The Frank Group brandmark

Are You Ready for the Fall Giving Season?

Stewardship in the Local Church;

Sorry that you have not heard from me this summer. I needed some time off. It was a refreshing time of family, sailing, reading, and drawing closer to the Lord. I hope your summer was refreshing as well.

Now, ready, set, go! We are at the fall giving season. It is here. Are you ready?

Let's take a quick pulse of what you need to have in place right now, or as soon as possible.

  1. Do you have your Development Calendar filled out?
  2. Major Donors — have you selected your list of top 100/50 that you want to thank or "touch" this fall?
  3. Monthly Partners — do you have a strategy in place to invite donors to join your monthly giving program?
  4. Impulse Donors — Are you Special Events planned and on a calendar to-do list?
  5. Impulse Donors — Are you Direct Mail appeals on a calendar with copy, layout, and mailing dates set?
  6. New Donors — Is your Acquisition strategy ready to launch?
  7. All Donors — Is your Fall and/or Holiday edition of your newsletter laid out with articles, photos, etc.?
  8. Year End — Do you have a strategy on the calendar for any year-end letters, appeals, deadline type of requests designed and with mail dates?

OK, that is your checklist to complete by mid-September. Why? Because then all you have to do is work the plan, work the plan, and work the plan. There is very little time September through December to have meetings, make plans, design new letters, etc. There is barely time to work with all of the projects that are planned, as well as be ready for the unplanned ones!

I won't take any more of your time as you may be feeling good about this eNewsletter, or you may suddenly feel a bit of pressure. Whichever the case, be ready, be ahead of the pressure and deadlines. Stress is a reality in the world of development, but being prepared allows some of it to be good stress.

Blessings to you this fall! And let me hear from you if you have topics you would like me to write about. Please do not forget the archives on my website of past articles that may be helpful. Feel free to share them with friends.

John

« Click to return to our index