I started a journal about a year before I began The Charis Group. I would regularly write ideas, information and personal thoughts. I still to this day carry a journal and from time to time make introspective submissions. On the anniversary of starting The Charis Group I took the time to read through that first journal. Reading that and reflecting upon the last three years have reminded me of a few truths that might help you. So, here they are…

Things never turn out quite the way you plan them. Nothing turned out how I thought it would turn out. Yet everything turned out as well as could be expected. The lesson for us is to expect the unexpected. Plans are essential but so is flexibility. You have to be able to ride the waves both good and bad. Some days, like during this recession, the waves are few. It might not be easy but persistence pays off.

It’s never as easy as it looks or as easy as we planned it. We have had highs and lows throughout these three years. You have to be able to manage the highs and lows and stay constant in the vision that God has given you. Today in my quiet time I was reading Prov. 30:8 which says in part, “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” I had written in the margin of my Bible years ago this prayer, “Lord give us enough success to be encouraged and enough difficulty to have to depend upon you.” While I hate tough times I know that they in the end make me more dependent upon God and thus a better man.

When you are doing what God wants you to do there is joy! These three years have been an incredible time in my life. I have a greater sense of joy than I have in many years. While there are times that I miss being a pastor, Sunday morning’s, I would not trade any of it for what God has called me to do. Years ago as I looked around and saw others prospering while I was in my mind stuck in a small church the Lord gave me this thought. Success is being where God wants you to be when He wants you there doing what He wants you to do. Eternity is always the measure of success not the present moment. I live for hearing, “Well done faithful servant.”

I would conclude by saying to each that read this, never give up on your dreams. Dreams are what makes life interesting. Don’t just dream however act upon those dreams. I was reminded the other day of the time when my wife came in and said to me, “When are you going to start your own business?” It was time to stop dreaming and start working to see my dreams become a reality. It was not many days later that I bought that first journal and began the journey that ultimately led to starting The Charis Group.

What is your dream?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Three years ago today I left a major stewardship firm and started The Charis Group. I left with no ill feelings towards my former company. They had taught me this trade but I felt there needed to be a new direction. I did not agree with the leadership at that time and there was no way to resolve those differences. So, I set out as one man to attempt the impossible, the revolutionize my industry.

What needed changing? For starters consultants were working far too many churches. One consultant bragged to me that he was going to work 30 churches that year. I regularly worked twenty a year. It was a killer schedule. To me this is one of the dirty little secrets of our industry. Consultants work far too many campaigns in a year. The next time you see a stewardship consultant ask him how many campaigns he does in a calender year. If the answer is more than 10 its a safe bet you are not getting your monies worth.

The other thing I changed was to do away with a sales force. Frankly salesmen will tell you anything. I got tired of their lies. I would ask, “Why did you tell them that?” “It’s what the market requires,” they would say. Often it was not just an over statement but an out right lie. They would over sell churches on what we were delivering and then we consultants would have to try and live up to your expectation. Too many times we could not. As a result there was a disconnect. I decided that the guy you looked at in the presentation needed to be the guy you worked with for the entire three years. What I promise in the sell I have to deliver in the campaign. Never work with a company that does not send you your consultant that you will work with to the first interview. In reality you are engaging the consultant not the company.

I also decided that we would stay with our churches for the entire three year period. We would not hand it off to someone else. You engaged with the consultant why should you have to switch for follow up? Since we limit ourselves to eight campaigns a year we truly can deliver follow up. We promise you will hear from us more and see us more than any other group.

We decided that our goal was not to be the biggest but the best. We come more often, stay longer, bring more experience and insight and frankly have the best campaign out there.

So, how have we done? We have climbed the ranks. We are a solid mid level player in the field. So far we are still paying the bills even in this tough economy. Its been fun. Its been scary at times. It has certainly stretched my faith. Looking back I would not change a thing. Still to this day I am honored to partner with churches.

As for how we are doing you would need to ask the churches we have partnered with. Here is what one partner said recently…

“We have engaged Mark Brooks on two occasions at Clay Church, and most recently he worked with us on a more limited basis. Since we had worked with him before, and understood the basic aspects of an effective capital campaign, we were just looking this time for coaching, encouragement, and support.

He came to South Bend on one occasion and spent entire the day with our team. He laid out the timetable for our campaign, and took time to discuss the significance of each step along the way. Since then we’ve been working his plan, and he has been in touch with us by phone and email as we’ve needed guidance, reassurance, and coaching. He’s also been very helpful sending his intellectual property for us to digest and put into action.

