication is more than proper punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. Ask yourself what you’re trying to say. If your thinking is fuzzy your writing will be incoherent. Clear thinking produces clear writing. When you are writing your case for support, an appeal letter, a newsletter, or a marketing piece, carefully choose words that most accurately express your meaning. Write in active voice, not passive. Replace vague words with specific words that precisely convey your meaning.

Concise
Thomas Jefferson famously said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” Eliminate unnecessary phrases like, “in order to,” “in the event that,” “in the process of”, or “needless to say.” Cut filler words that add no meaning or value to a sentence. Rewrite paragraphs to remove repetitive phrases. Get rid every of rogue “that” that sneaks into your copy.

Compelling
Tell your mission story with passion. How does your ministry meet critical needs? The best way to illustrate your impact is to tell a story. Congregants tend to nod off during a deep theological dissertation, but when the preacher illustrates the point with a real-life story, the crowd perks up. Compelling copy uses emotion to pull the reader into the story, offers the solution, creates urgency, and finishes with a strong call to action.

Christ-focused
Help your reader understand the eternal value of your work. Why is your ministry different from secular organizations who also teach children, give hope to the homeless, train the next generation, or provide disaster relief? The good news of the Gospel should separate your story from others who only do good deeds. Share your ministry stories of changed lives.

Check
You can write the best copy of your career, but a single misspelled word or grammatical error can undermine your entire message. Take advantage of AI writing tools to check spelling, grammar, and receive suggestions for improvement. After completing your first draft, step away from it before editing – fresh eyes catch more mistakes. Then read your work aloud, noting any phrases that sound awkward. Finally, take out your red pen and cut unnecessary words, simplify complex sentences, and tighten your writing until every word serves a purpose.

Think About This: John 16 records a difficult conversation between Jesus and his disciples. He was explaining his death and resurrection, but they weren’t understanding. Finally, in John 16:29 they got it, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.” You may have a complicated message to share. Be patient and keep explaining it until your audience understands.

Response: Father, give me the ability to clearly communicate our story so many people will partner with us.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

The Major Gift Lockpicking Tool

by Ron Haas

February 6, 2025

“A gift opens the way to the giver and ushers the giver into the presence of the great” (Proverbs 18:16).

The Lockpicking Lawyer, a YouTube content creator who opens “unpickable” locks, received an interesting challenge. A viewer, whose local locksmith had resorted to using an angle grinder to open a lock, sparked a heated debate. The viewer insisted the Lockpicking Lawyer could have picked it, while the locksmith dismissed his videos as fake. The challenge was set: if the Lockpicking Lawyer could pick the lock faster than the time it took to cut it with an angle grinder, the locksmith would refund the viewer $75. While the angle grinder took two minutes and fourteen seconds, the Lockpicking Lawyer needed only 28 seconds to pick the lock.

One frustrating reality for every fundraiser is the inability to open a major donor door. Every attempt to reach a prospect feels more difficult than breaking into Fort Knox. Solomon reveals the key to connecting with any major donor prospect is to offer a gift.

A Personal Gift
Who doesn’t like to receive a gift? When choosing a gift, don’t default to SWAG (Stuff We All Get) you hand out at a conference. Get more creative than pens emblazoned with your logo. Consider your prospect’s interests. What unique gift would your potential donor appreciate that reminds them of your ministry whenever they see it? Perhaps you could share something special from one of your noteworthy alumni.

An Opportunity Gift
Pay attention to your prospective donor’s unique interests and expertise, then create opportunities for them to share their knowledge. Business professionals might appreciate invitations to lead workshops, teach classes, or deliver keynote speeches. A prospective donor with a passion for Revolutionary War history brings history to life in full George Washington attire. A perceptive school principal invites him to captivate elementary students with his presentations. For this donor, the opportunity to share his enthusiasm for history is itself a meaningful gift.

An Honor Gift
Pay attention and acknowledge news about your prospective donor. It could be as simple as sending a note of congratulations about their business success, job promotion, or personal accomplishment like a hole-in-one or being featured in the media. One college invites their prospective donors to a banquet in their honor and presents them with an award acknowledging their contributions to the community.

