This morning I ran through every stewardship firms website that I know of.  I do that a couple of times a month.  I want to know what my fellow competitors are up to, what they are saying, what they are promising.  Some websites are incredibly put together and rival the best on the web.  Others are more simple and reserved.  All of them not only tell you what they do but they promise they are the best.  Some even claim that surveys rank them number one.  If you believe that was an independent survey then I have swamp land in Florida to sell you.  All the sites, including ours, try to convince you to give us a look when you need a stewardship partner.

With so many options it can get confusing.  How do you cut through all the hype and over blown promises to find the partner that is right for you?  Here are some things for you to consider in your search.

1.  Look for experience. There is no substitute for experience.  When looking for a partner you want to know what kind of experience in stewardship they have.  Have they worked with churches similar to yours in size and make up?  Have they had experience with your size of project and need?

As you consider the firms experience you need to know that you are hiring a consultant not the firm.  A firm can have years of experience but the consultant they send you might be fresh out of stewardship school.  Check each consultants experience and go with a seasoned professional.

2.  Check their references. Talk to others that have used the consultant.  Sure, the consultant will give you his best references.  Even at that you can learn valuable information about how they interacted with the church, it’s staff and leaders.  Ask probing questions and even ask the reference who else you might talk to.  You are going to pay thousands of dollars so make sure are getting your money’s worth.  One last thing, make sure the references you check are current references.

Another great way to check out your consultant is through their writing.  What does their blog tell you about them and their views?  What can you learn by following them on their Social sites such as Twitter?  One advantage I have over every consultant I know is the volume of materials I have written.  If you want to know about me all you have to do is read my blog and other materials.

3.  Take a pulse of their chemistry. I believe you will know in the first thirty minutes if you want to work with someone or not.  If after thirty minutes you are unsure if I can help you there is probably little I can do to convince you otherwise.  Sometimes you just know.  Go with your gut.  Do you connect with the person?  Do you find yourself writing down things they say?  As they talk are you engaged with what they are saying or are you looking at the clock?  Do you find yourself drawn to their personality and their presence?

As brilliant as they might be, if you cannot connect with them it is doubtful they will be able to help you.  If you are having trouble connecting with them you can be sure anyone else in your church will struggle to connect with them as well.  It might seem strange to say but if you don’t like your consultant you will not have a good experience.

4.  Find out if they have time for you. A consultant can be the greatest in the world but if he has too many clients then he might not have enough time for you.  No consultant, no matter how good they are can work more than six to eight campaigns in a calendar year.  Ask how many campaigns they work in a calendar year.  If the answer seems high to you then it might be that you will have trouble getting their best or even reaching them by telephone.  You want a consultant that has time for you and one that you can reach immediately when you need them.

5.  Gage their creativity. It is not 1980.  If the campaign the consultant unveils to you does not match the times your church is in it will be a disconnect with your church.  The sad reality of my industry is that so many firms simply roll out the old 1980 campaign manual and approach.  It is easy for them but potentially dangerous for you.  You need a campaign that is distinctive for your church not something that worked years ago.

Let’s face it, it is not 1980 any longer.  Just since the last recession the stewardship field has changed dramatically.  Old approaches don’t work any longer.  You need someone who understands the times we live in and how that impacts your campaign.  You need creative thinking.

When you are looking for a campaign partner don’t base your decision on who has the best website or materials.  Don’t fall prey to bobbles and trinkets, glitz and glam.  It isn’t how big a company is or even how long they have been in business.  Remember you are hiring the individual consultant as your partner.  You are spending thousands of dollars make sure you get the right partner for you.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

I recently was reviewing an old book on my shelf about giving when I found a cartoon in the book of an offering plate with the ability to swipe your credit card to make a payment.  The gist of the cartoon was to poke fun at the idea.  Now the joke is on the cartoon as essentially we have that ability now.

When was the last time you wrote a check?  I have to admit that I write so few checks that when I do have to write one out I struggle to remember how to write one.  I never carry a checkbook and I don’t carry all that much cash on me.  So, if I were to visit your church would I be able to give much when the offering plate was passed around?

