Oh this video works for me in many ways.
Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 11/21
48 minutes ago
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tips 10-11-12 ! For fundraising in 2009!
10.) Have Fun. Times are tough, we are all feeling it. One of the principal reasons donors support an organization is it makes them feel good. Make sure that even in these extraordinarily difficult times you maintain an element of fun, and spontaneity. Keep all communication with your donors as upbeat and positive as possible and as appropriate. Doom and gloom does not raise money.
11.) Do not take your donors/parishioners for granted. Most of my clients rarely enjoy hearing this but: "Your donors have a choice". I guarantee you that your donors have another choice in which church they attend or support, which hospital they give to or what private school their children attend.
Moreover they have a choice as to if and at what level they chose to donate to your organization. In these difficult times make an extra effort to say thank you to your donors, make sure they get the handwritten note, the invitation to an appreciation event, the proper mention in your publication. It will make a big difference.
12.) Doing nothing is not the answer. Your parishioners, patients, students or clients are all counting on you and your leadership team to meet the challenges that 2009 will surely deliver. Your donors expect you to lead and are ready and willing to help you financially with volunteer help and professional expertise. Failure to lead, failure to act, letting difficult circumstances freeze you in place is not acceptable. Analyze the challenges, draft a plan and execute!
11.) Do not take your donors/parishioners for granted. Most of my clients rarely enjoy hearing this but: "Your donors have a choice". I guarantee you that your donors have another choice in which church they attend or support, which hospital they give to or what private school their children attend.
Moreover they have a choice as to if and at what level they chose to donate to your organization. In these difficult times make an extra effort to say thank you to your donors, make sure they get the handwritten note, the invitation to an appreciation event, the proper mention in your publication. It will make a big difference.
12.) Doing nothing is not the answer. Your parishioners, patients, students or clients are all counting on you and your leadership team to meet the challenges that 2009 will surely deliver. Your donors expect you to lead and are ready and willing to help you financially with volunteer help and professional expertise. Failure to lead, failure to act, letting difficult circumstances freeze you in place is not acceptable. Analyze the challenges, draft a plan and execute!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tips 7-8-9 ! For fundraising in 2009!
7.) Stick with what works. If your annual appeal always seems to work, even though its a tad tired or not that much fun-stick with it! If that big spring event has always been your best fundraiser, don't cancel, don't try and reinvent it, run it again only this time be a bit more efficient and more focused. With limited resources and donors who are feeling a bit under siege, now is the time to keep focused on the basics and on the fundamentals.
8.) Consider greater use of online resources. Increased communication, increased donor stewardship, learn more about your donors, make sure you are telling your donors as much about you as possible. There are many free or close to free ways of communicating with your donors-consider starting a blog, using twitter, setting up a facebook profile for your organization, utilize an online newsletter service such as constantcontact.com. There are many very affordable ways of dramatically increasing the touch points between your parish or non profit and your supporters.
9.) Cut expenses strategically. Every organization has expenses that can be trimmed. But you must resist the urge to overdo it or to cut in areas which might ultimately jeopardize your income. Now is NOT the time to cut your major gifts officer, to dial back from three to two annual appeal mailings or to cut back on your communication, outreach and stewardship efforts. It does take money to make money. Cutting the wrong expenses could actually accelerate the pace of financial pressures your organization is facing.
8.) Consider greater use of online resources. Increased communication, increased donor stewardship, learn more about your donors, make sure you are telling your donors as much about you as possible. There are many free or close to free ways of communicating with your donors-consider starting a blog, using twitter, setting up a facebook profile for your organization, utilize an online newsletter service such as constantcontact.com. There are many very affordable ways of dramatically increasing the touch points between your parish or non profit and your supporters.
9.) Cut expenses strategically. Every organization has expenses that can be trimmed. But you must resist the urge to overdo it or to cut in areas which might ultimately jeopardize your income. Now is NOT the time to cut your major gifts officer, to dial back from three to two annual appeal mailings or to cut back on your communication, outreach and stewardship efforts. It does take money to make money. Cutting the wrong expenses could actually accelerate the pace of financial pressures your organization is facing.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The good folks in the Diocese of Syracuse!