The Gift of Prayer
One simple way to make a meaningful connection is to offer to pray for your prospective donors. You may never have met that person but offering to pray may open a door for a future conversation. Perhaps they or a family member have experienced a personal tragedy and your offer to pray brings comfort and encouragement. Perhaps they’ve experienced great success and your prayers will remind them to give glory to God. The key is connecting with them spiritually.

Think About This: The greatest gift you could ever give your prospective donor is the gift of the Good News. Perhaps you could share a book, music, or video from your ministry that includes a gospel presentation.

Response: Father, please give me wisdom to choose the best gift that will open major donor doors. Thank you for sharing the greatest gift, your Son, Jesus Christ.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Slow Down – Donors Ahead

by Ron Haas

January 29, 2025

“Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good. If you act too quickly, you might make a mistake.” (Proverbs 19:2 NCV).

Absalom orchestrated a coup against his father and started a civil war. David sent Joab and his army to crush the uprising (see 2 Samuel 18:1-33). As Absalom was fleeing for his life, he rode under an oak tree and caught his long flowing hair in the thick branches, but his mule kept on going. He hung there helplessly until Joab came and plunged three javelins into his heart killing him and ending the war.

Then an interesting event happened. Ahimaaz volunteered to run take the news to David, but Joab refused saying, “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today” (2 Sam. 18:20). Instead, Joab assigned a Cushite to run with the message to David. Ahimaaz loved to run so much, he begged Joab for permission to go, so Joab relented. Ahimaaz took the route through the plain, outran the Cushite, and reached David first. Unfortunately, he had no message to share. David told him to step aside as they waited for the Cushite to arrive with the bad news that Absalom was dead. We can learn four fundraising lessons from this account.

Enthusiasm isn’t Enough
Ahimaaz loved to run just for the sake of running. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 9:26, “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly.” Some fundraisers are full of zeal but don’t have focus or a purpose for their donor meetings. Determine the outcomes you want to achieve for each major donor. What information do you want to learn? What messages do you want to convey and what call to action will you propose? If you don’t aim at anything, you will hit it every time.

Clarify Your Message
Ahimaaz arrived first but had nothing to say. It doesn’t matter if you are the first ministry to connect with a major donor; if your message is unclear, you will miss the opportunity. Donors give to ministries that have a clear vision of what they intend to accomplish. Fine tune your message to make sure it’s compelling.

Don’t Act Too Quickly
Slow down. A rookie fundraiser in her zeal submitted an initial grant application to a foundation for $2 million. The foundation had given grants of that size but had no relationship with her organization. She jumped the gun and missed the relationship-building step. Unfortunately, the foundation director moved her application to the circular file.

Avoid Mistakes
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Sometimes you may never get a second chance to connect with a potential major donor. Be intentional with your major donor strategy. Make sure the right person in your ministry shares the right message at the right time.

Think About This: The speed-accuracy trade-off is a behavioral science theory that proposes decisions made slowly have high accuracy while decisions made fast have a high error rate. Don’t rush your donor relationships but don’t procrastinate either. John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach, taught his players, “Be Quick, But Don’t Hurry.”

Response: Father, give our team zeal and wisdom to make the greatest impact for you as we engage major donors.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Complicated Major Donor Relationships

by Ron Haas

January 9, 2025

“And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved” (Genesis 43:14).

Navigating major donor relationships can be tricky. We worry about what to do and what not to do, what to say and what not to say. Joseph’s brothers’ first visit with the governor did not go well. He questioned them, accused them of spying, and threw them in jail. Eventually, he sold them grain and allowed them to return home but with two caveats: (a) one of them had to stay; and (b) they had to bring their youngest brother when they returned. They sulked home with their tails between their legs and told their father the bad news. The famine continued but when they reached the desperation point, Israel sent his sons back to Egypt to buy more grain. Their second visit teaches us four lessons about repairing major donor relationships.

Questions
Israel had lots of questions about their first visit, “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?” (Gen. 43:7). They didn’t mean to reveal sensitive information, they were just answering questions. After your major donor visit, it’s easy to second guess yourself about what you said wrong or shouldn’t have said at all. It’s important to critique yourself but remember the Spirit is in control of your conversation and will guide your words (see Matt. 10:19-20).

