A Christmas Bulletin Announcement

WELCOME HOME!

We know that the Christmas season provides us with the pleasure of seeing in person many folks who do not regularly join us for Mass. It's so good to see you! We hope you find the Liturgy inspirational and that you experience the profound joy that comes from the contemplation of the coming of Our Lord and His presence in the Holy Eucharist. Let's take the advice of Saint Paul of the Cross who said, “Celebrate the feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior of your spirit, remaining like a bay in the bosom of the Heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.”

You are important to us. The heart and soul of Christian stewardship is the belief that God is the source of all of our blessings, talents and possessions. We are simply His stewards. Why not share your talents with us? This is your parish and we are strongest when we all participate. As we know from Sacred Scripture, “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given us.” (Rom 12:6) Think about taking this opportunity to share your talents with your fellow parishioners. You have much to offer – and we are eager to have your help.

Another integral component of Christian stewardship is sharing your treasure. Remember, it isn't money that is the root of all evil; it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil! (I Tim 6:10) We are called not to equal giving, but to equal sacrifice. May we humbly suggest you step forward now to help YOUR parish flourish. A great way to accomplish that is by selecting the Electronic Giving option the parish offers. By doing so your gift will arrive regularly on a schedule you determine and your good intentions will not be derailed by travel, attending another parish's Mass or by work -related obligations. Signing up is simple! Take it from those who do so, regular giving is a fruitful and gratifying use of your resources and as we know, we cannot out give Our Lord. He will repay us abundantly.

Written by: Harry Colin, Vice President of Consulting-The Cunneen Company

Thank you Father Schrader and Beth Lucia of Cunneen!

To Any Pastoral Leader Pondering a Fiscal Campaign:

This past Spring when our Facilities Committee came up with a 5-year plan for the upkeep and improvement of the twelve buildings on our parish’s three church sites, the cost when linked with our annual diocesan appeal for this year came to $900,000. Wondering what to do at a time of rapidly escalating gasoline prices and other related increases, our Pastoral and Financial Councils decided to contact Cunneen to see what was possible. I was severely skeptical that anything could successfully be done to reach that amount in such a year of economic stress. After all, we had difficulty reaching just our $123,000 diocesan appeal alone in the better-off 2007-08 fiscal year.

All I can say now is that anything is possible for those who believe! Thanks to a special gift by bequest to the campaign in the summer, we went over the $900,000 mark on October 29th, the end of one of the worst Octobers in recent history. Then, two days before Thanksgiving, the pledges alone (apart from the $150,000 bequest itself) reached the $900,000 mark. The people were elated when I announced at our Mass on Thanksgiving morning that we had over $1,050,000 committed to the campaign. I know one thing for sure: I simply could not have done it without Cunneen. I also know that challenging economic times are no hindrance to success if your need is genuine and you convey it convincingly to those who have in their hearts the same mission that your campaign supports. It was Cunneen that helped us to map out a strategy and get the message conveyed in a clear and compelling way. Consider this a strong endorsement of their services!!!

Rev. Robert J. Schrader, Pastor
Peace of Christ Parish
Rochester, NY

A drill or a hole? The what or the why?

I've linked to this blog before-and even wrote an earlier blog article about how closely related sales is to fundraising-this article quoting sales guru Zig Ziglar does a pretty neat job of it.

And I agree-we are in the "hole" business! Or as I say often enough the "why" not the "what".

http://fundraisingcoach.com/2008/12/02/fundraising-secret-28-nobody-wants-to-buy-a-drill/

Enjoy and thanks again Marc for the excellent blog post.

I just couldn't resist!

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should
be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance
of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and
the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest
Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to
work, instead of living on public assistance."

- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 55 BC

Enjoying the success of a client.

Bishop Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Providence RI, Jim Cunneen and Ray Coogan both of the Cunneen Company, enjoy a moment of celebration as the guests of Father Spina, pastor of St. Martha's in East Providence.

Bishop Tobin was congratulating Father Spina and the parishioners of St. Martha's on their recently completed $1 million capital campaign to conduct major renovations.

Seeing these projects completed is by far the most rewarding part of our jobs. Congratulations to Father Spina and the good people of St. Martha's.

My friends...

To members of the Cunneen family of clients:

“One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency” Arnold Glasgow

If you are receiving this newsletter you are a leader; a leader of a parish, finance council, development office, stewardship department or an entire diocese. Leadership in a faith based (Catholic)organization during these extraordinarily complicated times is difficult. Employees, parishioners, volunteers, peers, and colleagues look to you for guidance, instruction, comfort and inspiration. You are expected to have the right answer, to chart the proper course of action, and to assure those around you that everything will be fine.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

Like you, I have this deliberate confidence. I have faith that God will show me the way that He will guide my hand and my actions.