I post a fair bit about the successes that our parish clients are experiencing with their offertory enhancement appeals-even in this difficult economy. This article which recently appeared in the Catholic Sun, the newspaper for the Diocese of Syracuse does a great job of sharing a success story or two! Thank you to the newspaper and to the wonderful pastors and parishioners in greater Syracuse, New York area.
http://www.syrdio.org/NewsStories.asp?id=1650
Cheers to Beth Lucia, the longest serving member of the Cunneen team for her careful guidance of these important appeals.
http://www.syrdio.org/NewsStories.asp?id=1650
Cheers to Beth Lucia, the longest serving member of the Cunneen team for her careful guidance of these important appeals.
Tips 4-5-6! For fundraising in 2009!
4.) Ask! If you are like most churches or non-profits you have real and compelling needs. You are still fulfilling your mission, still serving your community and therefor still require funding. Do not let fear of asking paralyze you. If you believe in your mission, if fulfilling your mission requires funding, if your funding comes from donors, then you MUST ask!
5.) Trust your donors. Your donors give to you for a reason. They believe in your mission, they were positively impacted by you in the past, they have strong faith, or any of a dozen additional reasons. Most donors give because they WANT to, out of a sense of gratitude, responsibility, personal fulfillment-it makes them happy, gives them satisfaction. These are good people giving to you for good reasons, in difficult times they are the people you should trust, they are the people you should turn to for advice and support. Trust your donors-they trust you and they wont let you down.
6.) Communicate, communicate, communicate. Good leaders understand that in difficult times effective communication is an essential element of outstanding leadership. Your employees, donors, volunteers,and board members need to know, demand to know,exactly what is happening with your organization.
Now is the time to celebrate your successes twice as loudly and three times as often. Now is the time to articulate your challenges in a blunt, honest and direct manner. Now is the time to remind those that care about organization exactly what your goals are, exactly why your organization exists and why its not important but ESSENTIAL! Say more, say it louder, say it more frequently, say it honestly and directly. Silence shows fear and indecision-communicating shows a determined resolve to lead!
5.) Trust your donors. Your donors give to you for a reason. They believe in your mission, they were positively impacted by you in the past, they have strong faith, or any of a dozen additional reasons. Most donors give because they WANT to, out of a sense of gratitude, responsibility, personal fulfillment-it makes them happy, gives them satisfaction. These are good people giving to you for good reasons, in difficult times they are the people you should trust, they are the people you should turn to for advice and support. Trust your donors-they trust you and they wont let you down.
6.) Communicate, communicate, communicate. Good leaders understand that in difficult times effective communication is an essential element of outstanding leadership. Your employees, donors, volunteers,and board members need to know, demand to know,exactly what is happening with your organization.
Now is the time to celebrate your successes twice as loudly and three times as often. Now is the time to articulate your challenges in a blunt, honest and direct manner. Now is the time to remind those that care about organization exactly what your goals are, exactly why your organization exists and why its not important but ESSENTIAL! Say more, say it louder, say it more frequently, say it honestly and directly. Silence shows fear and indecision-communicating shows a determined resolve to lead!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tips 1-2-3! For fundraising in 2009
1.) Know your numbers. How many donors regularly support your organization. What is the average gift? Who are the ten largest givers and what do they give? How are your numbers tracking weekly/monthly this year vs. last year?
2.) Focus your case. Now is not the time for pie in the sky type thinking. It is great, important and liberating to dream but your donors are a bit tired and scared at the moment-do the dreaming privately right now. Save the twenty year/twenty million dollar plan for another day. Now is the time to focus your case on your core mission, core needs, and core one, three, six and twelve month goals.
3.) Build relationships. Take your top donors to lunch and share your thoughts, plans and concerns. Host a small dinner, cocktail hour or coffee with your key volunteers, key donors or leadership team to discuss the economy, funding challenges and your goals. Always be reaching out to the people who can and who want to assist you. You will enjoy the fellowship, you will derive comfort from their enthusiasm and maybe even raise a few dollars.
