Organizations do not plan to fail; they just sometimes fail to plan. Strategic planning is a process every organization must do well to compete in the ministry marketplace. John Stott said, “Vision begins with a holy discontent with the way things are.” Strategic planning should...
“But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly” (Acts 24:4). Ananias, the high priest, and some elders appeared before Felix, the Roman governor, to condemn Paul for being a troublemaker. They brought along their...
One of the best strategies for reporting your success to your donors and stakeholders is through an Annual Report. You may or may not currently produce one, but if your non-profit organization is like most of those we serve, you probably ask these questions every...
Bang for the Buck: Report How You Used Your Donors’ MoneyMajor Donor Game Plan has been sold and distributed far and wide – in the USA, Canada, Central America, Africa, the Middle East, the UK, China, and Australia. In it I simplified, “Moves Management” into 6...
In his book, First Things First, Steven Covey shared a story about a seminar leader who used an empty jar and some rocks to illustrate the importance of setting priorities. "How many rocks do you think will fit into this jar?" the instructor asked. After...
“The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac” (2 Kings 9:20). “He (Jehu) came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, ‘Are you in accord with me, as I am with...
The Toughest Test with your DonorsI’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. We all have heard it. Donors say, “I have more money than I have time.” “I’m happy to write a check or give through my DAF. But please, please don’t ask me to volunteer,...
In our last article we reviewed three sources of donor prospecting research available to all ministries: internal, advocate, and external resources. We also categorized donors as general, mid-level, or major. Now that you have identified your donors, the next steps are qualify and cultivate. Qualifying Donors Major...
We often talk about fundraising metrics: donor retention rate (DRR), donor attrition (DA), donor churn (DC), donor frequency (DF), donor lifetime value (DLV), return on investment (ROI), cost to raise a dollar (CRD), the stress levels of advancement personnel (SLAP). Wait, I made that last...
Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to...