In the coming months we will all be challenged to make difficult decisions about the organizations we lead. Raising money, increasing weekly giving, introducing electronic giving, conducting capital campaigns are not easy things to do when the economy is suffering or when your parishioners are feeling insecure about their jobs, homes and financial security.

However, as leaders we must lead! We must “recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency”. Now more than ever, Catholic parishes must address their regular, electronic, and capital giving. A weak economy does not correlate with a parish’s expenses or capital needs. The electric bill will not be reduced, fuel costs will remain high, the snow must be ploughed, the leak in the roof has to be repaired, and the insurance premiums must be paid. It isn’t easy but it is necessary.

Twenty-eight years of service to the Catholic Church assures us that parishioners will respond. In good times and bad, the generosity of the faithful never fails to meet the needs of our Church. Please know that The Cunneen Company remains committed to assisting your parish or diocese.

Our offertory enhancement, electronic giving and capital campaign programs are obtaining meaningful and lasting results. Offertory enhancement appeals conducted in September and October of this year have seen an average increase of 23%. It is comforting to witness the “deliberate confidence” of the tens of thousands of Catholics who supported their parishes over these difficult weeks. We are heartened by their response.

As always, thank you for your time, consideration and for granting us the privilege to serve your parish or diocese.

Sincerely,

John Cunneen

Good stewards have faith.

Bad Economic Times can provide a Healthy Perspective

“It is the heart that makes a man rich.
He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”
-Henry Ward Beecher

Whether or not we are in an official “recession,” there is now no denying that our country is experiencing an historic and catastrophic downturn in the economy. While it is the large banks and Wall Street firms that have received all the publicity and “bailouts”, it is in the individual family wallet and budget where we all are feeling the pinch of the tough economy more acutely than anywhere else. When difficulties are experienced and our safety is threatened, we find out if our religious beliefs are more than mere slogans or platitudes. Is it possible to find a silver lining in the economic rain cloud hanging over our heads?

If we are to find our way through these tough times, we must first understand the “motivation of crisis.” You know the old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Well, bad economic times can create the pressure needed for us to finally review our financial stewardship and how faithful and disciplined we are in the way we use our personal financial resources. The economists tell us this particular crisis was brought on by unwise debt and mortgage lending. If we have personally overextended our family finances with too much debt, these times will be very tough for us indeed and we will have to make serious cutbacks in our expenses. But if we learn this painful lesson and begin to live within our family’s financial means, the future can hold great promise. When finances are flush and times are good, it is easy to be less disciplined in our spending and how we use our money. Yard sales are testimonies to how much “junk” most families have and could easily live without. When times are difficult, we are much more careful how we spend our money and we come much closer to limiting our purchases to useful necessities.

When we experience financial woes, we must remember Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12:13-34 that if we build our treasures here on earth, moth and rust can destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But treasures built in Heaven are safe from these dangers and will provide a safe and secure foundation upon which a life can be built that will endure the financial struggles that will inevitably occur. Further, Jesus promises that just as the birds of the air and the flowers are provided for by God, so too will He provide our basic and essential needs. To worry about these things, Jesus taught, is folly and doesn’t help the situation at all.

As times improve, and they eventually will, good stewards will remember the lessons learned and the more disciplined priorities of these lean times. We will keep our future expenditures under control and representative of the teachings of our Lord. These economic times will pass, although we don’t know how soon. But people of FAITH will make the most of the time to review and re-order their lives and stewardship, and will look back on 2008 as a great year when they rediscovered the power of their faith and trust in their Lord to provide their needs.

A Capital Campaign for needed improvements or additions can provide an excellent opportunity for your parishioners to step out in faith and make a Statement of Intention that will be a testament to their faith in the future and their trust in God to provide their needs

Article by: Ralph Salzgaber. Cunneen consultant, campaign director and author of Cunneen's Stewardship in Motion newsletter

Some good news!

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6157679&page=1

This closely reflects what we are seeing in many of our programs. People still give! Parishes still need to ask! The work of the church and your non-profit must continue.

Just because the economy has slowed doesn't mean the electric bill is going to decrease or the insurance premiums will be reduced or the roof will automatically stop leaking. Just as your donors/parishioners must continue to meet their regular obligations so to must the parish or non-profit.

Now is the time for bold and confident leadership your parish, your non profit and the people your organization serves are counting on it.

More thoughts about fundaising in these difficult times...

