Fundraising for Young Life Committee

Supporting Fundraising Young Life Committee Weekend August 2009 Frank McKay [email_address]

10 Laws of Fundraising

People give to people

People give because they are asked

80 percent of the money comes from 20 percent of the donors

People will give to a winning cause

People give in relation to the person who asks

Giving is contagious

Previous donors make the best prospective donors

High sights plus managed expectations result in success

Personal visits result in larger gifts

Correlation between number of requests and number of gifts

Fundraising in the Bible

Matt 6: 1-4 (practice giving in secret)

Matt 26 6-13 (Jesus recognizes woman & her gift of oil)

Mark 12: 41-44 (Widow’s Mite)

Phil 4: 14-20 (Paul shows gratitude for Philippians’ support)

1 Chron 29: 1-9 (David gives leadership gift for temple)

Henry Nouwen on FR:

From the perspective of the Gospel, fundraising is first and foremost a form of ministry. It is about meeting needs, sharing the love of God and strategizing for changes toward justice.

It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. It helps answer the questions of what is our vision and who owns our mission.

Henry Nouwen on FR:

Asking people for money is giving them the opportunity to put their resources at the disposal of the Kingdom.

To raise funds is to offer people the chance to invest what they have in the work of God.

Relational Fundraising

Fundraising is most successful when:

People feel cared for

People understand and relate to a vision

People have the chance to be involved

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Consider 3I’s: Informed, Involved, Invested

Donor Cultivation Cycle Identify Ask Research Steward Cultivate

Committee Support?

My struggles in development work:

Board not invested in fundraising

Giving

Assisting

Asking for help

Volunteer management

Encouragement

Spreading the Vision

Work WITH staff

Economy (collective groan!)

From Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis:

Fundraisers for arts, culture, and humanities organizations and human services nonprofits also are less confident about the current conditions for giving than other types of nonprofits. Development officers from educational and religious organizations were the most optimistic about the present climate. Expectations for improvement in the fundraising climate in the next six months are highest among religious, education and health organizations, and consultants . Public society benefit, environment/animal and international organizations, arts groups and human services organizations have the lowest expectations for the immediate future.

Religious Giving in Recessions

Historically, recessions have had little effect on religious giving

Even in recessions, religious organizations remain the #1 recipient of all household dollars given to charity

Over 50% of all household charitable giving goes to religion

In times of recession, decline in religious giving, adj. for inflation, has been -0.1%, compared with average growth of 2.8% in non-recession years

Religious giving fell in 6 of 12 recession years and did not fall in any non-recession year

Giving USA Stats for 2008

Estimated $307.65 billion in giving

Individual giving = 75% of total

Bequests (indiv’s) = 7% of total

Corporate giving = 5% of total

Foundation grants = 13% of total

Religion is largest sector at $106.89 billion, or 35% of total

This is the second year that giving to religion has exceeded $100 billion. Giving to religion increased an estimated 5.5 percent (1.6 percent adjusted for inflation).

Fundraising Wisdom in Economic Uncertainty