Come on, Pat, you say. This surely cannot be an overarching principle for conundrum-free campaigns. If your organization does not have a real and felt need to raise capital dollars, then your efforts are going to be a bit like pushing spaghetti uphill. I mean...
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green....
Your fundraising calendar is chocked full of urgent things to do, but are they the right things? It’s not enough to be busy, you've got to be productive. So, how do you decide where to invest your time and energy to achieve the greatest results?...
“Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, ‘Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern” (Jeremiah 38:12-13). Nebuchadnezzar was knocking on Jerusalem’s door....
A capital campaign is a series of well-planned, well-orchestrated strategies all designed to reach a specific dollar goal within a specific timeframe. Campaigns move forward one conversation at a time. The four phases of a campaign are:1. The pre-campaign survey/ feasibility study - This step...
We have seen many failed campaigns over the years that were launched without feasibility studies. A pre-campaign study is crucial for a successful comprehensive capital campaign to address annual, capital, and endowment funding needs. This vital research will help you avoid campaign conundrums by revealing...
17 Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him (Othniel) in marriage. 18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” 19 She...
What’s your elevator pitch? If you bump into someone important on an elevator who asks you what you do for a living, what would you say? Have you scripted your talking points that quickly and simply define your organization and its value proposition? Your elevator pitch...
There are people in your life in any field of work that help teach, train, disciple, and mentor you. In April, I lost two of my long-time mentors five days apart: Dr. Howard (Howie) Nourse and Donald Distelberg. Scripture teaches that “iron sharpens iron.” Howie and...
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few” (2 Kings 4:3). Many ministries face great financial needs, but have few donor leads. Whom can you turn to find the resources you need? A widow approached Elisha...