Whether we like it or not we live in a world of plastic.  From debit cards to cell phones we are doing more and more online.  This is especially true of the younger generation coming up.  They use their cell phones for everything from finding the next place to eat to texting in a donation.  As cell phones become ever more convenient we will do more and more with them.  Is your church ready for this new wave of technology?

Here is what we are counseling churches with regards to online and electronic giving.

1.  Have an up to date and dynamic online giving portal on your churches website. The goal is to make it easy for people to find your giving portal and easy for them  to give once they are there.  Use the link to this portal on all your communications.  Good websites drive people continually to their sites.  Don’t create the world’s best giving site and then not advertise its presence.

2.  Offer direct deposit and recurring deposits. The goal should be to move your donors to consistency in their giving.  If you set up direct deposits or even better a regular recurring withdrawal from their account to yours you increase your giving and its consistency.  This is one way to combat the summer slump in giving.

3.  Set up giving kiosks in every major entryway and gathering place of your church. We might be a few years off from seeing offering plates that have the ability to read debit cards but we now have the ability to have giving kiosks.  There are many companies out there to chose from.  My preference is to only allow people to use their debit cards and not their credit cards.  I have a hard time encouraging people to give to the church by going further into debt.  I do however think that giving kiosks will increase your giving.

4.  Use every Social Media tool as a means to increase donations. AFTER you have set up your online giving then you need to continually drive people to those places where they can give.  Use Facebook and Twitter to increase awareness of your needs.  You should have a church Facebook account and a Twitter account.  These are great places to focus on what you are doing as a church and to encourage people to give.  Each site ought to have a link whereby those that read your pages can also quickly and easily donate to your church.

5.  Utilize Apps and texting. If I were you I would have an App designed for my churches site that would easily allow people to donate to the church.  I would also investigate what it would take to set up mobile text giving.  Many other charities are doing this so why not you?

Nearly every point listed above would have been unthinkable ten years ago.  It was not even on the horizon.  Technology is quickly changing how we live and how we interact.  While our theology never changes our technology better.  In a techno world if the church does not stay current we might just find our offering plates empty!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

The headline on the Monday June 27th edition of The Wall Street Journal boldly proclaimed, “Debt Hamstrings Recovery.”  The gist of the article was that nations and individuals have run up a staggering debt that is proving difficult to work off.  The reporter, Tom Lauricella writes that wage growth is stagnant and home prices are continuing to fall.  He then wrote, “Meanwhile, in a vicious circle, businesses aren’t hiring or investing because they know consumers are tapped out.  Banks, for their part, are hoarding cash, being stingy with new loans.”  That in a nutshell is why so much of our economy is stalled.  The implications trickle down to you and your church.

Whether we like it or not the economy is sluggish in its recovery from the past recession.  Nearly every economist will tell you that growth is present but at a much slower rate than anyone would hope for.  Where the disagreement comes is in what caused the problems and especially in how to fix the problems.  We waste a lot of time towards recovery arguing who was to blame and how we got where we are rather than simply taking proactive action.  Historical arguments will be important in the future but right now what do you and your church need to do to weather this slow economy?  Here are some steps that I would recommend.

1.  Do an honest assessment of your giving trends. Few churches really know what the pattern of their giving is or what that means for the future.  I have been amazed at churches that continually propose budget increases without any accurate projections of how that increase is possible.  Just because you feel you need an increase does not mean your donors will rise to support an increase.  If you do not know how your giving trends are going how will you ever accurately project a budget.  While it might be shameless advertising we do Financial Analysis for churches at a very reasonable price.  Our report can and will give you a good read and feel on your giving trends so that you can plan accurately for the future.

2.  Be fiscally responsible. I have written about the importance of this before.  When your donors are tightening their belts to make it through this tough time, they will expect you to do the same.  You might think it unrealistic but none the less that is the prevailing view of members that we are surveying.  They believe their church can and should tighten their belts.  This is especially true if your giving is flat or in decline.  While it might be tough to do cutting back on spending could keep the ship afloat as you navigate the rough economy.

