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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."
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. |
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Annual Stewardship Timeline:
This timeline is a sample of what stewardship may look like for a support raiser in a given year. Feel free to customize to your situation/ ministry partners/ need. For example, someone who is younger or not very established in ministry might have a rhythm that looks like: Thank, show, show, show, connect, show, offer.
January |
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THANK | Call & personal thank you note. (see other ideas) | |
February/ March | SHOW | Donor-centered reporting on what they accomplished through their giving |
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April/ |
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CONNECT | Nurture your donor as a person. | |
June |
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OFFER | Increase or special giving opportunity. | |
July | THANK | Call & personal thank you note. (see other ideas) |
August/ September | SHOW | Donor-centered reporting on what they accomplished through their giving. |
October/ | CONNECT | Personal touch-base. Then an "I'm thankful for you" card or ministry magnet around Thanksgiving. |
November/ December | OFFER | End of Year Ask. |
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Additional Resources:
Ways to Connect - Annual Stewardship Plan
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