A solid fundraising blog:

http://fundraisingcoach.com/2008/10/21/theres-nothing-compassionate-about-not-asking/

Here at the Cunneen Company we are in the midst of dozens of parish offertory enhancement programs. Fortunately for Cunneen and for our parish clients the pastors and parish leaders had the courage and confidence to move forward with their appeals. We are seeing an average increase in weekly giving at Catholic parishes across the country of around 23%! A 23% increase in giving at the height of the economic uncertainty.

If you ask, if you have been a good steward of your resources, a good communicator of your parish or organizations short, medium and long term funding goals, your supporters WILL give!

We have seen almost no decrease in gifts that come from income. These would be moderate capital campaign gifts, annual fund, weekly giving and offertory support. We have seen a weakening in our major and leadership gifts levels. These gifts traditionally come from assets or from "wealth". There is no question that even the most affluent of donors are feeling a lot less wealthy, less secure during these uncertain times. Needless to say gifts of appreciated securities (stock) have been a bit slow of late.

If you are considering a modest capital campaign (up to two times annual giving or offertory) or are focusing on your annual giving, weekly stewardship or offertory-it is still a good if not essential time for you to be conducting a professionally guided program.

Oh my....

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Watching this with the sound up is worth the three minutes-if you are not riveted by 1:07 - well... This video really struck me here late on a Wednesday evening.

I would like to thank my friends at the http://faithandaction.org . Thier site is worth a visit-thier work-is essential.

Harry's article sweeps the nation...

Harry Colin's outstanding article "Fighting Faith with Fear" - linked below - has swept the nation. We recently emailed the article to over 1,500 Catholic pastors, business managers, and lay leaders. The response has been great. The article appears to have struck a cord with many of us that care deeply about our faith, the church and the responsibility we have as Catholics to be good Stewards of our church.

A diocesan development director in the mid-west forwarded the article to DRE's, stewardship coordinators and pastors throughout his diocese.

A careful mix of hope, acceptance of our individual roles in this crisis, a willingness to embrace a more deliberate and responsible lifestyle and an acceptance that we must all lift each other up. That we must place our trust in God - is a message that we can all benefit from.

Thank you again to Harry for giving us all smoething to think about in your wonderful article.

Back to the basics!

Just a few quick thoughts regarding fundraising in these difficult times.

At a speech I gave recently to the Connecticut Council on Philanthropy I encouraged the audience to get back to the basics-to focus on doing the little things right, the blocking and tackling that leads to donor loyalty, major and even planned gifts.

In the parish setting the basics would be offertory. This is an important time to encourage your donors to make reasonable increases in weekly giving if they are able. It is also an important time to share with them the financial state of the parish, the number of regular supporters, the average weekly gift. Focus your parishioners attention on electronic giving, use of envelopes, monthly gifts and making up when they are unable to attend mass.

Next week I intend to post results from offertory enhancement appeals that the firm is running right now-in the heart of the economic crisis-you are going to be very pleased with the results. The generosity of the faithful is always a sight to behold!

If you are a school or other non profit now is the time to master your annual appeal. Analyze giving patterns, increase the frequency of your direct mail solicitations, focus on building donor loyalty, modest increases in annual giving and showing appreciation to your generous supporters.

An intense focus on your annual giving, donor loyalty programs, upgrading gifts, cultivating relationships and solidifying and perfecting your case for support will serve you well in the future when this economy turns around. And make no mistake about it this economy will turn around!

More coming-but hang in there folks! Your parishioners, your donors are not letting you down!

Reading this made me a better person!

A must read! Simple as that...

http://solinusonstewardship.blogspot.com/2008/10/fighting-fear-with-faith.html

Recent Memo to our Clients

Thoughts on the Economy and your Appeal

 We are recommending that all clients move forward with their campaigns or offertory appeals as planned.

 While the state of the economy and the stock market and the bailout package are uncertain, there is no assurance that in the coming weeks that the situation will improve, grow worse or even become clearer.

 Panic creates its own momentum and stopping all fundraising sends a signal that the situation is terrible and thus leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy as people respond to that signal.

 All offertory enhancement appeals derive success from hundreds of families making personal and individual decisions to make moderate increases in their weekly/monthly giving. While a weakened or uncertain economy makes this decision more difficult, a $5, $10, $20 or even a $50 per week increase in giving is not as significant a commitment as a multi -year, multi-thousand dollar commitment for large purchases such as homes and automobiles.

 Families are asked to do the best they can. The church certainly understands that circumstances may change requiring an adjustment to that commitment.

 Keep in mind that the average Catholic family contributes just over one percent of his/her income to the church; so there is, for most parishioners, some room to adjust their giving without undue stress to their household budgets.