3.  Pay debt down aggressively. I believe in using debt effectively.  Most if not all building projects can only be accomplished with some type of short term debt.  However you need to be aggressive in paying down the debt to keep you solvent and to provide options for the future.  You will not get in the door of the bank to talk to them about your next project if you have a significant debt load.  Paying down your debt keeps you free to make moves in the future.  Donors are looking to the institutions that they support to have a debt reduction plan.

4.  Build up a cash reserve. There are at least two reasons you need a cash reserve.  First, what if your air conditioner suddenly gave up the ghost?  Do you have the funds on hand to replace it before this weekend’s services?  A cash reserve helps you meet those unexpected eventualities.  Secondly most banks are now requiring a hefty cash reserve before they will ever talk to you about a loan.  Many require churches to maintain a cash reserve for the duration of the note.  Several bankers have told us that they are requiring anywhere from three to six months of a churches annual budget to be held in reserve.  So, start saving now!

5.  Develop a stewardship plan and work your plan. Again, I have written extensively about this.  The vast majority of churches do not have a stewardship plan.  The churches that we work with that are successfully navigating these difficult times all have plans and they work their plan.  Again, we can help you with a plan of action.  Visit the main page of our website and look for the button that says, “Turbo Charged Giving.”  Whatever you do get a plan of action and continually review and work that plan.

6.  Cast a compelling vision. Good vision trumps bad economy.  Give your people a reason to give and they will bring money from beneath their mattresses to support that vision.  Focus on what you are doing and what you believe God is leading you to do.  Trumpet the wins that God is giving you.  Challenge your people with a vision that is larger than this economy.  Remind them that we serve a God who is greater than any recession.   People give to compelling vision.  How compelling is yours?

These easy steps can help you navigate your way through the mine fields of a sluggish economy.  Whatever you do, do something!  Don’t just sit there and hope that things will get better.  Hope is not a strategy.  Through good planning and lots of prayer you can and will not only survive this economy but you can thrive.  Don’t let the negativism of the day short circuit your dreams and visions for a brighter future for your church and ministry.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

One of the most boring times of any church service is the offering. Here is a question:  How much time did you spend last week thinking about how the offering should be taken up? How much time did you spend thinking about what to say? If you are honest you probably spent little time to no time at all. We take offerings up week after week and the result is that it becomes one of the most overlooked areas of worship in our church.  Most churches don’t have an offering time strategy.   It is no wonder the offering plate is not overflowing. It is time we change that with an elevator approach to offerings.

The elevator pitch arrives from the idea that you are riding in an elevator when a big shot company executive enters in. You have maybe thirty seconds of time with him or her. What you say in those thirty seconds of riding the elevator will mean the difference of whether you get a full hearing later or are simply forgotten. The idea is to comprise the key information about you into a thirty second burst of energy that will “sell” your idea or you.

My point is you need an elevator pitch as well. If you think about it every Sunday you have an elevator moment – we call it the offering. Most pastors say something at that point in the service. Some explain away how people are not required to give; we don’t want to offend the guests. Some almost beg for money to be given. Some use guilt or some other tactic.  Most just call the ushers forward and pray.  There has to be a better way.  Now there is with my new e-book soon to be released called, “Elevator Pitch Your Offerings.” This new work will give you a one minute positive talk to help motivate your attendees to give more.  I have written one for every Sunday including special events like holidays.  To give you an idea of what you will receive here is a sample from the book.

Does Fido Get More Than God?

Last year Americans spent $48 billion dollars on their pets —more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. That’s double the amount shelled out on pets a decade ago.  It is estimated that this year the amount spent on pets will go over the $50 billion dollar mark.  The total annual percentage of money spent on pets in the U.S. is 1.4%.  This comes out to an average of $690 a year spent on pets per household.

Consider that the median amount of money given by the U.S. Christian to a church each year is $200.    That translates out to about 0.62% of their income.  After hearing this it makes you wonder if Fido is not getting more than God.  What does it say about what we truly value?

We love pets around here.  In fact we all have pets.  Yet hearing statistics like this does make you wonder where our priorities are.  Having a pet is a wonderful thing but should what you spend on pets be more than what you give to God?

Paul admonished the Corinthians by saying, “But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you excel in this grace of giving.” II Corinthians 8:7 This morning as our ushers come forward to collect the offering I want to challenge you to excel in your giving.

