The document provides an analysis and recommendations for improving SpringHill Camp's monthly donor program. It finds that the current program lacks key elements common to other large organizations, such as compelling photos, clear donation categories, and an impactful case for supporting. The summary recommends: 1) Creating a dedicated monthly donor webpage with photos of children and testimonials; 2) Giving donors control over their donations and clear project updates; 3) Developing an accomplishing statement outlining what donations can achieve; and 4) Highlighting incentives and the benefits of monthly giving to strengthen donor connection and long-term support. With these changes, the monthly donor program could be expanded to better meet the needs of the camp.

1. Monthly Donor Program
Wellspring
Executive Summary
SpringHill Camps is looking to create a substantial monthly donor program that willincrease its current monthly
donor gifts from $75,000 to$100,000. It does not currently have its own webpage or form of advertisement other
than it being a category of giving next to the option of a one-time donation. Ten totwelve large organizations’
monthly donor programs were researched to identify common themes that SpringHill couldbenchmark against in
creation of their own monthly donor program. None of the organizations were camps because no camps were
found that had significant monthly donor programs comparable to large organizations like World Vision. Monthly
donor programs have the followingin common: photo, giving categories, a general “accomplishing” statement,
similar answers to “Why donate monthly?” and the language being used. With time and workin these areas,
SpringHill’s Wellspring or SWell (insert name choicehere) can make every drop of donations count.
Overview
SpringHill Camps’ current monthly donor program consists of 42 donors that provide $75,000 annually whichis
$1800/person. Each donor provides, on average, $150/month. These donors currently receivea “ThankYou”
phone call,a monthly letter from Andy, a Christmas gift, and an invitation to the Founders’ or Guest House. How
can the monthly donor program be expanded to keep in step with other organizations’ monthly donor programs
and in what ways? How can SpringHill expand the program to incorporate many specific areas of need under a
general category of monthly giving?
Analysis
Monthly donor programs have a few of the followingin common: photo, giving categories, a general
“accomplishing” statement, similar answers to “Why donate monthly?” and the language being used. Where does
SpringHill’s monthly donor program fall next to other organizations? What is SpringHill’s webphoto to advertise
the monthly donor program? What are the giving categories? Is there an “accomplishing” statement?” Are donors
told “why” they should donate? What type of language is used?
SpringHill donation page includes statistics on campers that need scholarships to attend camp as well as
SpringHill’s expansion. This shows growth as well as need. There is a personal quote at the top of the page about
how SpringHill is a “giftfrom God” and the need forother campers’ lives to be “touched” by God at SpringHill. This
personalizes the call fordonations.
SpringHill offers a variety of giving categories: scholarships, special needs, greatest needs, summer staff
fundraising, and named scholarships. SpringHill’s accomplishing statement is to “bring more kids to camp.” The
answer to “why” donors should donate is that “scholarship needs are continuing to grow.” SpringHill’s current
donation webpage allows fora variety of donation choices. It also gives the donor controlover “how much” they
can donate. Current monthly donor incentives consist of a “Thank You” phone call,a monthly letter from Andy, a
Christmas gift, and an invitation to the Founders’ or Guest House. The language used (“impact,” “help by
partnering,” and “continuing to grow”)make a call for action and personal involvement and motivate people to
participation.

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SpringHill is on the right track with the current donation foundation, but the foundation willneed separation and
expansion for a more substantial monthly donor program. The current “Makea Donation” webpage picture is of a
group of cheering teens hidden behind “Why use Electronic Check for Payment:…” rather than a picture of children
and women, and direct connection.The current donation page allows donors to choose to give to a specific project,
scholarship, or to “Greatest Needs.” The Monthly DonorProgram seeks to incorporate the specific projects under
“General Capital Needs.” The current “accomplishing” statement calls forscholarship donations, but there are
multiple areas in need of funding and multiple areas of need listed below this statement. SpringHill calls the donor
to personally impact campers while giving the donor control over the amount they chooseto make such an impact.
However,the donor is not specifically being told they are in control. SpringHill does not tell the donor why
monthly giving can be better than irregular donations or a one-time donation. Because SpringHill’s monthly donor
program is, at the heart, for camp and it is not a current life or death situation (disregarding eternity) the program
needs to emphasize the specialness of the donor’s membership to the unique program. The American Cancer
Society can get away with not offering anything in return fora donation because people that give to such an
organization have oftenbeen directly impacted on a negative level by cancer; camp is not cancer,camp is fun! But
kids missing out on a relationship with Christ because of a negative camp experience or lack of scholarship funds…
not so fun (this couldbe incorporated into the accomplishing statement). While language such as “impact,” “help
by partnering,” and “continuing to grow” callfor action and personal involvement,this language needs to be
expanded to provide more information, while remaining conciseto hold the potential donor’s attention.
The webpage picture needs to be of a child and a woman,or a group of teens working together, helping one
another. Faces need to be in the picture, and at least one pair of eyes needs to be looking at the camera. SpringHill
should make a monthly donor membership request with an image and paint an explanation with words, while
holding onto the donor with verbs and incentives. The monthly donor program should incorporate capital needs’
(general) without the option to donate to a project(specific). However,donors still wantdetails on specific
projects because there is connectionin the details. “General” says, “I’m not sure where the money is going” and
people want to know where their money is going; if a monthly donor is giving to “Greatest Needs” they deserve to
know the specifics.The accomplishing statement needs to state what a monthly donation will statistically do so
donors can, through process of elimination, understand what happens if they do not donate; donors do not care to
donate to an organization that is already “expect[ing] to provide.” If camp is really about growing kids toward
Christ, then the accomplishing statement just became eternal. If camp only wants money for projects and the
administration, then the statement should be honest and state that withoutthe necessary funds, camp cannot
continue to grow. If it’s about camp, make the accomplishing statement about camp; it may be more difficultbut
it’s honest. If it’s about Christ, make it about Christ; the drafts I created are focused on camp’s mission forChrist in
the event the money is used forHim. Tell the donor they are in controlof their membership and funds and tell
them howthey are in control;give them the option to canceltheir membership whenever they want, give them the
option to systematically change their monthly donation amount online, etc. SpringHill needs to tell the donorthat
monthly giving can be more beneficial because their money will be spent better with decreased processing costs,
they willbe provided with one annual receipt (even if this is the case for all donors, monthly donors want to hear
this as well), and that their reliable donations allow forthe organization’s more efficientlong-term planning. In
addition to the current incentives offered(a “Thank You” phone call, a monthly letter from Andy, a Christmas gift,
and an invite to the Founders’ House) a monthly donor program should always remind a donor of the following
incentives: satisfaction statistics, and the donor’s ease of use and level of control (EFT,annual tax receipt, anytime
cancellation). SpringHill may want to consider adding the followingincentives: an initial gift to initiate the