I highly recommend The Charis Group, and Mark Brooks in particular!”
Dr. Herb Buwalda
Lead Pastor, Clay Church, South Bend, Indiana

Thanks Herb and thanks to all our other partners. I am looking forward to another three years!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

George Barna in his new book “The Seven Faith Tribes,” finds that only 16% of Americans are what he calls captive Christians. Is it any wonder then that the authors of “Passing the Plate: Why Americans Don’t Give Away More Money,” found that “about half of all the money that U.S. Protestants gives away is contributed by only 5 percent of givers?” They concluded that, “the small minority who give at least 10 percent of their income contribute 62.3 percent of all dollars given. In truth, a relatively small group of faithful contributors is pulling two-thirds of the giving weight for everyone.” These studies are verified by the scores of financial analysis that I have looked at over the last decade of churches running thousands to those running in the hundreds. The few give the majority of donations. It has always been that way and will probable always be that way.

Why?

First it is an economic issue. There are some who simply have more or have done a better job managing what they have been entrusted with better than others. To be sure one reason why many can not give is that they have made poor financial decisions. It is not that they do not have money. It is that they chose to spend it elsewhere and often are now deeply in debt. As a result they can not give what they should.

Mainly it is a maturity issue. Barna’s studies show this not just in this current book but in all his studies. Countless other studies show the same thing. Those with spiritual maturity have always been and will always be the source of most of the money a church or ministry receives. So, the key is to develop faithful disciples not simply what Barna calls “Casual Christians.” He found that 66% of the American public was represented in this mix.

To a lesser degree it is an education and awareness issue. Some simply might not know what the Bible teaches about stewardship. It is not the favorite topic of preachers and as a result a generation of uneducated believers do not know what the Bible teaches on this vital subject.

What should you do? Here are some thoughts…

First, create a climate of positive stewardship. For too long we have apologized every time we preach on money or ask people to give. If your ministry is accomplishing Kingdom work why apologize for asking members to financially support it? Show them the value of what you are doing and they will gladly support it.

Have ongoing education on stewardship. If you do not have a Crown Ministry or some other program to teach people how to handle their finances you will never see this trend change. The key is not in more sermons, as important as those are, but in helping people practically manage their resources.

Develop disciples. While I agree with the use of online giving, giving kiosks, envelopes and direct mail, the real key is discipleship. When people fall in love with Jesus and are committed to following Him totally their giving will follow. A persons giving, while not the ultimate test of love for Christ, is one indicator of commitment to Him. We need to seek to move the casual, the crowd that gathers from Sunday to Sunday, to be the captives of Christ. Only then will we truly see giving increase. Ultimately that is what determines giving.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

I read the business section every morning. In fact I am so consumed by tracking and understanding this economy that I read it BEFORE I read the sports page. If I were you I would pay attention too. From today’s business section here are some interesting tidbits…

Hershey’s profit surged 20% with more Easter sales than expected.

Amazon.com reported earnings that beat the estimate of Wall Street.

While these two tidbits were surrounded by other news of companies not meeting their revenue expectations it none the less shows that people do have money to spend. My son who now is a manager for Frito Lay told me that a couple of weeks ago his plant shipped out 2 million boxes of snacks, an all time record for them. What it proves is that people do have money they are simply careful about spending it.

Sadly many people have the same caution when it comes to giving. However they can and do still give. Yesterday the Southern Baptist reported that giving to missions was UP 2.3% last year despite the economy. This reflects our experience as most of our churches saw an increase in giving while a few saw a modest decline. While many are suffering in this recession many others are still on track financially. Remember 93% of Americans are on time paying their mortgage. The other 7% are gaining the headlines and setting the policies of Washington. My guess is that in your congregation there is money that is simply being held by your members.

How can you get it back into the offering plate? By casting a compelling vision and making a good case for giving. Think about the fact that the SBC saw missions giving INCREASE by 2.3%. We typically do a much better job at “selling” the mission offerings need than we do our regular offering. However shouldn’t what you do locally be counted as mission work too?

My point is that often we do not do a good job helping people see the value of the dollar given to ministry. It might mean more work on your part during this recession but I firmly believe if you will tell your story you will get people’s money. Trust me, when pet supplies and pet products will account for over $40 billion dollars this year, your people do have money.

