I love summer. Cookouts, fireworks, swimming pools, kids out of school, family vacations. The list goes on, but one item you don’t usually find on it is fundraising. If your ministry sees a decline in fundraising, either through reduced contributions or increased difficulty in accessing donors, you are not alone. Summer is traditionally a low point in the donor development process.
So what is a ministry to do?
My advice is to use this “down time” to prepare for your fall or
year-end fundraising campaign.
Specifically, here are some things you can do now to set the stage for future
success.
First and foremost, use this time to get your contact list
in order. If your thoughts just turned
to a drawer full of business cards and post-it notes, or even worse a shoe box,
then your first step should be to create a digital file that captures all of
this info. There are many tools
available to help you, but even a simple spreadsheet is better than what you
have. Capture all of the relevant info
(i.e. names, address, phone numbers, email addresses, etc.) in one record for
each contact.
Next, review whatever file you have (or have just created)
for accuracy and completeness. Are the
mailing addresses complete? Have any of
the email addresses recently come back to you as undeliverable? Look at the use
of capitalization and spelling. Cleaning
this up as much as possible now will help ensure a quality campaign in the
future.
Have you considered employing a donor management
system? Some are very expensive and some
are free. Even the free ones can provide
many functions that can help you. Find
one that allows you to upload all of the info captured above and then add
information that you think would help you.
When was the last gift received from each donor? How much was it? No gift history? Identify how likely each of your prospects is
to give. A good system will allow you to
track as many items as you think will help you.
Lastly, use this time to remind your donors and potential
donors why your ministry exists and what your needs are. Write a newsletter and get it out. Update you web-site with current
accomplishments. Make sure you have an
on-line giving option that is intuitive and efficient. Update your social media sites as well.
If you would you like someone to assist you with your
specific needs, Armor Bearer Ministry Services is here to help. Whether you are looking for an affordable way
to capture your contact list, employ a donor management system or even put some
structure around your donor development process, please contact me to discuss
your options. I would love to hear from
you.
I hope you enjoy your summer, but I also hope it is a
productive time for your ministry.
To God be the glory,
