A development officer recently referred to special events as a love-hate relationship. You love them for the goodwill and needed funds they raise and almost hate them, concurrently, because they can be so all-consuming of your time and energy and overtax your valued volunteers. The...
Faith vs. Doubt in FundraisingChristian ministry fundraising incites our Christian faith. The same God who creates our needs is the same God we must trust. We have a choice to either embrace faith or doubt. As a development director at a Christian K-12 school, I...
Here it is, the middle of December and so much to do. In a year of COVID-19, contested national and state elections, and other abnormalities, things may be very different at your organization at the end of 2020 compared to past years. Experts talk about...
In our get-it-done-quickly, get-it-done-now world, any type of slowdown could be viewed as weak or uncertain. COVID will come to an end and we will again be able to meet our key donors in person. Until then we are limited to Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, Twitter, email,...
When employees arrive for their first day of work at Apple they are greeted with this inspirational note: “There’s work and there’s your life’s work. The kind of work that has your fingerprints all over it. The kind that you’d never compromise on. That you’d sacrifice a weekend...
Only a few weeks left!!!Since Labor Day, you have worked hard to plan your Fall and Year-End appeals via mail and email. You have also made follow up calls to your key ministry friends as well as your Multiple Support Program donors (MSPs) who make...
Persistence in Uncertain TimesDuring 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...
“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,...
“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....
Every development director starts with the high hopes and visions of raising millions of dollars to support the ministry. But when the job gets busy, do you get online and on the phone? Or do you focus on paper and budgets? View and find out. View...