Remember, good vision trumps bad economy!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

There is a difference between hope and hype. We have had a lot of hype the last few months. Every day brings more of the same. At the end of the day none of it has helped. All we have done is sink the future generations of Americans into having to pay off massive debt. Our country needs some real hope that no politician on either side of the aisle can bring. Dave Ramsey is the man to do it!

I am recommending all that read my blog, my mom and dad and two others, to watch Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall For Hope. If you want practical down to earth advice that truly will help you through this time and beyond you can find it in Dave’s stuff.

Frankly it is about time someone stepped forward with sound practical advice. There are sites all over America where you can watch and be a part of this. Now is the time to take action in your life! Don’t let this recession smack you around any longer. Take steps to take back your life. The first step could well be watching the Town Hall For Hope.

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

For more information click here

The Myth: Focusing on top end donors violates Scripture.
The Truth: Failing to focus on top end donors hurts your ministry.

Pastor Smith was a mild manner easy going guy. So when I met him in the parking lot of his church on our way to lunch I was surprised that he was so angry. Never had I seen him rattled or ruffled in the slightest and now it was apparent something was wrong. As a consultant you worry that it might be you so I asked what the problem was.

“One of my members just gave our denominations mission board a million dollars! This same guy has given us virtually nothing,” he exclaimed. He went on to vent his frustration not only at the member but the mission board that had flown this member to their headquarters and made a presentation to him that resulted in the million dollar gift. This pastor was particularly vexed in that his church was in the midst of trying to raise several millions to complete phase two of a relocation process. The member in question did not donate to the last campaign and had yet donated to this campaign. I looked at the pastor and asked this simply question. “Have you ever sat down one on one with this member?” That stopped the pastor’s rant as he looked at me and said no.

Frankly I was not surprised. Ninety nine point nine per cent of all pastors in America have never sat down with someone of wealth and means and talked over their vision much less asked them to fund it.

How preachers fall prey to this myth

1. Fear of violating Scripture – This fear is probably the number one reason given for why a pastor will not meet with his top end donors. However Scripture deals only with showing favoritism which meeting with top end donors is not. The issue is one of maturity. If your motives are pure then meeting to explain your vision and the challenge of financing it does not violate Scripture.

2. Ecclesiastical pressure and training – Most if not all colleges and seminaries never teach ministers anything about stewardship. What little they do teach often does more harm than good. There is in some quarters however and unwritten rule that pastors should be ignorant of what their members give. At the same time it is discouraged to meet personally with those of wealth or the top donors of a church. Through pressure and the lack of training this myth is continually passed down one generation at a time.

3. Uncomfortable around wealth – The reality is that many pastors are simply uncomfortable around people of wealth. We tend to not run in those circles and are just not comfortable in their presence. As a result we shy away from any type of personal meeting.

4. Humble backgrounds – I think that much of what causes us discomfort are our humble backgrounds. Very few ministers come from wealth. Most are from lower class or middle class backgrounds. Most find it hard to relate to those that have wealth. So because of this discomfort we tend to not want to meet with our top end donors.

Why top end donors are so significant

So why bother? What is so important about meeting with the top donors in a church? Well if raising funds to fuel your ministry and build those buildings are a concern of yours the answer is its crucial! Consider this, five percent of Protestants give 56 percent of all that is given. In capital campaigns it is my experience that the number can be even less. This is one reason you need to consider establishing a relationship with these donors. Their gifts will sink or float your boat!

I have been consulting with a number of pastors upon this very issue. One pastor in particular had never met with on a one on one basis with any of this top end donors. He knew that it would take amazing commitment from these people to receive the pledge amount the bank was asking of him. So, it was if he braced himself for the worst but followed the advice and coaching of his consultant.

He was amazed at what he discovered. He actually enjoyed the process! He said to me, “I was dreading meeting with my top donors as I had never done that before. However to my amazement it has been such a wonderful and affirming time. The members were excited to meet with me and grateful that I took the time. I was able to answer questions that they had and share the vision in a much more personal way. I left those meetings getting more encouragement from them than I gave them. I would have never thought this possible but it was the most enjoyable process of the whole campaign.” The additional blessing is that they raise maximum dollars for their project.

This story could be your story. Don’t let The Favoritism Myth keep you from realizing the dreams and visions that God has given you. You like countless other pastors that I have dealt with can experience the joy of meeting with members who can and will help make your dreams happen. Wouldn’t you much rather tell a story like this last pastor who realized maximum financial commitments than the story of the pastor who lost a million dollar commitment because he never even met with key donors? Don’t let The Favoritism Myth kill your giving potential.