 Be forthright in all pulpit talks. We strongly urge you to acknowledge that you understand the market and the economy are in a period of uncertainty and that you also understand the rising price of fuel and health care is hurting many families. Mention that you would not be conducting the appeal if the parish needs were not significant.

 Encourage families that “CAN” to increase and those that cannot to just respond by saying they are doing as much as they can considering present economic pressures. There are enough families in your parish that “CAN” make a modest
increase in giving without undue financial hardship to make your appeal a success.

 Mention that the appeal is not designed to pressure or judge people who are unable or who simply are uncomfortable increasing at the present time. The appeal is designed to help the parish; to keep the parish on a solid financial footing. It is not meant to make the lives of the people it serves more difficult.

 We urge you not to apologize for asking. Appeals do not succeed when the organization makes an awkward apology for asking. Your parish made the decision to move forward with an offertory appeal because you analyzed your present finances and concluded that to be a good Steward of your parish increased funding was essential.

 Apologizing about the need to fund the mission of your church, even in difficult times, is not required and will only hurt your appeal without providing much comfort or understanding to the donors who may be struggling financially.

 It is important to note that in troubled economic times, the demand for pastoral resources increases. Ministries that distribute food and goods will need greater resources not fewer and increased budgetary flexibility will enable the parish to expand its counseling and support structure.

 There is a tendency in these times to wait for the “ideal” moment or time to proceed. Identifying such a time is an illusory thought. No one can accurately predict what economies or markets will do. Prudent stewardship is the answer at all times and in all economic markets. Most of the churches and schools we attended growing up were built by people with far fewer resources in considerably more desperate economic times.

 Please call your local director if you have any additional questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to call me directly at 800-842-4488 if I can be of further assistance.

An unexpected source of inspiration...

Sitting here struggling to craft a letter to 16,000 Catholic pastors in an effort to motivate them to conduct an offertory enhancement appeal this fall I have been assaulted by the incessant interruptions of the drudgereport.com updating the news about the country's financial crisis.

How do you raise money during uncertain economic times?
How do you instill a sense of optimism, boldness and leadership in pastors who spend their days assisting real people on real financial, family and personal crisis?

The answer? I am not sure! but I came upon this odd gem, I found it oddly uplifting, hopeful, I believe it says more than it says when you consider the source.

"No one has ever become poor by giving".
- Anne Frank

There are many ways to become poor and I think Wall Street and our government may even be inventing some new ones at the moment but giving, quite simply, isnt one of them!

Interestingly, I now know what I am going to say! Stay tuned.

Pax at bonum

Peace and all good (be with you)

Does a greeting get any better then that? I picked this up from my good friend and colleague Harry Colin over at his awesome blog http://solinusonstewardship.blogspot.com/

Good stuff and don't be shocked if I "borrow" this and make liberal use of it!

"Pax et bonum" is the traditional Franciscan welcome and goodbye. Francis himself favored its use, and often began and ended his sermons and letters with the words. Translated from the Latin, it reads "peace and all good [be with you]."

Update on The Cunneen Company

Business here at The Cunneen Company has been bristling! We are quite busy with the launch of our fall campaigns. Having just reviewed the calendar with Jim Cunneen, my brother and partner in this business, he informs me that we will be breaking the 100 Stewardship/Offertory appeal mark in a week or so. Of these 100 appeals fully a quarter of them will be promoting electronic giving.

In addition to this business we will be guiding almost two dozen capital campaigns in the coming months. These campaigns range from small renovation campaigns to major building efforts. We have over 70 clients currently utilizing the firm for Pledge Redemption.

Most of our clients are currently Catholic parishes and Catholic Dioceses but we have an interesting mix of secular non profits currently making their way through the RFP/sales process.

Being in business in 2008 is a challenge! I always grind my teeth when the economy is weak in a presidential election year-this happened in 2004. The party seeking to unseat the incumbents exploits and exaggerates every bit of bad news for political advantage (I don't blame them but it does begin to have an impact on the economy, and the donors who we seek to motivate on behalf of our clients). The economy isn't great but it isn't nearly as bad as the politicians or the media will have us believe.

On my list of interesting "to do's" in the coming months I have:

9/29 A speech on Stewardship to the Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud, MN.
10/7 A speech to CT. Assoc. of Non Profits on Annual Fundraising and Major Gifts.
10/11-10/14 International Catholic Stewardship Conference in Chicago.
11/13 A speech to the CT. Philanthropy Day sponsored by AFP on "The Ask"-major gifts.
11/14 Remarks at Hamden Hall's "thanks to major donors" event.

There are a million additional items on the list including another trip to the mid-west for a major presentation on a Diocesan-wide offertory enhancement appeal as well as trips locally supporting our sales team and maintaining relationships with our core Diocesan markets.

