People Raising

People Raising: The People Raising Blog

• On a Roll

From time to time I have one of those banner days when it starts great and then is followed up by some additional good news. When you are on a roll like that, keep those phone calls going and take advantage of every opportunity you can, because there will be many days that we face when nothing goes right.

• The Disappointed Donor

I had a delightful time with one of our donors recently. We talked about our ministry, their family, and just got updated in so many ways. A little over a year ago this same donor had shared some exciting news. They were about to sell a piece of property, then with a gleam in their eye they began to explain their vision on the utilization of those funds. The building was sold, but unfortunately the donor had no access to those funds and was extremely disappointed because they were so excited on giving more funds back to the Lord’s work. Here again is a demonstration of the excitement that donors have in the Lord’s work and then when they are unable to give for one reason or another it can be very disappointing.

• Checks to over 24 Different Ministries

I had the opportunity to call one of our donors that had made a significant gift to our ministry. The phone call began with my thanking him for his generosity and then he indicated that the Lord allowed him to be able to write checks just recently to over 24 different ministries. I think we need to be reminded that many donors give to multiple ministries. There is a tendency on our part to think that people that give to other ministries will not give to us. That is simply not true, so don’t get discouraged when you meet those that who are giving to other ministries and make the assumption that they will not give to you.

• Looking for a Reason to Call

As I continue to work with donors, it’s very critical that I stay in contact with them. One of the things I’m always looking for is a reason to give a donor a call. The obvious is when they give a gift or when you would like to set up an appointment to ask for a gift. But there are many other occasions when you can place that call. Recently I was with a donor and they had an organization that was assisting them in some of their financial planning and investing. I happen to know some of the individuals that work with that organization and began to mention several names. As I mentioned one name, the donor quickly responded by saying he certainly is a very nice young man. I reminded myself that this young man’s parents were donors of Inner City Impact and that gave me the occasion to place a call to them and indicate how pleased this donor was with their son and it gave me another opportunity to then talk further about our ministry and to encourage them in their giving.

• Good intentions!

As you raise funds, there are many friends who simply want to help you in any way that they can. As I coach individuals to raise funds I am always asking them to go to donors that believe in them and then get their help to provide contacts. Such people, many a times, have good intentions but unfortunately they are not always very practical and doable. For example the person could say ‘let me talk to my church let me see if they might be interested.’ Great idea but normally that’s a long process and could take months or well over a year before any funds come from that scenario. Whether raising personal support or funds for your organization be careful with those with good intentions but not practical in terms of furthering your fund raising. Remember people give to people they know, they trust, they care for and if you are not high on that list of criteria it could be a futile attempt on your part.

Posted by Mark July 2008

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