While we certainly want you to love and care for Fido at the same time we want you to be even more concerned about the Kingdom of God.  What does your giving say about what you value?  Today is a great day to show your love for Christ with a gift to His church.

This book is designed to give you at least one offering message just like the one above for each week of the year.  You can copy the pages to take to the platform with you to make it easy.  It may be that the messages I have written will only serve as an idea pool for your own messages.  Whether you use every message in this book or use the book to spur on your own ideas give your offerings some zip and zing.  I believe that doing so will increase the amount of funds you receive.  In the process the offering might just become something you and your donors look forward to instead of dreading.

You get fifty two weeks of stewardship messages for only $49.95.  That is less than a dollar a week.

“Elevator Pitch Your Offerings” will be available in August of 2011.  You can email us today to pre-order your copy.  I guarantee that this e-book will improve your offering time.  As an added bonus for pre-ordering we will send you for free a copy of my newest book, “Turbo Charge Your Giving: How To Raise Money In Any Economy.”  These works can and will help improve not only your offering time but increase the amount of giving your church receives.  It is well worth the investment.  Email me today at Mark@TheCharisGroup.org

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

I was a senior pastor for twenty years and have been working with pastors for over thirteen years.  In that time I have made a lot of mistakes as a pastor and seen pastors make a lot of mistakes.  As my newest book is being released I am thinking and planning for the next book.  Right now I am working on a coming out with a book entitled, “The Ten Most Common Mistakes Pastors Make.”  This work is in the germinating process and it might not make it beyond that.  However I have begun to think through what mistakes are most common and how to avoid them.

One of the biggest mistakes that pastors make is waiting too long to make a decision.  My ministry is primarily focused on helping churches in the area of stewardship so most if not all of my observations are in that arena.  I find that nearly every pastor is behind when it comes to project development.  While there may be a multitude of reasons for why pastors are prone to this mistake it none the less is a constant.  Too many pastors simply underestimate how long a project will take from start to finish.

Here are some factors to consider…

A project from start to finish could run twenty four to thirty six months! That building you feel you need now might not be ready for two more years.  Planning with architects dealing with zoning and compliance issues can take months in and of themselves.  That is before you ever put a shovel in the ground.  Most buildings will take from twelve to eighteen months to complete.  You can count on your building costing you more than you want and taking longer than you want.  If you need it now you had better get started.

Banks are requiring more from churches which as a result takes more time for money to be released. I had one banker tell me recently that they would not loan money to a church until six months time had passed of their capital stewardship campaign.  He wants to see performance not excitement.  Commitment cards are nice but it is cash that counts.  If you don’t have a loan you will not move dirt.  If you are not moving dirt, your building is delayed.

Capital stewardship campaigns typically run six months from planning to commitment day. We can and do campaigns quicker.  Need always trumps timing.  However when you hurry a campaign the results are never as good as when you put thoughtful time into the process.  The fastest campaign time line is three months.  We recommend at least six months.

So, add up all the time lines here.  Let’s be conservative and say the building preparation and planning from the architect takes six to eight months.  Your city is a breeze to work with but it will still take in all probability two months to get all the permits approved.  The bank won’t lend you money unless your finances are in order AND you are in the midst of a capital stewardship campaign.  A campaign will take you four to six months on average.  If the bank wants to see performance from the campaign that might take another four to six months.  Can you see why starting sooner is important?

Long range planning is essential for a successful project.  While you might think that project is two years down the road now is the time to start working on seeing that it is only two years down the road.  If you do not do a good job of planning it might be four or more years or never before it comes to pass.  Can you really afford to lose that time and momentum?  It’s later than you think!  Start today to plan for your future.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

My mentor in the stewardship field, Dave Sutherland, use to say, “Nothing moves a heart like a heart that has been moved.”  We used testimonies regularly in our work with churches and their capital stewardship campaigns.  You see when you the preacher get up and tell people to give everyone thinks you have a vested interest, your salary!  When a lay person gets up and tells about how God has moved in their lives to give AND that they are continually blessed the average  members sits up and takes notice.  Testimonies are a powerful tool to reinforce your teaching on stewardship.  It is sad that testimonies, of any sort, have fallen by the way side.

