The Timothy Group

Sharing Your Lunch

We are familiar with the story of Jesus feeding the thousands of men, women, and children from the lunch of a small boy.

The Gospels share the perspective of the crowd, when hearing that Jesus had come to solitary place, following him on foot from the surrounding towns. When Jesus saw them he had compassion on them and healed their sick. They were together for a long period of time and the disciples came to Jesus and indicated the people were hungry. They encouraged him to send the crowed away for they had nothing to feed them. Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." Philip answered, "eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite." Andrew spoke up, "here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Have you ever wondered, why would the boy give up his lunch? His stomach was telling him it was time to eat and he had a small lunch. The logical solution would be to sit under a tree and eat his lunch and be satisfied. That same logic would say to give up his lunch would result in no one or only a few receiving food and he would still be hungry. To willingly give up his lunch was illogical.

Should a Non Profit Organization Tithe?

Larry Burkett, the late co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries, was a pioneer in applying Christian principles to personal and business financial management. His impact on how Christians view debt, work, saving, investing, giving, and retirement planning is still felt today through his 70-plus books and ongoing radio ministry. Larry believed strongly that a person cannot out give God.

Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher said, "In all of my years of service to my Lord, I have discovered a truth that has never failed and has never been compromised. That truth is that it is beyond the realm of possibilities that one has the ability to out give God. Even if I give the whole of my worth to Him, He will find a way to give back to me much more than I gave."

Scripture is chocked full of examples of generous giving. On his return from a victorious battle, Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek, King of Salem (Genesis 14:19-20). The Children of Israel responded abundantly to Moses' call for gifts to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 36:6). David enthusiastically gave his own personal treasures to construct the Temple (1Chronicles 29:3-5).

Six Things You Can Do To Improve Your Fundraising in Today's Economy

Are you concerned about the impact of the economy on your fund raising plans for 2009? Are your donors telling you that the economy is impacting their ability to make a gift to you right now?

If you are concerned that the wide swings in the stock market, the loss of retirement fund or investment asset values, the home mortgage crisis, and the government rescue of the credit markets and stimulus plan may adversely impact your fund raising plans, read on for six things you can do in the current economy.

Many middle class families are having a difficult time right now. However, if unemployment rates are 6, 7 or 8% that still means that more than 90% of those who want to work are working. Even if giving does not increase this year, over $300 Billion will be given away. So focus on the positive, not the negative. If donors won’t make multiple year commitments at least get this year’s gift, and plan to contact them again next year. Smaller gifts are usually made from income, not assets. So if donors are employed they will likely still give.

Sponsorship of Stewardship?
There is a Difference.

"Will you sponsor me at five dollars per mile for Life Walk?"

"Would you underwrite a table at our fundraising banquet?"

"Will you purchase an advertisement in the book commemorating our tenth anniversary?"

Sponsorship is a favorite fundraising tool of many nonprofit organizations. Perhaps you use it with a measure of success.

Advantages of sponsorship

Sponsorship is one way of involving new donors with your ministry. Those who participate in your Life Walk fundraiser reach out to their circle of friends for support. These donors may or may not have a connection with your mission but give on the basis of their friendship. It becomes a grassroots way of expanding your donor base. However, most gifts are small, one-time, and tied directly to their friend. If their friend quits walking, they quit giving.

Asking a business to underwrite a table at your fundraising banquet or a hole at your golf outing is a good way to involve a business that typically would not support your annual operating budget. From the business owner's perspective, these opportunities are viewed as a form of marketing paid from their advertising budget.

Thanks, But No Thanks

A major donor looked the new executive director in the eyes, pointed his finger, and scolded, "Don't ever forget to thank your donors." Wow, that should get your attention. The donor had given a sizeable gift, and unfortunately the former director had neglected to say, "Thanks."