Answers
Major donors ask tough questions about your theology, mission, vision, strategic plans, budget, and financial projections. Judah knew they must be ready with answers before they approached the governor. “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you” (Gen. 43:5). If your donor asked you a question that you couldn’t answer the first time, do your homework, and bring the right answers.

Assumptions
The brothers thought they were in trouble when they were escorted to Joseph’s house. They jumped to conclusions about the silver left in their sacks on the previous visit, “He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys” (Gen 43:18). Meeting with major donors can be intimidating but don’t assume that you know what your donor is thinking. Listen and let them speak for themselves.

Relationships
Major donor relationships are built upon trust. The brothers demonstrated their good faith intentions by taking gifts, apologizing for the silver in the sack incident, and showing genuine humility. Joseph responded by showing concern for their father, instructing his servant to reassure them about the silver issue, and hosting them for an extravagant dinner. These relationship building moments broke the tension and paved the way for reconciliation. When you have history with a donor, restoration takes time and actions. “Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for” (Prov. 16:6).

Think About This: Israel was afraid of a bad outcome, so he delayed sending his sons to Egypt. In retrospect, he had more to gain than to lose. Are you procrastinating a stressful major donor conversation? Reach out today. You also have more to gain than to lose.

Response: Father, please give me wisdom to repair my broken major donor relationships.

Fundraising

Use Fundraising AI (Without Losing the Personal Touch)

by Ron Haas

November 4, 2024

Let’s talk about how to make AI your friend in ministry fundraising. Here’s some practical tips to help you connect with your donors while saving time.

First Things First: AI Is Your Writing Buddy

Think of AI as your enthusiastic assistant who’s read every fundraising book out there but needs your guidance on the heart and soul of your ministry. It’s great at making your writing shine, but you’re still the one leading with God’s vision.

Super Practical AI Prompts You Can Use Today

For Your Next Fundraising Letter

Try this prompt:

Write a warm fundraising letter for our Christian food bank ministry. Include:

A story about Sarah, a single mom we helped last month with groceries and prayer
Reference Matthew 25:35 naturally in the text
Mention that $50 feeds a family for a week
End with a clear but gentle ask

Tone: Compassionate and hopeful

Length: About 400 words

For Monthly Donor Thank Yous

Here’s a winning prompt:

Write a thank you email to our monthly donors who give $30/month to support our youth ministry. Include:

How their faithful giving helped us take 50 teens to summer camp

A quick story about one teen who got baptized
Make it feel personal but not overly emotional
Keep it short and sweet (150 words)
Write like you’re sending a grateful note to a friend

For Impact Updates

Try this approach:

Create a ministry impact update for our email newsletter. Include:
3 bullet points of what we did this month (served 200 meals, held 4 Bible studies, helped 15 families with rent)
A short praise report about answered prayer
A specific prayer request for next month
Bible verse that fits naturally

Style: Casual and joyful

Quick Tips to Keep It Real

Do This ✅

Feed AI specific details about your ministry’s personality
Give it real stories and numbers to work with
Let it help with the writing structure, but you add the heart
Use it to create different versions for different donor groups (first-timers vs. long-time supporters)

Skip This ❌

Avoid using AI for one-on-one donor conversations
Don’t use language just because it sounds “spiritual”
Skip the corporate-speak (nobody wants to read about “optimizing donor engagement”)

Making AI Work Better for You

Keep It Personal Instead of: “Write a fundraising letter” Try: “Write a fundraising letter like you’re telling a friend about our ministry’s biggest need right now”
Add Your Flavor Give AI examples of words and phrases you actually use in your ministry. If you say “family” tell AI that!
Real Stories Work Best Feed AI specific stories:

Quick Fixes When AI Gets Too Formal

If AI writes: “We humbly request your generous contribution to facilitate our ongoing ministry initiatives…”

Ask it to rewrite like this: “Write that again like you’re talking to a friend over coffee.”

Remember This!

AI is great at organizing your thoughts and making writing flow
BUT you know your ministry and your people best
When in doubt, make it sound more like a conversation and less formal.
Keep stories real and specific
Let your ministry’s personality shine through

The bottom line? AI is like having a super-helpful volunteer who’s great with words but needs your guidance on the heart of your ministry. Use it to save time on writing so you can spend more time actually ministering to people!

