The Timothy Group

Annual Fund Raising

Let's be honest.  Annual fund raising may not be very exciting, but it is a critical success factor in your organization.  You have to raise the money to make your minstry budget balance and work each year.  A strong annual fund is the best way to prepare for capital and endowment fundraising in the future.  You need a comprehensive annual fund campaign.  We can help. 

Annual Financial Development Plans

A comprehensive stewardship plan consists of five methods of fundraising, applied to five donor segments.  One method used is written communication (and may include direct mail solicitation).  Telemarketing/Teleministry is a second method.  Group events of all sizes and shapes are a staple of our stewardship planning and implementation.  Personal solicitation is the most effective method and is often overlooked, underutilized or avoided altogether.  A fifth method is wise use of your media opportunities, both electronic and print (a good newsletter and an even better website).

We help you take those five methods and apply them to your five fundraising markets.  Your plan must include a solid, time-tested strategy to solicit individuals, churches, businesses (S corps), corporations (C corps) and foundations.

We can help you to appeal to new donors, increase levels of support from current donors, bring back lapsed donors, express appreciation to donors, and network to new donors.  We look at past results, responsibilities assigned to team members, resources allocated, and survey key stakeholders regarding their thoughts about the financial development function.  The Plan will help you respond to the financial development challenges you face. 

Fundraising Events

You name them, we have helped plan and implement them.  Fund raising events usually combine the purposes of public relations and fund raising. If not done properly, events may turn out to be mostly public relations and almost no fund raising. They might even lose money.  We will help you maximize both benefits.

• AUCTIONS
• FUND RAISING DINNER EVENTS
• GOLF OUTINGS
• THREE-ON-THREE-BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS

Auctions

Auctions require a lot of work and months of preparation. In some states you have to get a license to conduct an auction. You must get appealing items to auction off, a competent auctioneer, the right people present, keep track of a myriad of details, correctly record the gift portion of the transactions, and say thanks. In all of the details you may forget to tell people about your ministry and integrate them into the overall development plan. Let us help you do it right the first time, so you don't have to learn by trial and error.   We have guided some that have netted over $100,000.

Fund Raising Dinner Events

Lots of ministries hold dinner events. Some raise lots of money and friends.  Others break even or even lose money. Getting the right people in the room, presenting the right program, asking in the right way, and following-up quickly are all important.   We have helped create, plan and execute many profitable events.  Recently, three fund raising dinners we worked on in three separate states raised $2.1million, and none of them used a nationally known speaker as a draw.  Yes, dinners work, if you have the right plan.  It is not so much about selling tickets as it is about getting the right people to your event to hear your story and be invited to become a ministry partner.  We have a software program that helps you keep track of who is coming and is seated at what table. Let us help you "do it right" the very first time, or re-establish an event that seems to be losing interest. In subsequent years you can go it alone.

Golf Outings

In a golf outing or marathon, you have to determine who you want present and make sure the right people are there. You have to reserve a course that people will want to play on. It is important to get good sponsors. There are door prizes and other gifts to plan. Most important though is the program, which can be forgotten in all the other details. We know how to strike the right balance. You want people to have fun but also become connected with your ministry. Let us help you do the best possible golf outing from the start, after which you can do it on your own.

Three-on-Three Basketball Tournaments

Some people prefer basketball and will play and recruit sponsors for a tournament. As with any event there are lots of details to control: teams, brackets, equipment, publicity, prizes. You need to get the right volunteers, players and spectators. The games need to go off without a hitch. You also need to make sure you know who is present so you can integrate them into your larger fund raising plan. Our "Hoopin" tourneys have been excellent annual events.  Corporate sponsorship is a main stay in our funding events.  Let The Timothy Group's experience work for you.

Mail Appeals

Successful mail appeals depend on such factors as selecting the right audience, asking for the right purpose, designing the package in the right way, receipting the gifts quickly and analyzing the results. If you do not do these things you may repeat mistakes from prior years and have poor results, wasting money and creating ill will. The Timothy Group will help you develop an annual plan of mail appeals that that fits into your overall financial development plan and considers: target audience, desired results, estimated costs, time table and identifies the criteria for evaluation. Whether you are seeking new donors, increased levels of support from prior donors, or renewed support from lapsed donors, let us help you make the best of your mail appeal dollars. We help you carefully segment your current mailing list and determine which audience which communication.  The money you save from not repeating prior mistakes can be put to good use in other ways in your development program.  Let us help you make a monthly or quarterly giving club work for you.

Media and Electronic Appeals

Every ministry has an image, and ways to enhance that image. Whether you are making appeals for annual operating costs, for a capital campaign or for planned gifts to grow an endowment, you need to use a combination of printed material, newsletters, videos, and your web site at the very least. You may be able to afford newspaper, radio and TV advertising. We have seen it all. We can help you craft a media appeal that integrates with your other fund raising.

Personal Solicitation

The most effective and efficient, yet most underutilized solicitation method used is personal solicitation . . . because it takes time. The Timothy Group can help you identify the right people in your constituency to see, the right material to use, the right team to use, and the steps to take.  We help our clients utilize the six most important R's in stewardship relationship building:  Research (using internal and external methods to discover their donor's story and capacity), Romance (let us show you how to "date your donors" with a marriage of your and their values), Request (a personal meeting with a donor with a clear, concise, compelling specific "ask," a fun and very productive way to raise money and build relationships . . . we will even go along with you on the call), Recognition (say thanks in a very personal way and prepare the donor for the next gift), Recruitment (ask your doors to become "friend raisers" for y our organization by asking them to invite friends), and Reporting (give a compelling report as to how their gift impacted your ministry and those you serve).  Whether it is 5, 6 or 7 figure, major gifts make a big difference in a ministry. Let us help you do it right.

Phonathons

Phone solicitation needs to be targeted at the right audience. Whether you use volunteers or pay callers they need to be trained and supervised. Timely and accurate follow-up is needed. WE can help with everything from planning, to scripts, to supervision to analysis. Let the experience of the Timothy Group work for you.