Forget your keys, forget your mother's birthday, even forget your anniversary, but don't forget to thank your donors. Ten lepers were healed, but only one returned to thank Jesus for His wonderful gift. Evidently, the other nine were too busy enjoying their new lives to show their appreciation. Not much has changed. Genuine thankfulness still seems rare. When it comes to your relationships with donors, you can't thank them too much.

Thankfulness can take many forms: a handwritten note, a personal phone call, or maybe a small gift of appreciation. Perhaps you've heard this fundraising proverb, "Thank the donor seven times before asking for another gift." That's a good rule of thumb, but how do you do it? Here are 10 thank you tips. Remember to thank your donors!

The Church and The Center

An Uneasy Marriage

As a former pastor, seminary graduate, short-term overseas missionary, and long-time Church man I believe I understand and appreciate the God-given mission of the church. I am active in a local church that I have attended since 1986. I love my Pastor and appreciate our local, regional, national, and international outreach. I want to make it clear I am deeply committed to the Church. May I also say the principals we are about to discuss really do work, as my church supports our local Pregnancy Resource Center.

I said all that to say this.........when it comes to the outreach of PRC's around the nation, why doesn't the church get it? Why is the marriage such an uneasy one? The missions (church and PRC's) are very compatible and should work together. Many churches in America and Canada where we have been serving for the past 20 years have no interest, understanding, and in some instances, appreciation for the pro-life movement and the ongoing ministries of PRC's. Please allow me to shed some potential light on the situation and see if we can discuss a strategy to initiate change.

The Fat Boy in the Canoe

Most major donors will consider a leadership gift in the range of 10 percent to15 percent of the total campaign goal. This is a good rule of thumb to follow when rating a donor to determine the gift amount you should request. Some executive directors and development officers new to major donor world get really excited about finding a new prospect that could "write a check for the whole campaign." While a major donor might have the capacity to underwrite your entire project, he or she probably won't, unless they have an unusually close relationship to your organization. Major donors became major donors by making wise business decisions. They approach giving with the same diligence.

It's really a rookie move to ask for "the whole enchilada." When I served as a foundation director, I consulted with a ministry that was seeking to launch a $2 million campaign. I assisted the new development director with foundation research to discover  possible grant

The Major Gift Ask Process in a Capital Campaign

The model for a capital campaign directs that two-thirds or more of the dollars received and committed will typically come from the top 110 investors. While that number may vary slightly, the model of one-thirds is the beginning point:

1. 1/3 of the dollars should come from the top ten gifts.
2. The next 1/3 should come from the next 100 gifts.
3. The final 1/3 from the remaining donors.

A campaign with this structure will typically take sixteen months to complete.

Identification of major gift prospects begins with the personal and telephone interviews in the Pre-Campaign Study .

When the study supports a campaign, but does not demonstrate the potential for the model of one-thirds, the model can be changed to reflect the study results. For example, if the top ten demonstrates a capability for 20% of the dollars and the next one hundred 30%, the resulting campaign model will place a responsibility of 50% of the dollars to come from the small gifts of the larger donor population. This can still result in accomplishing the campaign goals, however, it will require a longer period of time. A campaign with this structure may take from 24 to 36 months to complete.

The Parable of Two Fundraisers

"What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."

Matthew 21:28-31

The road to fundraising is paved with good intentions. Every development director starts the job with high hopes and visions of raising millions of dollars to support the ministry. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for some to get sidetracked with staff meetings, writing reports, creating marketing materials, serving on committees, planning events, and other low priority tasks. The most effective fundraising strategy is face-to-face personal solicitation, but very few development directors and very few executive directors actually get out of the office and make donor calls.

Tipping God

My bride of almost 30 years had that big birthday a few weeks ago and turned 50. To celebrate our family, a couple of close friends and girl friends celebrated with a very lovely dinner at a very nice restaurant. Hey, it was great and the meal for ten of us with tip was around $400.00. I know that cause I picked up the tab. The server was excellent; she and her crew were on time and on task. The meal presentation was great, food was prepared well, it was a great evening. The customary tip for the McLaughlin crew is 5% for poor service, 10% for good service, 15% for great service and 20% for exceptional service. The service that evening was exceptional, hence a tip of $65.00.