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member into “club” status, monthly emails on project updates, camp happenings, retreat discounts, and seasonal
specialties (recipes, craft ideas, etc.),a quarterly SWell newsletter highlighting a donor and a project withphotos of
transformation and connection, special discounts only offeredthrough the “club,” twoto three gifts throughout the
year (bookof devotionals, a study guide, a cookbook,etc.) The monthly donor website language needs to consist of
many verbs. It needs to stress the following:ease of donating, monthly donating costs less, is more reliable and
thus impactful, still offers the controlof a one-time donation, and is a special membership that includes “you” ona
deeper level in the community of SpringHill. It needs to be structured as the “Common Themes” research document
because the outline came from multiple viewed websites. There should also be a disclaimer at the bottom stating
that if said projects already have enough funds the donor’s money will go to x, y, or z instead.
To slip up in the followingwayscould cause the monthly donor program to backslide:
If a photo of men or teens is used, it should only be used in relation to a specific projectand it should still
show direct connection,a facelooking into the camera, as well as projecttransformation. Donors need to
connectwith a person (face-to-facephoto) and know they can pass on that connection. Photos of women
and children directly connecting, and at least one looking at the camera, should be used to promote the
program.
Donors should alwayshave the option to cancel their membership at any time, pay online, and change their
monthly donation amount if they need (online or phone); finances are insecure in the present economy and
with memories of the recession people need to know they have control overtheir finances. Donor financial
controlneeds to be recognized and promoted. If donations are out of their control,they will donate their
money elsewhere. Projectdetails and progress need to be provided to the donor because the donations
will go to a “General” fund and also because SpringHill is a camping ministry and not a “sponsor a child”
ministry; eternal lives saved and bathhouses built are not as physically visible or touching in a photo as
cleftlip surgery “before and after” photos. If a monthly donor can only donate to a general fund, they better
receive details on where their money is going.
The accomplishing statement needs to promote the goodness of donating witha statistic, but pose a threat
to direct needs if a person chooses not to donate; the biggest threat toan “accomplishing” statement is to
not include a significant accomplishment and reason. For example: “Impactlives today” or “ Help by
partnering withus to bring more kids to camp.” Nothing about either statement tells a donor the deep
reason they should donate or why they should care if they do not donate. Make sure the statement
“accomplishes.”
If donors do not know why monthly giving can be better and costless than irregularly giving, they may not
be as inclined to give or to maintain their monthly giving after they join. If monthly giving does not save
camp on processing costs or save the donor’s money and thus camp’s (basic camp needs and not
administration) through reliable funds that fosterlong-term planning, then find another reason that
monthly donating is good and can be better than irregular donations. The reason may be incentive-based.
Just have a reason.
Again, while saving eternal lives is more important in some waysthan saving physical lives, it is not
normally visible in a photo or even a line of one camper’s testimony. Provideincentives. The negative
effectsof not attending camp do not stand out in people’s minds as much as the negative effectsof not

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receiving cancer treatment. Camp is one week. Disease treatment can physically change a lifetime. Show
donors the eternal impact of camp through incentives that not only show transformation in a camp project
(newsletter and photos) but that can impact them as donors (bookof devotionals or a retreat discount)! If
SpringHill does not impact the donor (since not all donors attend camp) like a camper, the donor may not
have a direct connectionand may not financially impact camp.
If the language is not verb-fullor does not emphasize the donor, the program may fallflat. Words/phrases
to remember to incorporate in their own way:ease of use, less is more, reliable, impactful, control, you,
others, and special. If enough information is provided, but it is not concise,attention will be lost.
Resolution
SpringHill’s Monthly DonorProgram needs to be its ownentity. Create a webpage within the current donation
page with a picture of a woman and child connecting, with water droplets (“Every drop counts”) withpictures of
camp’s current needs. Also include a graphic well and bucketon which the donor can clicktojoin the program.
The bucket can drop with funds given and come up with projectprogress updates and the donor’s personal initial
gift. Give donors controlof their money: donors should always have the option to cancel their membership at any
time, pay online, and change their monthly donation amount (online or phone). Suggested donation price
categories are as follows:$20, $45, $75,$100, $200, $200+. Create an accomplishing statement that can only
happen with the help of the donor and that will not happen without their help. Explain the benefits of monthly
donating as they apply to the donor and then as they apply to camp. Providea few more incentives to develop the
donor’s personal connectionto camp so there is a greater understanding of camp’s impact that is only made
possible by the donor. Finally, hold the donor’s attention through concise language that nearly has more verbs
than nouns. Welcometo WellSpring.