Week 3 - Thank, Show, Connect, Offer

Feel free to open the call with pleasantries, then a few minutes after the call's start-time, dive into the around the room report. As a reminder, here are the questions we recommend asking:

Go "around the room" so each person can report on their MTD work (couples can report together). This helps to make sure everyone shares.

Number of Financial Asks. (Feel free to inquire how it went.)
Something you’re thankful for in MTD this week
Something that's working or a question or discussion item for your group → [If they can’t think of anything] What would make this call helpful for you today?
Action items update - see last week's column on the Action Items Spreadsheet
Optional: What’s in the way? What are some of the obstacles in your MTD work?

After everyone has given an update, move on to the Q&A portion. You decide what questions to tackle first. Encourage your group to answer each other's questions. This can often be the place where the most insight is gained.

After Q&A, move to this week's strategy skill session: how we follow-up on our End of Year Ask donors through the Thank, Show, Connect, Offer rhythm. FYI: Your cohort might want to focus on the "Thank" portion of this rhythm because that's the season they're currently in - thanking those who gave a special gift at year-end. We wanted to also introduce the full cycle because that's what extends beyond the "thank you" in how to cultivate special-gift donors to give again.

Thank, Show, Connect, Offer

MTD stewardship is the relationship-building and communication that takes place after a ministry gift has been received.

Stewardship involves showing how a donor's giving is making an impact, personally ministering to them, offering new opportunities to give and recognizing their investment with genuine thanks. Generally, this can be accomplished in a THANK, SHOW, CONNECT, OFFER cycle. This ongoing view of MTD leads to a strong and stable support base and only takes about 1-2 hours a week.

At the heart of the THANK, SHOW, CONNECT, OFFER cycle is great spiritual transformation - transformation for both you and the donor. Our intention is for our financial ministry partners to be in a better spiritual condition as a result of interacting with us and giving to the ministry - and we will as well. As we invest wisely and intentionally in the people God has given us, we honor our donors by taking the time to get to know their heart and minister to their need as they minister to ours. Giving to ministry is a chance for us to mutually minister to one another. (More about this in Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen.)

When people respond to an opportunity to make an impact through giving, the next step is to thank them. Donors give to multiple causes. An average donor will see 10-20 thank you's a year and promptly forget them all. You want to be the thanks they can't forget.

The general standard is a hand-written thank-you card and a phone call. Here are 50 Thank-You prompts.

A welcome packet sent to a new donor or a small gift for a particularly impactful gift can go a long way! (Other ideas HERE.)

Develop the art of flattery in your thanks. Don't be shy about it! Tell your donor often, loud and clear, in the big type, just how great they are (because they are!).

Do not include a financial appeal or additional giving opportunity in your thanking process.

Your donors need to know they made a difference.

We accomplish this through donor-centered reporting - If I'm your donor, I've already decided what YOU do matters. Now I need you to reinforce why what I DO matters. Tell me a story of one changed life - make it personal and heartfelt and real - and remind me how I played a part in that person's transformation. These crucial reminders never get old - they tell me that I (the donor) matter and I'm making an impact in the world through my giving. For example: You-centered reporting sounds something like, "We had an outreach last week and three people accepted Christ." A donor-centered way of reporting this would sound like, "I just had to call and tell you the impact you're having. Because of your faithfulness to invest in Kingdom work, three people came to Christ last week! Let me tell you what happened..."

If you're in the SHOW process because a donor gave their first gift, please remember the first gift is usually a "testing gift." They're looking to discover what their ROI (Return on Investment) will be before they invest any more into your ministry. This is why it's crucial to SHOW the impact their gift made and eventually offer them another opportunity to give.

A recent ministry story of an individual being impacted by the Gospel.
Progress on things that are foundational to the ministry/church; such as recruitment, training or outreach.
Ways their gift created a "ripple effect."
Share a story of something that's making an impact in the Kingdom.
The impact the gift had on you personally (encouragement, empowerment, afforded you to get some help, etc)
"Because of your generosity and faithfulness to the Lord, we were able to.... "

Do not include a financial ask or additional giving opportunity in your SHOW process.

In his book, Spirituality of Fundraising, Henri Nouwen teaches that real connection is created when we ask our donors to come and be with us, to participate in the spirit of what we're about, to be in ministry partnership. Without this, we will find ourselves begging for money, and they will find themselves merely handing us a check. When those with money and those who need money share a mission, we see a central sign of new life in the Spirit of Christ. Your fruitfulness in ministry and their fruitfulness in ministry depends on staying connected to each other, through Jesus. Henri Nouwen reminds us, "If we ask for money from people who have money, we have to love them deeply. We do not need to worry about the money. Rather, we need to worry about whether, through the invitation we offer them and the relationship we develop with them, they will come closer to God."