Just figured I would take a few moments to give the reader a peak into a day in the life of our awesome company!

CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP!

An awesome post that expresses my views on Catholic Stewardship far better then I could ever do. Harry Colin our Vice President of Consulting and my most trusted resource on all things Catholic, Stewardship and a good bit of politics too!

Check it out below!

http://www.solinusonstewardship.blogspot.com/2008/09/dipping-into-countercultural-pool.html

Great stuff just great! If only I could get the Finance and Stewardship Committee's of 18,000 Catholic parishes to read it.

"The Ask"

Much has been written, much more will be written (I think I am writing about it even now) about "The Ask".

Much like exercise or dieting the literature surrounding "the ask" is all about making the act of asking easier, painless, effortless, not difficult. "Ten easy ways to...fifteen ways to guarantee success..." As I browse the titles of books and articles on the subject I feel as though I am in the diet/self help aisle of my local Barnes and Noble.

Do we really enjoy the task of asking so little that we are desperate for the quick fix? How has an entire profession been created around the central task of asking for money while so many that practice the profession will do virtually anything to avoid performing the primary function of the entire industry-asking for money?

I have more to say here, we consulting types always do, but I promise that I have no easy steps, no painless methods, no tactics to give you rock solid results in only ten minutes a day - no "asks of steel" from me!

The perils of not raising money from private sources!

I took a call today from a non-profit operating in Southern New England. They provide substance abuse as well as HIV/Aids counselling and support. They have been in business for 30 years, have 25 people in their residential facility and several hundred others in various outpatient programs. They have a budget just north of $1.5million. They are teetering on the edge of disaster, quite possibly faced with laying off half their staff overnight and cutting half of their programs.

Why?

They are 100% dependent on state, federal and city funding. The state has cut their allocation by 30%, the federal grant which accounts for 40% of their budget and usually comes by September has been silent, not a word from the department that makes the annual allocation. They have a mailing list with zero names, received exactly zero private or individual donations, have 15 board members-none of whom give, and conducted one event (a 30 year anniversary celebration) which actually cost them money.

THIRTY YEARS! in business and not a single name on the mailing list! THIRTY YEARS of blood, sweat and tears tending to some of the most desperate in our inner cities yet not a single private gift or foundation supporting them.

My caller today was rather desperate, when he received my letter he thought it was exactly what he needed, a life raft, a source of hope. It was difficult informing him that building a program of private support would take time, it would take money, it would not likely yield immediate results and certainly couldn't plug a major funding shortfall that is mere weeks away.

I don't know how we prevent this. Perhaps there is more that the local community foundations can do to educate area non-profits about the importance of building internal capacity. Perhaps there is more that the United Way could do to member organizations about teaching their recipient organizations to build mailing lists, to develop case materials, encourage/require board support, conduct special events, seek major gifts.

Seeing an organization that does so much good possibly fail because of a slight shift in local, state or federal funding priorities is a real and to some degree preventable tragedy.

I offered to do a foundation search for this organization free fo charge. I will assemble a list of private foundations that might be interested in supporting their organization based on past gifts and funding parameters. I fear it will be far to little and far to late.

How NOT To Use Powerpoint By Comedian Don McMillan

I personally cannot stand Powerpoint in any form. It is so wildly over used, makes most topics mind numbingly boring and serves as a crutch for very poor presenters.

This guy says it all!

A brand called you!

Two or three years ago Fast Company magazine ran a cover story called "A Brand Called You". Written by Tom Peters - This was the first time that I read about the concept of personal branding, as in branding yourself, the individual. What is the John Cunneen brand?

Now I had witnessed this with various personalities such as the sales guru Brian Tracy or Zig Ziglar, Tom Peters himself was a major personal brander, Tony Robbins-these folks, for me, were the original personal branders. The Fast Company article was the first to begin to fuse together one's personal and professional achievements, web presence and blogosphere/social networking renown.

I link the article as a reminder to myself and to anyone who happens to be reading this blog. The world has changed, you are a brand, we are all brands, we collectively make up the brand that is The Cunneen Company. You as a development director, pastor, volunteer, are all part of your non-profits brand, you are all your own brand.

What does this mean to our organizations?
What does this mean to us invidiually?

I havent the slightest clue but I find it far more interesting then this clumsy post gives it credit for.

Dont listen to me, check out what Tom Peters has to say:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html?page=0%2C0

John :)

Face it-You are a salesperson!

Aren't we?

I will be giving a talk in a few weeks at Connecticut Philanthropy Day on Major Giving. While I am still working on exactly what I am going to present I am leaning toward giving a "you are a salesperson speech"!