This is one area where we at The Charis Group can help you and your ministry. We know how to help you identify those who have the means to support your vision and how to coach you through the process. Having a partner is this key area, where few pastors are comfortable, could mean the difference of success or failure in your campaign. Call us today!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

“I wish I had started sooner!” That is the number one thing that we hear pastors say when they reflect back on their capital stewardship campaign. Yet time after time we find that churches and pastors wait until far late into the process before deciding to move forward. The end result is that the campaign process is often rushed, hurried and not well planned out. The ultimate result is the loss of dollar potential.

There are few last minute campaigns that are successful. Campaigns to be properly executed take a good six months and often longer. They can be done in a shorter time span but the ultimate is to start early. The earlier you start the more options you have. The later you start the less options and the greater you will feel the press of the campaign. Waiting until the last minute could cause you to miss crucial building blocks to success.

Why do pastors delay starting a capital stewardship campaign? Here are a few reasons we find…

Money. Many think that by putting off the campaign until the last minute they are saving the church money. Most will read this and think that my motivation for an early start up is to get the churches money. While I do like to eat I really want campaigns to do well. So, it is more than bringing money into our coffers. It is about getting the campaign right. Yet sadly too many are focused on getting a campaign for as cheap as possible. Can you really gamble on the future of your project?

Tyranny of the urgent. I really think that most pastors are simply overwhelmed. They think they have enough time or the campaign simply sneaks up on them. The press of every day ministry can often keep you from forward planning. As one great coach said, “The future is now!” Your plans are closer than you think. Act now and saves yourself a lot of angst.

Sequential thinking. As pastors we preach from one point to the next in sequence. I find that when pastors approach project planning they do so from the same mind set. They tend to move from issue to issue not starting on one aspect of the campaign until all others are settled. In project development you have to think simultaneously as well as sequentially. Failing to do so will cause you to be behind.

Inexperience. You can not know everything about everything. Many pastors are simply inexperienced about the flow of a project and the timing of a campaign. As a result they delay to act until many times it is too late. This is why a stewardship partner can not only raise you more money but save you time by avoiding mistakes. In my 11 years of consulting I have found that most mistakes are made far in advance of when I arrived at the table. Also inevitably pastors and church leaders feel they have more time than they actually do. They simply do not know how long the process of a campaign takes. Starting early helps you avoid the mistakes that inexperience can cause.

Those are the major reasons I find for putting off the start of a campaign. Make sure you are avoiding those same mistakes as you begin thinking about your project development.

I find that now that we see some glimmer of hope with the economy churches are beginning to dust off their building plans. The question is when should you begin nailing down your stewardship partner? For a fall campaign you should be finalizing that partner and beginning work immediately! For a spring campaign you should be starting work in September or October at the latest.

Giving yourself ample time will help you enjoy the process more and ultimately raise more funds. So, call us today. The clock is ticking!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

PS. Email my Director of Marketing Tom Holloway or call him today and say you read this blog and we will discount our fee by 10%!

I had a potential client finally email me back that they had decided to go to a one day conference on how to raise funds and essentially try to raise the money themselves. I have a couple of problems with getting emails like this. For one thing why is it that pastors do not see fit to be honest and let us know? I had to chase him down to find out what they had decided. Do you think he would be happy to be treated that way. I am amazed daily at how rude pastors are to my Director of Marketing who is one of the finest Christian layman you would ever find. I mean seriously guys, have some manners and decency!

The thing though that really bothers me is that the bottom line for these guys is money. They simply don’t want to pay to get the help they need. I find that amazing that here churches are trying to maximize their dollars and they go cheap on getting help. The fault to a large degree lies with we consulting firms. Too many of my peers simply offer programming in a box. Why would you not just buy Rick Warren’s campaign? Well, for one he does not come in the box. For another that system might or might not fit your church. Will a West Coast churches approach fit you? This is the problem I have with campaigns in a box. You get what you pay for, very little.

What this pastor will find is that his laymen will come back from this one day conference with a thick manual on how to do the campaign. Now who will implement all that? Who can make sense out of it all? Its a smooth marketing trick actually. You go thinking you are getting all the help you need and then you realize you better pop for the ad on’s etc etc etc. While I love my industry it is that kind of game that drives me nuts. Few can take that manual and do anything with it. It is like getting the pilots flight manual and telling you that now you can fly yourself. Good luck.

Do I have an answer? Yes! We tailor make all our partnerships. The last thing you need is a program! You need a partner. This church will shell out about $3,500 to go to the one day conference. After the conference they get no help at all unless they buy the additional offerings. So how are we different?