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 three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Major Donors, Donation Approach, Donor Relations

Bottom of the Ninth: How One College Pulled the Ultimate Comeback!

by Pat McLaughlin

November 4, 2024

Baseball fans live for those magical moments – bottom of the 9th, down by a few runs, bases empty, and somehow your team strings together a rally that brings the crowd to their feet! Every pitch matters. Every at-bat could make or break the game. One swing could be the difference between celebration and heartbreak.

We just witnessed one of these clutch performances with one of our Christian College clients. Picture this: I get an email from the president that reads like a manager’s nightmare scenario: “Pat, great gameplan, but here’s the situation – we need $2.4-$2.8 million in 120 days, including scholarship commitments. Season ends June 30th.”

“Hold up, Coach,” I replied. “Are you telling me if we don’t hit this number out of the park, the board might have to shut down the program next semester?”

His response? A simple “YEP!”

At TTG, we’ve got a saying that would make any baseball player proud: “Pray like it’s all up to God… hustle like you’re running out an infield single.” Just like you need both talent AND practice to win games, James teaches us that faith without works is dead. This wasn’t about building a fancy new stadium – this was about keeping the team on the field. And just like fans rally behind a team fighting for playoff survival, donors respond to that kind of urgency.

I laid out our lineup card to the president: “You’re our cleanup hitter here. You need to be in the field with me, making contact with donors!” He didn’t hesitate – “Put me in, coach!” He signed off on every play in our strategy, and we started our ninth-inning rally.

Our Gameplan:

Scout our “Top 10/Next 20” heavy hitters, plus a farm system of 50 promising prospects
Craft custom pitches for each potential donor with specific ask amounts
Get face time with donors – no pitching via mail (That’s like trying to win a game with only bunts – 1-5% success rate vs. 80-85% when you swing for the fences in person)
Build an all-star team of board members, faculty, and staff who could help us connect with donors
Draft a power-hitting Chief Development Officer who could drive in major gifts

Just like the World Series trophy isn’t won by one player, this became a true team effort. The president even installed countdown clocks around campus for the final 30-day stretch – like having the scoreboard lighting up those final crucial innings.

And guess what? WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM! We didn’t just hit our target of $2.4-2.8 million – we crushed it with $3.2 million! Plus, we added not one but TWO stewardship officers and a development dream team. It was like watching a rookie hit a game-winning homer in Game 7 of the World Series – a miracle I’ve been blessed to witness with clients worldwide since I stepped up to the fundraising plate in 1981.

Want to stage your own comeback? You’ll need a clear gameplan, specific targets, a committed roster from the board to the bullpen, a president who’s ready to step up to the plate, and that World Series-level intensity. If you’re down late in the game here in 2024, let us help you draw up the perfect rally strategy!

About the Author: Pat McLaughlin;

President/Founder – Pat started The Timothy Group in 1990 to serve Christian ministries as they raise money to advance their missions. TTG has assisted more 2,100 Christian organizations around the world with capital, annual, and endowment campaigns. More than 25,000 of Pat’s books, Major Donor Game Plan, The C Factor: The Common Cure for your Capital Campaign Conundrums, and Haggai & Friends have helped fundraisers understand the art and science of major donor engagement. Pat makes more than one hundred major donor visits annually and provides counsel to multiple capital campaigns.

The image shows two hands outstretched, with block letters within them forming the word "give". Text reading "#GivingTuesday" appears to the right of the hands.

Fundraising, Donation Approach

A Simple Guide for a Productive Giving Tuesday – Part 2

by Jon Helder

November 4, 2024

Giving Tuesday is less than a month away but there is still time to pull together a compelling and productive campaign. Last time, in A Simple Guide to Productive Giving Tuesday – Part 1 we covered how to segment to your best target audience and provided tools to leverage your campaign. This time, we’ll lay out a simple communications plan by addressing campaign strategies, incentives, and a framework.

What will people be giving to and why does it matter now?
My old boss used to tell me, “Need is not a case; hope is not a strategy.” Your case for support must be more than just covering your organization’s financial needs. Your Giving Tuesday campaign should evoke two “I’s”: Immediacy (why donors need to give now), and Impact (what will result from my gift). If you can make a compelling, concise case for your general operating fund that covers both I’s, then feel free to do so.

