The Full Spectrum of Giving

Developing Giving on an Ongoing Basis

by Jim Sheppard

One of the issues most of our clients face is the ongoing need to develop giving at all levels - regardless of whether they are a local church or nonprofit religious organization.

Frequently, a capital project or budget shortfall causes excessive attention on one or the other. The successful organization, over the long haul, must have a strategy to develop the full spectrum of giving: annual, capital and planned.

Annual giving is for the ongoing support of the normal activities, programs and ministries of the church or religious organization. For the church it consists primarily of tithes and offerings from members and regular attendees. The church might conduct an annual campaign where members and regular attendees are asked to express their intentions for the following year in written form - or the church might rely on knowing that strong, mature Christians are generous Christians who will fund the ongoing support of the church without an annual emphasis.

The process of annual giving for a religious organization, other than a church, tends to be different. Generally, it is the result of mailings and appeals to the donor base. Annual giving might consist of pledges, generally renewable from year to year, or other types of support generated by personal contact, telephone or mail.

Capital giving is over and above any contributions a donor might already be making to the church or religious organization. Capital giving is almost always for a specific project and over a specific duration of time.

Planned giving is usually estate related and may be unspecified as to amount or timing. Many churches and organizations do a good job on annual and capital giving but do not do a good job of soliciting planned gifts from their constituency. For some reason, it never seems to move high enough on the priority list. But planned giving is the key to long-term financial viability. Planned giving is the key to creating significant endowments. Many donors believe that planned giving is complicated, however most planned giving options are remarkably simple. The simplest form of planned giving is including the church or religious organization in one's will. The adding of a simple phrase such as "10% of the net value of my estate after the payment of taxes and expenses shall be donated to" would enable the donor to make a posthumous gift to his or her favorite cause with a minimum of effort. Imagine the value to your organization if just one-third of your constituency were to add this phrase to their wills!

In all three of these areas of giving, there are some constants:

• People who are connected give more than those who are not. Relationships are the key. "Friend raising" always precedes successful fund raising. People who are mature in their attitude toward money give more.
• The mature attitude sees beyond the accumulation of money to what it accomplishes when given to a worthy cause. Ability and resources are important, but are not the critical factors. Trust and credibility affect giving decisions.
• Work on developing the full spectrum of giving potential within your organization. It is hard work, but the benefits are substantial - both to the recipient and the donor!