2.) Focus your case. Now is not the time for pie in the sky type thinking. It is great, important and liberating to dream but your donors are a bit tired and scared at the moment-do the dreaming privately right now. Save the twenty year/twenty million dollar plan for another day. Now is the time to focus your case on your core mission, core needs, and core one, three, six and twelve month goals.
3.) Build relationships. Take your top donors to lunch and share your thoughts, plans and concerns. Host a small dinner, cocktail hour or coffee with your key volunteers, key donors or leadership team to discuss the economy, funding challenges and your goals. Always be reaching out to the people who can and who want to assist you. You will enjoy the fellowship, you will derive comfort from their enthusiasm and maybe even raise a few dollars.
Results!
As I sit here early in the New Year reviewing a spreadsheet from our late fall campaigns, I felt compelled to draft a quick report of how these parish appeals performed. I think the results speak for themselves.
Seventy-nine Catholic pastors are receiving a final report from The Cunneen Company outlining the results of their offertory enhancement appeals. If their parish is realizing our typical Fall 2008 results, they are seeing positive results. The average 1,000 family parish conducting a Cunneen offertory campaign this Fall has realized the following:
23% increase in weekly giving
30 to 50 families signing up for electronic giving
25 new envelope or regular givers
15 new families on the parish database
Even in these difficult economic times, parishioners continue to prayerfully reflect on the blessings they have received, their need as Catholics to be good stewards, and the very real need of the parish to receive additional funding to maintain the parish facility, fund essential ministries, and meet the needs of its parishioners.
While I would enjoy attributing the success of these fall appeals to the effectiveness of the Cunneen program, I feel that most of the explanation lies in the unwavering faith of the tens of thousands of Catholic families who understand that, in times of distress, churches need more of their help not less.
Many of the people who read this blog are in a position of leadership in their diocese, sharing the burden of assisting parishes, pastors, and lay leaders as they navigate their parishes through these difficult times. While Cunneen cannot make the economy improve or make the uncertainty any more certain for your parishioners; we can assist your diocese and the parishes it serves in designing a program to properly address the pressing financial concerns that every parish is facing.
We can also accept all financial risk for the program by providing your diocese and its parishes with a guarantee that protects 100% of the investment in our service.
A New York Catholic Diocese has recorded a twenty-five percent increase in regular giving across its parishes
A New England Diocese is currently seeing a twenty-three percent increase in regular giving among a third of its parishes.
Thank you to the 79 pastors and parish leaders who worked with Cunneen in the late fall on offertory enhancement appeals. We are thrilled with your results!
Seventy-nine Catholic pastors are receiving a final report from The Cunneen Company outlining the results of their offertory enhancement appeals. If their parish is realizing our typical Fall 2008 results, they are seeing positive results. The average 1,000 family parish conducting a Cunneen offertory campaign this Fall has realized the following:
23% increase in weekly giving
30 to 50 families signing up for electronic giving
25 new envelope or regular givers
15 new families on the parish database
Even in these difficult economic times, parishioners continue to prayerfully reflect on the blessings they have received, their need as Catholics to be good stewards, and the very real need of the parish to receive additional funding to maintain the parish facility, fund essential ministries, and meet the needs of its parishioners.
While I would enjoy attributing the success of these fall appeals to the effectiveness of the Cunneen program, I feel that most of the explanation lies in the unwavering faith of the tens of thousands of Catholic families who understand that, in times of distress, churches need more of their help not less.
Many of the people who read this blog are in a position of leadership in their diocese, sharing the burden of assisting parishes, pastors, and lay leaders as they navigate their parishes through these difficult times. While Cunneen cannot make the economy improve or make the uncertainty any more certain for your parishioners; we can assist your diocese and the parishes it serves in designing a program to properly address the pressing financial concerns that every parish is facing.
We can also accept all financial risk for the program by providing your diocese and its parishes with a guarantee that protects 100% of the investment in our service.
A New York Catholic Diocese has recorded a twenty-five percent increase in regular giving across its parishes
A New England Diocese is currently seeing a twenty-three percent increase in regular giving among a third of its parishes.
Thank you to the 79 pastors and parish leaders who worked with Cunneen in the late fall on offertory enhancement appeals. We are thrilled with your results!
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