Most of us just “want to ask for the order” when it comes to end of year giving. Brad Leeper has some better ideas. David Fletcher and EvFree Fullerton followed his ideas and here are the results.
I went way out on a limb and did a pure “generosity campaign” for the end of the year. We sent to all on our list a three-page, printed letter. There were stories of ministry, photos, thanks for their participation, stories of ministry and more photos. Our Treasurer was “having kittens,” as he wanted to do “the big ask,” but he went along with me.The first three weeks of December, our General Fund was $550,000 below budgeted income. Time to begin biting my fingernails! All I said from the stage was stories of ministry, and one time “it is the end of the year, so please connect the financial dots.” Of course, you know me, we were only spending below our actual income, not the budgeted income.The fourth week of December was amazing. $225,000 came in online just on December 31. All the month’s giving tied the best giving for December of all time for the church! At the end of December, we were just $50,000 in the red. Now we have a cash surplus that is amazing and we can do raises or bonuses for the staff.
The on-line giving 12/31/ is a record for one day in my world. Thanks for making the generosity conversation normal, ministry based and not something artificial and crisis oriented. Shrewd!
Nicely done on the letter and the offering moment and context there! I am generally not a fan of longer letters unless they are narrative and visually pleasing with valuable content. You managed to hit all cylinders in your letter!