Conversely, if your general fund is in good shape as you approach year end, you may want to raise money for special projects or capital assets like new computers for a school, new canoes for a camp, or winter coats for your rescue mission. These projects can provide prospective donors with an easy to understand, tangible outcome for the campaign.

A third option is to take an item from your general fund budget and “projectize” it by turning it into its own campaign. Your organization may already have a $10,000 technology budget but that doesn’t mean that you can’t raise funds for computers. Any funds raised for this campaign would be restricted to that budget line item but the net result to your general fund is the same.

How will you incentivize people to give?
One of the biggest negatives to Giving Tuesday is that thousands of nonprofits are simultaneously vying for donations at the same time. As a result, differentiation and incentives really matter. One of the most common ways to incentivize gifts is to offer a matching fund. While I don’t encourage you to send Giving Tuesday materials to your top donors who give in the last week of the year, donors in this group are keen to the idea of using their gift to incentivize others. Could you ask your board members to pledge a matching gift fund? Is there a champion donor that would love to see you maximize their gift in this way? Creating a matching fund can be as simple as asking some key donors to make their commitments early. If that isn’t an option, you could offer a promo mug or t-shirt for any donor that gives a certain amount or more (ala NPR or PBS). Such promotions can be a great way to on-ramp new donors.

Where should they give?
Does your donation software allow you to make a one-off campaign page (all the good ones do)? If you opt for your ministry’s main donation page, be sure to add something to make the website visit feel a bit more special like adding a banner, making the case for support relevant to the campaign, or highlighting the incentives. Follow through on your campaign importance and immediacy by making a landing page worth giving to.

Communication Calendar
Because Giving Tuesday falls only days after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, etc., your donors will have the holidays on their minds. As a result, communications need to be direct, frequent, and only start when the donors have the capacity to receive them.

Purpose. First, remember that the purpose of your social media campaign is to bring awareness and anticipation for Giving Tuesday. Launch “Countdown to Giving Tuesday.” Starting on Friday, you can post mission-centric stories that convey the impact of your work while “counting down” to Giving Tuesday. Maybe you could have 4 ways that gifts impact your mission or the people you serve? Studies have shown that adding numerals to your subject lines/posts increase engagement (did the “4” above stand out to you?). However, if you need content for a post, you could mention the upcoming match or promo item associated with the campaign.

Emails. Your Giving Tuesday campaign can be done in as little as three emails (four if you include Thanksgiving). Sunday afternoon is a great time to reveal the campaign to your donors who might not be as engaged on social media. Use this time to tell them what Giving Tuesday is, how they can get involved, and why their giving matters. Perhaps counter-intuitively, include a “Give for Giving Tuesday Button” at the bottom of this email in case donors would like to give on Sunday as you hate to have willing donors needlessly wait till Tuesday to give to your campaign.

Communications Framework. While the content for this table could easily become an entirely new article, this simple framework and suggested subject lines provide a good starting point for your campaign:

Remember, the goal is to have a simple, yet productive Giving Tuesday campaign. Taking care of the basics (communications, incentives, and updates to your website) and following this framework will maximize your efforts.

If this article inspires you to launch a Giving Tuesday campaign this year, reach out to us and let us know how you did. What were your expectations vs. results? What did you learn from the experience? The Timothy Group is always excited to learn and share best practices, so we’d love to hear about your experience.

About the Author: Jonathan Helder, CFRE, ECRF, Consultant

With over a decade of proven fundraising experience and a love for data, Jonathan is blessed to serve nonprofits and help bolster their impact on the community. Jon enjoys helping ministries implement data-based strategies and tools to improve fundraising and organizational effectiveness. Jonathan has written articles as well as presented to local and national organizations including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (West Michigan), Do More Good, Nonprofit Hub and the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance.

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1663 Sutherland Dr SE
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1663 Sutherland Dr SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508

Phone (616) 224-4060Email hello@timothygroup.com

Quick Link

Social Media

1663 Sutherland Dr SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508

Phone (616) 224-4060
Email hello@timothygroup.com