When we devise giving plans for churches we always build in at least one testimony a month on giving.  If you are in a capital stewardship campaign you should have at least one a week leading up to the commitment time.  Here are some thoughts about how to use testimonies as a powerful tool to motivate giving.

Ask your financial person to give you a list of faithful givers. You can have them alphabetize it to protect knowing what they give if that is important to you.  Don’t simply make it your top donors as some of the best testimonies will come from folks who are on a fixed income or do not make significant dollars.  After you have your list pray about who would be a good person to ask to share their testimony of giving.  After you feel led to a person visit with them about their giving history and hear their stories.  This will give you a feel for how to use their story to effectively motivate others.

Schedule at least one giving testimony a month and recruit who you want to share well in advance. You cannot spring this on lay people.  Give them enough time to prepare what they are going to say.

Work with them on what you want shared. No testimonies are better than a bad testimony.  So help them prepare for what they are going to share.  A good testimony should be two to three minutes in length.  It should contain thoughts about how they became convinced to give.  What giving has meant to them.  How God has rewarded them for being faithful.  Ask them to write out on one to two pages their thoughts.  Don’t be afraid to make suggestions and edits for them.

Use testimonies creatively. If you have the ability you might want to video tape the testimonies.  This way you can edit out the stammering and stuttering due to their nervousness.  Another means that I have used is to stand next to the person and interview them.  For instance you could introduce them and say, “Mark, I know tithing has always been something you believed in.  Tell me how you learned to tithe.”  Then you might ask, “Has it always been easy to tithe.”  You get the drift.  By utilizing the interview process you help them overcome their nervousness and you get to direct what they share.

Use testimonies in print. Another creative way to utilize testimonies is to have them written out and inserted into your bulletin or other print or media pieces.  How about a testimony a month posted to your website?  My point is that there are all sorts of ways to allow your faithful donors to motivate others through their testimony.

Testimonies are powerful tools for increasing giving awareness in your church.  If Joe and Jane Layman can afford to tithe raising three kids and facing all the challenges I know they have been through, what is my excuse?  Don’t think you have to be the only one sharing about the importance of giving.  Find out about the stories your donors have and let them tell their stories.  It will increase your giving.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

Bill Clinton is famous for having won his first election as president by keeping the statement, “It’s the economy stupid,” continually in front of him.  Everywhere he went he talked and focused on what people were most concerned about, the economy.  He knew the price of a gallon of milk when his opponent didn’t.  He defeated a sitting president all because he could connect better to the concerns of the American people.

History could be repeating itself as we ramp up for the election cycle.  It seems that just as we finish one election cycle another one is starting up.  This next election will be nasty and volatile.  Get ready to be deluged with negative ads about politicians wanting to throw your grandma under the train or ignoring the sinking of the ship.  The real questions Americans want to know is when will our economy get back to normal?  The person that can communicate a plan to get us back to full speed as an economy will win the election.

Here are some observations about the economy and some recommendations of what to do from now until after the election.  My observations are not meant to be an endorsement of one party over the other but simply observations.   This is an opinion but it is an opinion based upon my interviews with businessman and extensive reading and research.  So here is what I think…

Big business and small business are collectively waiting for the Obama Administration to be defeated before they aggressively start hiring. Whether it is fair or not the business world has never accepted Obama or his programs.  Big business is sitting on record high cash reserves.  They are waiting for a sunnier more business friendly environment before they start spending that money on expanding their business.  The fears of the Obama tax plans, cap and trade fears and general distrust in the administrations direction has caused American businesses to pull back and wait.

Small businesses are afraid of Obama Care.  This again might be unfair but if you talk to small businessmen they will tell you they simply do not know what Obama Care will mean to them.  One result is that they too are putting off expansion and thus hiring.  When both big business and small business in America is not expanding they are not hiring.  Without jobs our economy will continue its slow climb out of recession.

Prediction:  If the Republicans win the White House and the Senate the economy will rebound immediately.

