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February 13, 2009
Think smaller
I know the title seems out of sync with a blog that touts: More Money. More Ministry. But the smaller does not apply to the work itself. Rather, it applies to the size of gifts we are looking for.
One nonprofit is finding success in this midst of a slump in major gift dontations through looking for and seeking out smaller gifts. The success is involving more people who have money to give. In the end, every gift - large or small - adds up.
Churches have forever repeated the mantra of 10 percent. This is insurmountable for those who find themselves in our pews every week who do not have the discipline of giving. And the rhetoric they hear from us is that anything less than 10 percent is not good enough. For them, it's easier not to give at all than to not feel like the gift you've given good enough.
Here is my challenge: consider englarging your giving base by encouraging people to give a small amount of money consistently over time. Then, progressively challenge them to give more. This is the same strategy our traditional nonprofit brothers and sisters are using in their funding efforts, particularly to hedge against an actual or potential decline among their most faithful and often largest giving base.
It worked for Wikipedia. My guess is that it can work for you too.
Posted by bstroup at February 13, 2009 1:55 PM
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