Compassion International wondered what would happen with donor retention if they simply called donors, thanked them for their involvement and prayed with them. That’s it. No ask. Just connection and ministering to the people who empowered them.

Retention shot through the roof. Donors even increased their giving.... with no ask!

When Good News Jail & Prison Ministry heard of the project, they decided to duplicate it. At the time, 50% of their donors were leaving after their first year of giving and another 46% left after 2 years. They launched a project to increase retention by connecting with their donors. The goal was for their donors to be in a better spiritual condition as a result of interacting with and giving to the ministry. So, they got on the phone, thanking and praying with current donors. Welcome packets were sent to new donors and two weeks later, the ministry worker would give the new donor a personal phone call. After just ONE year of focusing on maintaining a relationship with donors apart from asking for funds, the ministry went from a 50% retention rate, to a 90% retention rate!

A few things they learned:

Nurturing donors once a month by phone increases retention; specifically if you avoid talking about money.
It takes at least two calls for the donor to figure out you’re not calling to ask for money.
Support development happens through real, active relationships.
A recurring giver (monthly, quarterly, annually) is more valuable and has a higher retention rate than the annual donor you have to ask each year.
One of the best indications of donor retention is the number of things they give to, not necessarily the amount. *Another stat says if a donor gives to three or more ministries, their retention rate for all increases.
The most loyal donors are those who not only gave, but have been involved in the ministry in other ways. So, invite them to get involved in other ways!

Call your donor to see how they're doing and ask how you can pray for them.
Meet a donor for coffee to catch up on life and see how they're doing in their walk with Jesus.
Send a book you're wanting to read for spiritual development and invite them to read it along with you. (Great for those donors with whom you have a hard time finding something to talk about.)
Invite them to attend a conference or ministry event with you.
Send them a talk, article, video, etc that reminded you of them.
Pray for your donor, then send a text - "The Lord was leading me to pray XYZ over you. Just wanted to reach out and see if everything is ok."
“Let’s not talk about money right now. Let’s just talk about you. Money is not the most important part of our relationship. Most important is that you are able to share who you are and I am able to do the same in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. That's fertile ground for the Lord to do something in both of us."
More ideas on how to make connection easier and more meaningful are found HERE.

You may find your larger-capacity donors don't have the time to talk on the phone with you or meet up. Ask the Lord to show you other ways to connect with them as a person. For some, it will take years to build trust. It's worth the investment of your time. Additional resources for long-term discipleship and development of your larger-capacity donors can be found at Generous Giving. They provide both resources and events that foster joyful generosity.

Do not include a financial ask or additional giving opportunity in your CONNECT process.

The ministry of offering opportunities to give to Kingdom work invites those with money to enter into a new relationship with their wealth, it also calls us to be converted into a new relationship with our need.

An offer to give can include:

A special giving opportunity, such as an End Of Year Giving appeal or a matching fund campaign. These giving opportunities resonate with donors who generally only give when asked (hint: higher capacity donors can tend toward this behavior).
- Your December investment in (people group) here in (city) made a deep impact. You generously gave, and your gift (helped xyz / equipped me) to reach (person) with the healing power of Jesus. I'd like for you take another step with me and consider a reinvestment this summer. We're launching/ doing/ reaching... (build a vision for what you're seeking to accomplish over the next 5 months). Would you seek the Lord on if He's leading you to come alongside us and sow a seed into this ministry this quarter?
  Allow me to encourage you to take time over the next 24 hours to prayerfully take that decision before the Lord (your Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer); asking Him to lead you in joyful generosity. I'll commit to pray over you during this time. Let's make a plan to talk again in 24 hours.
Increases on recurring giving, such as an The Invitation to Increase (Increase Ask). These giving opportunities to lift (or increase) regular giving helps grow a healthy and connected team of recurring givers. A rhythm of annually or bi-annually offering donors the chance to pray about and increase (or lift) their giving is recommended.

The structure of the OFFER can include a general letter with a personal note sent to about 20 key people. Call to ask if they had a chance to read your letter and if the Lord is leading them toward involvement in this need. Plan to follow-up. The Game Plan for End of Year Giving gives a well-tested roadmap for any special giving opportunity, not just year-end giving.

> Repeat the process.