Of the several hundred development directors and fundraising professionals that I have met with, interviewed, shared a conference or class room table with I cant even begin to count how many never actually go out and ASK for the gift. How many do not have a list of prospects, rate the prospects, list the interest or selling points for their case for each prospect, have hot/cold/warm prospect files etc.

Being a development director, or at least a good one, is no different than being a good salesperson. You must get out of your office, you must make face to face, person to person meetings with your prospects. You must find what interests your prospects and make sure you tailor your presentation or ask to meet those interests. You have to cold call, follow up, drop in, send nice little notes, and you have to get a bit lucky! Its one of the most difficult jobs in the world (being a salesperson) but its by far one of the most rewarding.

We are all selling! Always! At home my oldest is currently working on her "potty training". My wife is a master salesperson. She discusses the "case" with my daughter, seeks to find out what motivates her (is it being a big girl, going to school soon, being like her big cousins?) she seeks to discover what is motivating the little one. She constantly builds her "ask" her "sale" around those key motivations. There is a reward structure in place, there is constant contact, affirmation, stickers and applause! This is selling, this is major gifts fundraising!

I have a vivid memory of my 12th grade poetry teacher-Mr. Hunter. There was never a man so enthusiastic about poetry as "Hunter"-there was never a student so uninterested in poetry as yours truly. I can recall Hunter's enthusiasm, his passion for the subject, he tried to find some way to connect with each student, some way to make poetry meet our interests, some way for us to "buy" what he was "selling". Hunter was an outstanding teacher because he was a darn good salesperson-at least on this topic-a topic he was passionate about.

Embrace your inner salesperson-chances are without knowing it or admitting it you already have!

Based on the ads I see this must be true!

http://view.break.com/542649 - Watch more free videos

When the joy is absent from giving.

As someone who owns a fundraising consulting firm, has managed many capital campaigns and annual appeals,trained hundreds of volunteers and as a donor to many worthy organizations in my community I firmly subscribe to the old adage about the "joy of giving"! I teach it, I write about it, it's in my proposals and in this particular case I really do think giving, when done properly, is fantastic - A true joy!

However there is a form of giving that I am forced to participate in that lacks any real joy. This is that neato solicitation from my clients!

Yes those wonderful clients who you've taught so well, trained on building a case, trained on the proper ask, trained on the proper timing of the ask-who invite you to lunch (that I ultimately pay for)and somewhere between the lobster bisque and the healthy fish of the day they slide a "really neat sponsorship" "worthy raffle" "great anniversary book" "incredible golf tournament flag sponsorship" "high profile advertisement in informative directory" "lunch sponsor at their event which they refuse to let me speak at" giving opportunity!

This solicitation, of course, comes with almost no explanation, no discussion of what the money is being used for, no pitch on the case. No head fake in my direction to pretend that I might be interested in the actual project. Just that sorta half smile, slightly awkward yet expectant slide across the table of the important information!

I know this comes off as another half rant/complaint and it is meant to! I am after all whining rather vigorously. However I do believe there is a lesson here. A lesson for me as a fundraising professional, a lesson for me as a business owner and an important lesson for my clients. Never take your relationships for granted. It doesn't matter how much you've done for a client, or they've done for you, how much you as the school or church have done for the donor-how many favors, extra effort or special exceptions you may have made.

At the end of the day giving is a deeply personal and emotional experience. When someone signs that check they want to feel good, they want to feel appreciated, they want to feel that their gift was needed. Appreciate your donors (all of them, even those that "should" give) always make your case, always approach the ask as if this were a first time solicitation.

As I said NO to a major sponsorship today it was as if a small light popped on in the deep recesses of my fundraising/business/emotional brain. "No mas!" Do it right, ask properly or "No mas!"

If it's hot where you are-this is my current desktop.

I am more of a Fall/Winter person. I find that this amazing image, taken in Norway I do believe cools me off just a bit. Enjoy!

The Bishops often say it better.

STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE

"Within a total stewardship context, parishes and dioceses
should not hesitate to use the best available ethically
sound fund-raising practices to ask the Catholic people to
make financial contributions that are planned, proportionate,
and sacrificial. Provided that the basic approach
is consistent with the theology and practice of stewardship,
the principles and techniques of professional fund
raising can be extremely helpful to the overall stewardship
and development efforts of the parish or diocese."

Bishop's Pastoral on Stewardship 10th Anniversary Edition

The 10th Anniversary of the Bishop's Pastoral on Stewardship really advanced the discussion on Stewardship. It took the orginal letter outlined in the first edition ten years earlier and added practical and meaningful steps to assist parishes in approaching this important effort in thier parishes.

