Table of Contents
Introduction
Let's say you're running a business that has shareholders who regularly invest in your company. In order for your company to scale and grow, you need them to increase their investments over time. If this is the case, what should be your next move? How could you plan this to be a regular conversation so you not only retain but increase investments?
This is the same wisdom we use for MTD when we invite our partners to increase! In gardening/ farming terms, we look at the crops we already have in order to discover how to increase their yield. We don't go out and plant more crops if we aren't weeding, fertilizing, watering, and pruning the crops we already have. And we certainly don't leave fruit on the vine come harvest time! The Biblical wisdom for this can be seen in Prov 20:4 and The Parable of the Talents.
So, before you go out to plant new crops, let's work on increasing the yield in the field God has already given you.
Because careers change, salaries flux, investments grow, and giving capacity changes, we regularly engage our donors in opportunities to lift (increase) their giving. That supporter who came on your team as a new college grad likely has a different income ten years into her career. If you've never engaged her in an opportunity to increase her impact, it's likely something she hasn't considered, even though she has the capacity. Encouraging your ministry partners to seek the Lord on the level of engagement He is asking them to lean into this year yields a more robust support team and a deeper connection with them.
Elements of the Invitation to Increase
Calculate your Intentional Gift Amount This is a major step in rooting your ask in honoring the partnership (the smaller the team, the more we can stay connected. The deeper the investment, the more we're empowered to invest deeply.) The steps below will lead you to an average gift based on your support goal. Take your total monthly support goal (make sure it’s updated!) Divide your goal by the number of supporters you want on your team; the number of supporters you can realistically stay connected to within a year. Averages: Single: 50-65 Married (one spouse working MTD): 60-70 Married (both spouses working MTD): 60-75 This will give you the average dollar amount you should be challenging new and current donors to give. Example: $6,000 per month support goal divided by 60 supporters =$100 Intentional Gift amount. *If a supporter is already giving at or above your Intentional Gift amount, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to an amount to set before your supporter. Invite your Top 20 to increase. Make this ask boldly, vision-driven (NOT because you're getting short-checked), and rooted in prayer. Examples and scripts are below. Meet regularly with your MTD Coach for encouragement throughout the process. Follow up! It often takes someone about 7x to hear a message before they act on it. If you haven't had at least 7 interactions with your supporter about increasing, then it's time for follow-up, not frustration. Organize your database or calendar to automatically remind you to follow up with those who are making a decision (DOH) or have said yes but haven't increased their giving yet. If we're looking for a donation, the conversation generally stops after we've received the gift. If we're looking to build ministry partnerships, the gift is simply the launching point to invite further conversation, informed input, and deeper connection. You will discover everyone has a "poor" and a "rich." Our work, as the Body of Christ, is to minister to each other's "poor" out of our "rich." That wealthy supporter of yours also has a "poor." And you have a "rich." The one-on-one connection allows you to discover these ministry opportunities and lean into them over time. "Prayer letters are important, but they pale in comparison to one-on-one connections." - Greg, Reliant pastor for over 20 years. Greg has a regular rhythm of texting/calling supporters throughout the year. Sometimes he updates them about what's happening in the ministry. But, most of the time, these calls are his chance to connect with and minister to his supporter. It's no wonder Greg's financial support is consistently strong, even with a large goal.Practical Steps
Remember, you're inviting people into something larger than just money. Also, consider accepting that most of the conversations you will have with your supporters will be about money because that's an element of your relationship (they give to your ministry), and you're part of a non-profit, which means inviting people to give generously to the Kingdom is part of your job. Make peace with this before writing your script.
Testimonials
Scripts
*Rewrite in your own words and have it in front of you when you call supporters.
Ask for a current supporter to seek the Lord if it’s time to increase their impact by increasing their ministry giving.
Additional Resources
How to Find New Names *see Top 3 Donor Traits section
Annual Stewardship Plan & Timeline
Guide for Returning to Full-Time MTD
9 Comments
Keva Ambre
Add TOContents to this page.
Add practical steps to this page:
Keva Ambre
Jenni Saniuk - I want to add the items above to this Increase Ask page before the July Coach's Corner email goes out. *I was editing that email and began to give practical steps then realized that needed to be on the Solomon page. Just wanted to check and see if you're ok with me adding that content.
Jenni Saniuk
Keva Ambre Yes please add this!
Jenni Saniuk
Keva AmbreTHanks for spending a lot of time on this page. There are a few things that look like you are still working on.
Outside of those notes here are some of my thoughts:
Otherwise I think this is all great. Thanks for spending time on it!
Keva Ambre
Done!
Keva Ambre
Add link to this: https://www.scottmorton.net/articles/2022/1/18/how-to-create-your-fundraising-plan
Ashley Ramirez
Hey Keva! Is this something I can do? If so, can you tell me where on this page to link to that site?
Keva Ambre
Where should I put this? New page?
These three questions do so much! They help "warm up" the new relationship, give you insight into what your donor thinks you/the ministry does, tells you why your donor is involved, allows someone else to sing your praises (which builds credibility a lot faster than if you were to toot your own horn), makes the referral meeting more natural (like being introduced to someone at a party).
Ashley Ramirez
This page was checked and revised for the 2023 Language Change Project on 6/22/23 -A.R.