We do one day on site teachings of your staff or lay leaders on how to put an effective campaign together. We leave you with all the materials you need to do the job. Not much different than my competitor. Yet we are on site coming to you while you have to fly to his city. Being at the church makes a huge difference. Then you get access to a consultant personally through email and telephone contact for the entire intensive part of the campaign. It gives you the help you need at a price you can afford. On top of all that we will do it for much less than any other firm. I will personally beat anyone’s deal out there!

So, don’t be fooled by sales techniques. Get the help you need for a price you can afford. Call us today to find out how we can help you. I promise you that with our help your burden will be lighter, you will raise more funds and you will not be alone in trying to figure out the manual!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

We are revolutionizing the stewardship industry! It’s about time someone did!

Yesterday Church Solutions magazine release the results of their poll of church leaders on how long they felt the recession was going to drag on. Here is what they found…

“The latest Church Solutions poll asked our church-leader readers how soon the U.S. economy would turn around, and the results show that many church leaders are not ready to say the economy is turning around – or will turn around any time soon.

The largest chunk of respondents – 42 percent – believe there is no end in sight to the recession and that it will probably take more than a year for the economy to turn around. Twenty-six percent are slightly more optimistic; they say a rebound will happen in six months to a year. Three to six months was the timeframe for 13 percent of the respondents, and 6 percent said the economy will start to turn around in less than three months.

Another 13 percent, the most optimistic of the bunch, say that the economy is already turning around.”

What was truly astounding was the next paragraph that read, “In comparison to the general American population, church leaders seem to be more pessimistic. A recent Ipsos/McClatchy tracking poll shows that 52 percent of Americans believe the economy has “stabilized” – which could be interpreted to mean the economy has reached its nadir and is showing signs of life. A poll among the general population using the words “turnaround” or “rebound” was not immediately available for comparison.”

Wow! So, it appears the public is more positive than church leaders? I am afraid the answer is yes. Church Solutions has confirmed what we have been seeing for the past year. In fact I wrote in my journal on February 26th the following…

“Fear. that is what is one layer beneath what is happening nationally. We seem to want to believe that all will be well. Yet we fear the worst. Fear grips pastors and churches. Never in my lifetime have I seen such a lack of confidence in the church and among pastors.”

The results are that planning has been put on hold and ministry progress is being impeded. Sure it affects my business but the greater harm is what it is doing to the church. We act like we have never been through though times before. We act like God slipped off His throne with the decline of the Market. We have moved away from walking by faith and into the realm of human reasoning. We have forgotten that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Its time we recapture the ground we have given up. It is time we once again fully trust in the Lord and not our 401K’s. Our hope is in Heaven not in Washington. Our future can be bright IF we respond in faith. Come on leaders, now is the time of our greatest opportunity! Lead, follow or get out of the way! But please, won’t you be the leader God is calling for and people are looking for?

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group

Are you showing proper appreciation to your donors?

My wife supports the charity Smile Train. Smile Train helps pay for the surgeries of babies and children that are born with a cleft pallet. It is one of the more successful charities. This past January she entered my office with a packet that Smile Train had sent her and asked, “Do you want to see how effective non-profits treat donors?” She produced a card of thanks for her contributions and actual glossy pictures of children who due to Smile Train had received the corrective surgery they needed. Since my wife handles all the finances of both the business and our personal life my question was, “How much have you donated to Smile Train?” I never got an exact answer but it sounded like she said about two thousand dollars. While I am sure that for us that is a large amount to give to a secular non-profit I am also sure that on Smile Trains radar we are not that high up on the pecking order. It caused me to wonder if they went to that extent for donors like us what were they doing for the really big fish? Then it made me wonder about how we in the Christian world treat our donors.

A few weeks ago I happened upon an article that said, “Charitable Donors Motivated by VIP Treatment.” It was a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. They found that donors are motivated to give money when organizations promise to reward them by inviting them to exclusive or high profile events, conferring greater status upon them. The studies author Holger Sieg wrote that the reason is because those with high levels or wealth may have greater incentive to seek such occasions for social networking and that they place a much higher value on private benefits associated with their giving levels.

While we in the Christian realm would reject the notion that giving should be tied to VIP treatment none the less it does show that donors respond to appreciation. It also confirms what other studies have found, the importance of segmenting your donor base and tailor making your appeals based upon those donors. George Barna in his book “How To Increase Giving In Your Church,” wrote about just this thing. He stated that, “Effective fund-raising churches refuse to treat all people as equals – and truly people are not when it comes to giving.” Again we might not like the conclusions but the facts are that donors are different and those at the top respond differently than those at the bottom. One thing all donors like however is being appreciated.

