Dan Mirgon, CFRE

I hate asking strangers for money! 

Now, that might sound funny coming from a fundraising consultant, but I’m not going to change my mind.  I really hate it.  In fact, I'll do almost anything except ask someone to “make a donation to this worthy cause.”  There has to be a better way.

The problem is that most of us can’t handle the rejection.  We want to be accepted.  It hurts when they say, “I don’t want to give to your ministry.”

This is why many organizations rely so heavily on direct mail marketing as their primary source of raising support.  Direct mail is impersonal, and doesn't make us feel rejected when 97½ % of the list doesn't send in a check.  Instead, we get really excited about the 2½ % that do give, and almost miss the point completely.

The point, I believe, is that for those that didn’t give, the ministry didn’t make its case very well, and many on your mailing lists may simply not be the type of people who care about what you do.

So, how are you going solve your direct marketing problem?  Well, with direct marketing of course.

All joking aside, the most effective way to get large numbers of people to ‘invest’ in your ministry, without having to resort to arm-twisting, is through a steady, consistent program of direct marketing – usually done through the mail, whether by snail mail or email.  But marketing of what, to whom, and by what means? 

Let’s start at the beginning.

It really isn’t up to me to convince strangers to give.  It is up to me to find out whether this donor is one that God wants on our team.  To do that, I need to have a mechanism for them to respond to.  A direct marketing program.

First, I have found that people care about certain issues more than others.  In a sense, God gives each of us a “mission” for our life, and causes us to connect with certain types of “ministry” more than another.

Second, if God has really called us to do (whatever your ministry does), He is the one that is responsible for motivating people to give.  Not you.

Third, my job is to capture the story of what God is doing through this ministry – and then tell that story in an exceptional manner.  Genuinely, sincerely, confidently, with courage, and more frequently than I did last year.

You may remember that the distinction between marketing and sales is that marketing is the process of positioning an item or service in the minds of large groups of potential customers – enough times that people think about your product or service when they feel the need for a “widget” or “widget management service.”  Sales is the process of convincing a select few of those people that your “widget/widget management service” is better than the other guy’s, and if they act now, something great will happen.

So how do we craft a direct marketing program that gets people excited, and honors God through the process?  Glad you asked.  Here are 7 points to remember.

1.  Collect the stories of what God is actually accomplishing through your work.  Someone’s life was changed.  What was the condition before you connected with them?  What led them to you or you to them?  What did your ministry do that impacted their life?  What does their future look like now?

2.  Package those stories to show God at work.  It really isn’t about what you are doing as much as it’s about how God is using your programs and people to impact lives for Him.

3.  Tell those stories and ask for action – without sounding like you are apologizing.  Somehow I don’t think God gets much honor for His great work when we package it with timid statements like, “I wish we could do more”, or “without you, this wouldn’t be possible.”  I like statements like, “thanks for helping us lead Steve to Christ,” or “your investment in the lives of (these types of people) is having a great impact on  . . .”

4.  Stay in front of the readers on a regular basis.  The advertising world tells us that it takes “7 impressions” to begin making an impact on your readers.  You need to send your ‘Success Stories” on a consistent basis.

5.  Thank them often in your communication.  Friends want to know that they are appreciated for the part they play in the relationship.  When I give money so that a ministry can fulfill it purpose, I like knowing that the recipient is grateful.

6.  Ask them to refer others who “should join them by investing in” these results.  To grow the income for your ministry, it takes more people who care about the things your readers care about.  Asking your current donors to introduce their friends to the ministry – without pressure, is how you can grow the list of caring donors.

7.  Pray before you send anything.  This might seem odd to be the last on the list, but it gets left out too easily.  Let’s remember that this is God's ministry.  We want Him to be glorified, and His reputation to be enhanced.  We also want His provision, leading and presence as we share what He is doing.

Staying in front of a large group of people, asking God to motivate them, inviting them to participate, thanking them often, getting them to promote you to their friends, and asking God to bring you His results.  Now that’s better then asking for charity any day.