The seven steps outlined by the Bishops are:

1.) Personal Witness
2.) Committment of Leadership
3.) Evangelization and Outreach
4.) Communication and Education
5.) Gifts of time and talent (volunteers)
6.) Stewardship of Treasure
7.) Accountability

This edition of the Bishop's pastoral is an essential tool for all parishes that are seriously considering Stewardship, making a serious effort at developing a strategic plan or considering a major fundraising program such as a capital campaign.

I strongly urge everyone to take an hour and review this important document. (This includes you kind and dedicated souls that work for Cunneen!)

http://www.usccb.org/stewardship/disciplesresponse.pdf

Relevant? He's charging what??

Tough economy, increased competition, hard to differentiate yourself. I get it-its not easy doing business today.

Every business owner, salesperson, self employed professional or consultant has to wake up each morning and ask themselves "Am I as relevant today as I was yesterday?"-"How can I be more relevant tomorrow?"

It is very easy in today's fast moving economy to lose your relevance, to see your approach to business go from being innovative and cutting edge to old fashioned and boring. It isn't difficult to go from market leader to tired old dinosaur. To go from bestseller to bargain rack.

Rarely a day goes by where I am not jarred into a moment of fear as 100 images of the various aspects of my business scroll by each one with a "relevant-yes/no" query box popping up.

Cunneen has certainly made its share of strategic blunders over the past twenty seven years but one thing it has never failed to do is innovate! We fail grandly on occasion but we do innovate, we do change, we do improve-we maintain our relevance! Our firm is MORE relevant today to our Catholic clients than we have been at anytime over the past decade. I promise in the next year or two to become an even more essential tool-even more relevant to our clients, to their needs.

We work very hard at innovation, we work very hard to be relevant-to craft products and services that meet and exceed our clients needs, to be ahead of the "need curve" for our clients. We also believe, strongly, that we should be well compensated for this effort.

Maintaining healthy and robust fees permits the company to pay well, to reward excellent performance to invest in new technology, to maintain excellence among our staff and to provide the quality of services that our clients not only expect but deserve.

Reducing fee's, while potentially making the sales process a bit easier would invariably erode quality. An erosion of quality would lead to a decrease in faith in our business, in the consulting field, in stewardship. A decrease in faith in our business would lead to fewer parishes and non-profits hiring Cunneen or any other firm to assist with their fundraising efforts.

The industry, not just fundraising consulting, but any industry, all industries, suffer when price competition becomes de rigueur. Compete on quality, compete on service, compete on relevance, compete on technology, compete on delivery, but once a market starts down that steep slope of competing on "the low cost" or "lowest fee" its a very quick descent into oblivion.

I am not sure if this post is a plea, a whine, a lecture or merely an observation (likely a combination of all four) but it was certainly on my mind this afternoon.

The Cunneen Company makes many promises-we deliver on most of them. We will never promise to provide the best product at the lowest price. We wont even promise to provide the worst product at the lowest price. Our clients and our profession deserve better.

The payoff!

Our profession, fundraising consulting, is a very rewarding one. We get to work with committed volunteers on interesting projects-many of which help and/or benefit our communities! As a firm that works closely with the Catholic Church and as a lifelong Catholic I get the additional benefit of getting a chance to participate in my faith in ways that have a direct, tangible impact.

However, there have been few projects that I have been more committed to than the capital campaign at my former high school Hamden Hall. This campaign to build a new athletic center is something my brother and I, as well as our firm took a personal interest in. Not so much because of our committment to athletics, I think sports are fun, but tend not to take it much further than that-but because Hamden Hall itself had such a meaningful impact on my life, my brother's and now our children.

Giving back has never felt so good.

Following please find a link to our groundbreaking. I was given the oppurtunity to speak at this event and it was a real special moment.

http://www.hamdenhall.org/ground_breaking.asp

Electronic Giving-How big a deal is it in the typical Catholic parish?

Well in my opinion the answer is: bigger then any "trend" to sweep giving in a long time but not quite as big as everyone would like to believe.

I believe, quite firmly, that every Catholic parish in the nation will have some form of electronic giving in place within five years. The future for the envelope companies that fail to adapt is bleak. However, just like the envelope, electronic giving does not and will not solve every giving problem in a parish.

Sure it improves the frequency of giving, raises the average gift, improves consistency of giving, insulates the parish against the ups and downs of bad weather, seasonal fluctuations in attendance and other factors which currently impact Mass attendance and thus giving.

My earlier post touted the importance of dissociating Mass attendance from giving; electronic giving is an important part of this process.