How can you develop a plan of action to show proper thanks to those that give without showing favoritism?

Value every gift but realize that all gifts are not equal

You have to learn to value the widow’s mite just as you value the large gift. In God’s economy her gift carries more weight and accomplishes more for Kingdom growth than the wealthy givers gift. However in my experience most pastors in an effort not to show favoritism almost shun those of wealth. We have to see that both extremes are wrong. The wealthy need ministry just as every other person in your flock does. I can assure you that if you do not show them appropriate appreciation someone else will. Their dollars will go somewhere. They might as well go to your cause!

If there is one area where the vast majority of pastors fail it is in this area. Many are unfamiliar or uncomfortable around wealth and as a result tend to shy away from any plan of action or ministry to those of wealth. In the end they lose substantial amounts of dollars for their ministries that go elsewhere.

At The Charis Group we realize how difficult and sensitive this area is for pastors and churches. We help our partners identify those that are potentially larger donors. We then help create a plan of action that does not violate either Scripture or the culture of the church. We coach pastors step by step through this process and the results are maximum dollars are raised for ministry.

Show genuine thanks to every donor no matter what the size of gift

Studies have shown that our human nature likes to be appreciated. While I am not advocating publishing gift amounts or even making a public statement or spectacle of donations I am saying that heartfelt thanks will be appreciated and will generate future donations. What are some practical ways to accomplish this?

Mail quarterly giving statements and include a thank you letter. Every donor should get a statement of their giving from your financial staff EVERY quarter. That letter should contain a note or letter inserted from you thanking the donors for their contributions. I like the letter to always include an example of how the church is making a difference. Donors like to know their gift matters. I also advocate putting in an envelope with postage paid permit that is easily obtained at the Post Office. You pay only for those envelopes that are mailed back and all it takes is a few return envelopes to pay for the whole mailing.

Write personal thank you notes. It takes very little time to sit down and write a personalize note of thanks. You might have your financial people give you a list weekly or monthly of those that have given a substantial gift or have shown regular faithfulness in giving. You can write something that goes like…”Though I do not know the amount of your gift I have been informed that you recently made a significant contribution to our ministry. Your gift allows us to continue to reach people for Christ. Just last week four people were baptized into our fellowship. Gifts like yours help us keep doing what we are doing. Thanks so much.” Or to those that are faithful you could write, “It has come to my attention that you have been faithfully giving to this ministry.” The point is to go out of your way to show thanks. You will be amazed at the positive response it generates.

Give special gifts. Have you read a book lately that made an impact upon you? Why not buy several copies and mail it to those that your financial people list as your top donors. Write a note of thanks in the book.

Use your lunch time effectively. You should always be thinking, “Who can I take to lunch this week?” When you do take them to lunch be sure and pick up the tab. Use the time with the donors to not only thank them for their support but to also cast your vision personally to them. Having them understand and be excited about the vision God has given you can go a long way towards their donating financially to support that dream.

Don’t forget the power of the pulpit. Perhaps the best place to begin is from the platform. It takes little time and effort to give a heart felt thanks to those that week in and week out help through their gifts make ministry to happen. Never assume your people know you are thankful for their generosity. Thank them on a continual basis. By doing so you will reap even more of a harvest.

Not long ago a ministry that we support mentioned that they had a specific need. It was not a huge amount of money but I told them I would donate the money for that need. I went home and told my wife to write the check. Months went by and we never heard a thing from this ministry about the donation. As we were considering another gift to this ministry I decided to simply drop back down to the monthly $100 we had been sending. I was not looking for thanks but an acknowledgement that they even got the money would have been nice. So, why would I give them more money when the money I did donate was never acknowledged? Whether you agree with my reasoning or not that money went to another ministry rather than the one we had been supporting. I wonder how many times something like that has happened to you?

You can puff up and say that donors should give simply out of obedience. You will get no argument from me. However, especially when it involves money over the tithe or regular gift amount you can be sure that a little thoughtfulness on your part can make a difference. You don’t have to take your donors out to the country club but heartfelt thanks might make all the difference in the world. I believe it is one of the easiest ways to raise funds for your ministry. Sadly too many take their donors for granted and never appropriately thank them. Don’t you be one of those!
Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group