Republicans are in no hurry for the economy to get better. The economy is Obama’s and the Democrats achilles heel.  It doesn’t matter what else they have done they have not brought unemployment down.  None of the promises of their programs they enacted worked.  They have not turned the economy around.  They paid dearly for this failure in the last election and projections are that they will pay for it again in the next.  So, Republicans while talking about wanting the economy to improve don’t want that improvement to occur until AFTER the next election.

Prediction:  The economy will continue a slow recovery until after the next election.

The recession is over even if you don’t feel like it is over. Technically the recession ended two summers ago.  Since then we have seen a slow increase in key economic indicators.  Slow is not what we Americans want.  We want fast.  We want it now.  If we don’t get it fast we tend to be negative.  From the press to politicians there is a negative mood out there that continues to impact the views of Americans.  The result is that we have no confidence.  When our confidence level is low we don’t spend money.  When seventy percent of our economy is driven by consumer spending and consumers are not spending, recovery takes longer.

Prediction:  Americans will continue to be anxious about the economy.

So what should you the church leader do about this? As the old saying goes, “It is what it is.”  You cannot change what is happening with the economy.  You cannot change politicians or people’s views.  That does not mean you are powerless to act.  Here are some things I recommend you consider doing immediately.

1.  Devise a plan of action to keep your donations strong. Most churches do not have a stewardship plan.  With so many churches seeing a decline in giving can you really afford not to have a plan of action?

2.  Be fiscally responsible in all your spending. Now is not the time to buy the preacher a swimming pool.  Your donors are tightening their belts in their homes.  They will want to see that you have tighten yours.

3.  Initiate a realistic long range planning process. Too many churches do a poor job of long range planning.  Just because the economy is slow now does not mean that you have to put off all your plans.  It simply means you have to do a better job of planning.  For instance now is a great time to build as interest rates are low and building costs are low.  If you had begun planning two years ago you might be in a position to realize those plans.  Every day however that you put off planning makes your project that much more difficult to accomplish in the time frame you want.  So start planning now for the future.

4.  Whatever you do don’t stop moving forward! Maybe you can’t build that new structure now.  That does not mean you cannot do anything.  Once at the church I pastored we had to freeze our operating budget for a year.  I meet with my disappointed staff and said, “This year we get to be creative and learn to trust in God.”  If a bad economy is all that stops your church from moving forward what does that say?

I am reminded of Nehemiah who did not let the broken down walls and burnt gates of Jerusalem discourage him from moving forward.  He examined the mess, came up with a plan and they rebuilt the walls in record time.  It might be time for you to get on your donkey like he did and do a Nehemiah Chapter two kind of thing.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

From time to time I get letters from churches, particularly in the summer, pleading for donations.  The typical message is, “We are behind in our budget and desperately need your help!”  It reminds me of being in the ocean and someone grasping for dear life and grabbing another swimmer.  What ensues is panic for both.  In the end both drown.  The letters don’t mean to come off so negative but that is how I fear most donors see them.

My last few posts have dealt with how to write appeal letters.  One service that we now provide is to write appeal letters for ministries.  You can check out our Turbo Charged Giving button on our home page to find out more about this.

I am not opposed to sending out appeal letters when you find yourself behind in giving.  In fact I encourage it.  The difference is that I recommend several steps that can lead to success.  Here is my list of things to consider.

Get ahead of the problem before it exists. If you have been in ministry for any length of time you should know that summer giving is a challenge.  Why wait until you are behind to make an appeal.  What you may not realize is that an appeal during summer makes you look like a poor planner and a bit desperate.  So, while it might not help you this summer, next year start building a plan in May to counter summer’s decline.

Be positive in all that you communicate! Appeal letters that start with how far behind budget you are do not motivate your donors to reach deeper into their pockets.  As I have stated in previous posts about this, always have a positive life changing reason for people to give.

Understand the difference between platform communication and leadership communication. There are times that things get so tight you have to make an appeal.  Your leaders have the maturity to hear the unvarnished truth, you are way behind budget.  Communicate the need to them frankly, tell them what your plan of action is and ask them to help you.  If they truly are leaders they will respond.  Never from the platform express concern for making your budget.

Don’t wait until it is too late. Typically you can see a decline in giving mounting up that could impact your ministry.  Don’t wait until you are so far in the hole that you have to take drastic measures like laying off staff.