My concerns however lie in the current belief that by merely introducing electronic giving that financial support in parishes will dramatically improve. It will go up, it will meet the demands of your donors for new methods of giving-but it will not effect the fundamental principals of what motivates donors to give generously.

The parish must still articulate a clear case for giving, must still challenge donors to give robustly, must still encourage increased gifts on a regular basis, must still be good Stewards of the financial resources and present this stewardship in an open and transparent manner.

The parish must still "ASK"! Donors must still be challenged! The mere act of introducing electronic giving does not mean the parish is practicing good Stewardship of Treasure. Introducing electronic giving creates a great vessel for gifts, a new way to give, a convenient way to give, and a great way to introduce the concepts of Intentional Giving (giving of your first fruits) but it DOES NOT replace the core activities that all successful parishes employ annually.

Cunneen offers the most robust electronic giving program in the nation for Catholic Parishes. Our program called Intentional Giving marries the principles of good stewardship to a robust and cost effective electronic giving solution. While it is the strongest electronic giving solution found anywhere in the United States -long term financial success requires more!

Duluth!

Pictures to come soon. Just wanted to post that the views from the offices of the Catholic Diocese of Duluth, MN are the most amazing ive seen in all the many Development offices that I have visited over the years.

Quite simply it was spectacular! An amazing explosion of the most vivid blue waters of Lake Superior from high atop a hill!

Separating Mass attendance from Giving!

Attending Mass and providing financial support to the church are unrelated! Or at least they should be.

For generations our Catholic Churches have insisted that the only way to provide financial support was to attend (utilize envelopes or place money in the basket). While this worked pretty well when Mass attendance was 75% or even 50% of the registered households-it is really burdening the parishes now that Mass attendance hovers around 25%-35%.

While the physical act of placing an offering in the basket is deeply routed in Catholic tradition and for many is an important and expected part of the Mass -dependence on this method for virtually all of a parish's financial support is a recipe for disaster.

Today's Catholic Church has a real challenge when it comes to filling the pews and increasing Mass attendance. This challenge is actually far greater and far more difficult to address than decreasing offertories. Parishes should task their evangelization committee's with developing ways to fill the pews, welcome new families, provide activities for the children, before and after Mass fellowship etc. The finance council should rightfully claim responsibility for giving-separate it from actually attending Mass and begin to take steps to make it EASIER TO GIVE to the local church.

Electronic giving, monthly giving programs, a parish annual report (mailed or emailed to the homes of donors) are all ways to begin to develop a sophisticated and effective giving program at the local parish.

Our Catholic Parishes must:
1.) articulate their case for giving (being church isnt good enough)
2.) develop methods to communicate this case to potential donors
3.) provide easy and accessible ways for donors to give
4.) be accountable

More to follow on electronic giving....

Major Gifts-An up hill battle?

I have recently been asked to speak at the Connecticut Fundraising Day in the Fall. My topic is major gifts-from concept to gift or something along those lines. My initial thought was to deliver a standard - good stewardship, cultivate, ask, follow up, and thank a million times-type speech. However after a recent conversation with my wife I am re-thinking the entire approach.

When discussing a major gift challenge that one of my clients is currently facing she remaked "you guys face an uphill battle in your business"! Upon a bit of probing she elaborated that in her opinion only 10% of the people that we KNOW would even consider a major gift-to ANY organization (major in this case was $10,000 or greater).

Is that true? Only 10% of the people in our entire reference group-most of whom would be considered major gift prospects for all but the wealthiest of charities. Is the universe of major gifts prospects really limited to 10% of the affluent? What percentage of the truly wealthy? And is the precentage even measurable for the middle class?

While I am a bit skeptical of the 10% figure it has given me pause. Would/Do? my friends make major gifts? Is there really just a fraction of a fraction of people willing to make major gifts to qualified organizations. This warrants further investigation and likely a shift in topics for my fall presentation

And so it begins!

My first blogpost! Is that one word? As someone who spends a fair bit of time writing articles, letters, proposals, case brochures I must confess to being somewhat puzzled by the entire blog posting concept-what does one write here?

The answer of course:

"You will write if you write without thinking of the result in terms of a result, but think of the writing in terms of discovery, which is to say that creation must take place between the pen and the paper, not before in a thought or afterwards in a recasting. It will come if it is there and if you will let it come, and if you have anything you will get a sudden creative recognition." Gertrude Stein


I hope, over time, to explore some interesting ideas, business challenges, discussions of my profession - fundraising and development consulting and perhaps in a moment of madness explore some of my thoughts on politics, the Catholic Church, and life in general.

To the people reading this (hi Cheryl!) I humbly thank you for pretending that I have something important to say!

John