This nice dinner (no alcohol-I know what you were thinking), got me thinking about my own giving and that of many believers in America, Canada, and Great Britain. Last year Americans (and our research also indicates a similar pattern for the other two nations) were tippers when it came to giving, especially to the church. America is a very generous nation, in fact, the most generous on the face of the earth. Frankly, no one is even close, $250+ billion dollars was given philanthropically last year! However, when it came to giving to the church, here are the cold hard facts . . . or ah perhaps the cold hard cash.

Too Many Chickens

Every chicken farmer knows that you can put only so many chickens in a coop before you start losing productivity. The same principle applies to non-profit organizations. Cram too much ministry into too small of space and you'll struggle to be effective. Are you running out of ministry space, meeting rooms, offices, parking, and storage? Maybe it's time to consider a larger facility. However, that can be an expensive project, which will probably require you to launch a capital campaign to raise the money. It's a daunting task. Where do you start?

A successful capital campaign requires five key components: a) a compelling case, b) committed leaders, c) willing volunteers, d) a good plan, and e) prepared donors. Let's look at each of these in more detail.

What if Your Board Tells You to Raise More Contributions?

Imagine after all your work to put together a budget for next year, your Board members reaction is: rather than raise fees quite that much, or decrease expenditures quite that much, they charge you, the director, to raise more contributions. What do you do?

First, don't panic! Don't just assume that there is only one answer; that you have to add this to the list of things you already do. Consider the range of options open to you. There may be more than one choice, or possibly a combination of options. And don't get angry at the Board, just yet.. It is the job of the Board to set policy and to ask the CEO to implement that policy. But that doesn't mean you have to do all the work yourself.

The likely range of options you can choose from includes: you become more involved in fund raising; hire staff to do the job; employ a consultant; or turn to volunteers. Probably the best choice will involve some elements of each. Let's look at the choices. But first:

When is Your Due Date?

(To Own, Build, or Expand Your Center)

It's true. You'll know when the time is right to purchase or build a new facility. Last year we helped more than one hundred fifty ministries raise capital for buildings, programs, and additional staff. Take to heart these principals of sound planning and apply them to your center.

First things first

As you imagine your future through strategic ministry planning, ask this question: "If staffing and dollars were not an issue, what would our center be like?" Describe the ideal facility. Would it have a warm, spacious lobby to create a good first impression and counseling rooms that make clients feel at home? Appropriate space for an ultrasound machine? A computer lab for career training opportunities? More storage for clothes and supplies? The bottom line is: How will a new building help you reach more women and their families?

When

Some people have the opinion that it is not biblical for a ministry to own property. They argue from a practical viewpoint that a ministry should always be a tenant because it is less expensive. "After all, God provides for the sparrow, and He will meet our needs." Amen to that, but I assure you that it is not ungodly, unspiritual, or inappropriate to own your facility. If the time is right-if you're due-then go for it!

Where Are You Going And How Are You Going To Get There?

Will Rogers once said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Do you feel like your center is pointed in the right direction but not moving forward as quickly as you would like? Maybe it's time to dust off your strategic plan and re-energize your board, staff, and volunteers.

Many non-profit organizations start as 'mom and pop' endeavors. Someone had a burden to reach people, jumped in with both feet, and accomplished great things. Now after a few years, the de facto strategic plan seems to be, "just keep doing more of what we're already doing."

Conventional wisdom might argue that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, Charles Handy suggests with his Sigmund Curve theory that the moment an organization finds itself on an upward curve is the moment that it needs to start re-inventing itself. Your center should consider a strategic planning process whether you're stalled on the tracks or enjoying great success.