These are just a few things to focus on.  With planning and work you can avoid the summer slump in giving.  However if you do not have a plan of action don’t be surprised if giving declines and ministry is threatened.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

Do you have a summer giving plan?  While we are already in the midst of summer it is not too late to put together a plan of action that can help you make up some of the shortfall’s you typically experience during the summer months.  We specialize in helping churches develop giving plans.  Here are some free thoughts about how to put together a special summer offering that can help you make budget even during the summer months.

1.  Make the “ask!” Jesus said you have not because you ask not.  While He was not talking about the offering the principle applies.  Churches apart from the normal weekend offering seldom if ever ask for money.  So, ask!

2.  Make the “ask” positive not negative. Don’t start your appeal with telling people how behind you are or how summer is such a stressful time for giving.  Start by telling all the wonderful things you are doing at your church.  Talk about all the exciting summer activities.  Then make the “ask.”

3.  Every “ask” needs a driver. A driver is what motivates and drives me to my pocket to pull out money.  Asking people to give simply to make up some short fall does not inspire.  Saying something like, “Our youth are getting ready to go on a life changing trip.  Your gift can make that happen.”  Or since it’s summer say, “Our VBS is one of our greatest opportunities to win parents and children to Christ.  Your gift can help us host the best VBS ever.”  Think of ways to attach ministry to giving and people will much more readily give.

4.  Consider a 4th of July offering. I recently wrote a series of appeal letters for a client that focused on a special 4th of July offering.  We sent out direct mail with an envelope in each letter asking people to give to this special offering.  The offering will go towards their new sanctuary.  You can make the offering for anything even making up your budget deficient IF you follow the above points.

To hold a special 4th of July offering here is what I would do:

1.  Announce from the platform the special offering coming up in two weeks. State why you are asking for their gift.  Remember the points above!

2.  Mail out a letter of appeal to all members and attendees. The letter should go out the day after you announce it from the platform.  It should briefly state the reason for the offering and include a postage paid envelope.  They can either mail it back to you or drop it in the offering.

3.  Send out an email blast to all members and attendees the week before the special offering. I love direct mail but I never want to have all my eggs in one basket.  Along with the email I would set up a special portal on my web page where they could go to make a donation.

4.  Collect the money! The day of the offering have a well thought out sixty second appeal right before the offering.  Remember, make it positive!

These are just a few thoughts.  With just a little bit of effort you can increase the amount you take in this summer.  Try it and let me know how it works.  If you need help with the letters we can do that for you as well.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

If you are like me you get a lot of appeal letters from charities.  There are some that stand out in how well they are written and others that stand out in how poorly they are written.  In my last post I gave two examples of the good and the not so good.  The good letter I wrote about comes from a ministry that we support in our home town of Tulsa, John 3:16 Mission.  They feed and care for the poor of our home town.  They also have some of the best appeal letters I have seen.  The result is that the Brooks family gives money to them even though we no longer live in Tulsa.  Your church and ministry can experience the same results if you will simply put a bit of effort into it.

In my new book, “Turbo Charge Your Offerings,”  I have an entire chapter on how to write appeal letters.  I am a strong proponent of direct mail and statistics show it is still the leading tool for raising funds.  However the same approach you use in a letter can and should be used in an email.  If you want to take your letters to another level read what I wrote in my book about writing appeal letters.  Here is an excerpt of chapter eight, How to Write A Direct Mail Letter.

Appeal Letter Outline

The basic same approach should be utilized for every mailing you attempt.  I am a big proponent of one page letters.  As such here is my outline for an effective appeal letter.

Opening Paragraphs – Start out by being positive.  Tell stories of how your church is making an impact.  List specific examples or personalized stories.  Sometimes I use bullet points to highlight specific victories.  End the paragraph with a sentence like, “All of this is possible because of donors like you.  Thank you for helping us make a difference in our region.”

Middle Paragraphs – State the need.  Don’t sound desperate but do list what you want and why.  Make clear what you are asking for and what you will do with donations that come in.  The best appeal letters have what I call a drive to them.  You need to communicate an impactful reason for the donation.  The John 3:16 example I gave in my book, “Turbo Charge Your Giving, was compelling.  A poor appeal would have said, “Summer is a tough time on our budget and we are behind please help us catch up.”

Closing Paragraphs – Sum it all up.  State when you want the gifts to come in.  Finish up by thanking them for their past support and their prayerful consideration of this request.

Inserts – As I stated earlier in the book every letter you send out should contain an envelope.  Your goal is to make it as easy for them to respond as possible.  While we will talk about online giving in the next chapter I would also include your online giving address so that those who chose to give that way can.

Remember the Three C’s of Vision

In my chapter on the importance of vision in raising funds I wrote about keeping your vision clear, concise and most of all compelling.  Those three C’s are good advice when it comes to writing any appeal letter or email.  The better you write a letter with these three principles in mind the more impactful the response will be.

That is it.  It is not hard to write.  Put some thought into the letters you write.  For heaven sake have someone check the spelling and grammar.  Using these simple directions can make your appeal letters much more effective.

What Kinds Of Direct Mail Should a Church Consider?

Quarterly statements. You should every quarter mail giving statements to every donor from your financial office with a postage paid envelope.  Statements should include not only what the donor has given towards your operating budget but also any pledge campaign you are tracking.   Helping members keep abreast of their commitment will enable them to be faithful in fulfilling their pledge.  Any other gifts that they give should be note in the report as well.

It should include a thank you letter from you.  Churches do a terrible job of saying thanks to their donors.  Every statement should include a letter from the pastor stating his gratefulness at their generosity.  If you do not know what members give you can still do this by carefully crafting the note.  For instance you could write, “While I do not know what members give I am thankful for whatever gifts you have given.”  While it might take a lot of time I do think that a hand signed letter is significant.  I know pastors of mega churches who take the time to personally sign key letters.  When I was a pastor I would listen to sermons on tape while I signed letters!  Learn to multi task.

End of year appeal. Your members will be flooded with end of year appeals from various non-profits. You should have your end of year appeal letter planned as a regular way to close out the year strong.  I recommend that this letter be sent out before or right after Thanksgiving.  Various other organizations will be mailing your members requesting donations at this time.  Get your lure in the water.  Many of your members are thinking about tax deductions, receiving end of year bonuses and thinking about end of year spending at this time.  Hit them while they are thinking about it.

It is very important that you carefully craft this letter.  Simply writing to ask members to help you make up a short fall in year to date income does not motivate donors.  Again, the appeal needs a driver compelling them to donate.  The more compelling the “ask” the more significant the return.  If you have to make it about helping to meet the budget put a face on it.  Talk about what meeting the budget will mean in terms of ministry not simply hitting some target goal.  Always make your appeals compelling.

Special appeals. Are the youth going on a mission trip? Do you need to replace the TV monitors or some other piece of equipment? Send a letter.  The same principles as stated above apply once again.

Snow days. Miss a Sunday service due to weather? Send a letter out appealing to your donors to make up the difference with postage paid envelope. One of my clients did that a few years ago and generated $50K with one mailing! This year he has the letter already written and on the shelf just in case.

There might well be many other events that you can think of that fit your church needs and calendar.  Some churches have specific denominational events that direct mail can aide.  While you don’t want to over load your members with appeals letters, properly done they can and will contribute hundreds and thousands of dollars to your ministry.

Jesus said, “You have not because you ask not.” I find that most churches never utilize the approach that works so well for multitudes of non-profits, direct mail. If I were you I would borrow John 3:16’s theme and run my own Summer of Hope Campaign this next summer! Who knows you might get through the summer months without having to cut missions or ministry.

I have a lot more to say about this in my new book.  I think this helps you begin thinking about crafting more appealing letters to your donor base.  I always say there is a reason non-profits send out appeal letters, they work!  So work on your appeal letter and see if it cannot become an effective tool for raising the funds your ministry needs.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

PS.  If you simply don’t have the time for writing appealing letters we have a service that will provide the writing for you.  Check out our Turbo Charged Giving Tab on our home page.

PSS.  If you would like an advance copy of “Turbo Charge Your Giving: How to Raise Money in Any Economy,” you can buy it for only $.99 on Kindle.  Go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00550PDXO