Make it Transformational: A Blog for Champion Discipleship

With the MIF Webinar, entitled “Transforming Your Donor Database: From Data File to Champion Scrapbook”, fast approaching on April 7th, I wanted to help clarify the real focus and subsequent benefit of this training.  It’s in the title, but if you’re not looking, you’re going to miss it.

Do you know what a Champion Scrapbook looks like?  Maybe lots of photos of your kids winning soccer and Little League playoffs.  With some description under each picture of what game it was, who they were playing, the date and the outcome of the game.  More likely, since you know we refer to our donors and volunteers as champions, and this is, afterall, a blog on Transformational Giving, you understand that a Champion Scrapbook must have something to do with those championing our causes and would include events and activities, even photos, that represent their involvement in the cause.

Because you keep all your champion information in a database on your computer, rather than in a scrapbook, you are likely to understand that we are referring to tracking champion activity in your database, along with the traditional giving records.

So, why would we be teaching you the importance of tracking champion activity in your database?

The goal of a database is not to maximize your revenue, but to effectively disciple the donors God has given you to steward.  Which is why we’re going to start looking for and capturing transformational data.  Transformational data is the record of any significant and lasting transformational event in the life of your champion that is related to your cause.  Transformational data leads to transformational relationships.

It is important to note that transactional data is actually a part of transformational data.  This information is going to be a necessary part of effectively discipling donors to reach the full stature of Christ with regard to your cause.  Giving is a key part of this spiritual maturity.

In order to learn more about transforming your database, be sure to listen in on April 7th.  Click here to register you and your entire team.  We look forward to having you join us.

As I opened my refrigerator door the other day there was something that jumped out at me as if I had never seen it before. No, it wasn’t the gallon container of milk, the tub of sour cream, the egg carton or the five new flavors of yogurt my wife had just purchased…..what jumped out at me was that each one, and many other items, all had expiration dates on them.

Each of these products is beneficial as long as they are utilized. And, if by chance, I would fail to acknowledge there was an expiration date on any one of these, I would soon know their worth was no longer any good by the many other external factors that can take place. Go ahead…take a moment to visualize that grayish green color fuzzy thing with that strong musty smell that only mold can produce..I didn’t think you wanted to go there!

You see, for me these things are motivators. These motivate me to engage and put to good use each item before it might spoil and have no value. At times I will drink another cup of milk, or have the extra egg, because I would never want to be viewed as a bad steward of those things God has allowed me to posses.

Yet as I sit here and ponder how I care for my stuff, I am saddened to think that there are things that are much more valuable that God has entrusted to me to care for which are not things at all but are people. These individuals who I may not have seen as helpful, who I may have failed to connect with, engage or disciple as I should have, are of great value…they're priceless. Yet somehow I seem to continually leave them on the shelf and don’t allow them to be useful for the purpose that they were created.

It is up to me to engage those people God has allowed to come into my life. I should never expect them to take the initiative, and jump in front of my face and say, “use me!” But, that I need to set up some motivators that remind me to engage those people God has entrusted to me.

At Mission Increase Foundation we refer often to our “Ten Principles of Transformational Giving” which are the very core of all we teach and coach. But what these really are for each of us are motivators which remind us that God is the one who has sent these individuals to us. I have found that Transformational Giving Principle Six is a core motivator for me where it states, “The champion, not the organization, is called to be the primary means of advancing the cause within the champion’s sphere of influence. So, if I am going to have greater impact for the cause I care so much about, I must connect with those God sent champions and allow them to be active as long as they are able.

No I don’t plan on printing numbers on the foreheads of my friends, and I wouldn’t think God would appreciate me trying to estimate how long my relationships with others may or may not last. But what I do think God would appreciate, and feel was honoring to Him, was that I prayerfully consider how I ought to connect with each of these that He has allowed to come into my life.

My challenge for us today would be that as we seek God's direction for our lives that He would show us some of those who have connected with us that we have failed to engage. And that those faces would remain in our minds and be used as a motivator until we would not only have a conversation with them, but that we would engage them for that purpose which God has so graciously equipped them.

‘Volunteers Give More.’ 

If you’re like me, you saw this simple heading in the January 14, 2010 Chronicle of Philanthropy and thought ‘No big surprise here.’   The single paragraph that followed, however, packed a mean punch. 

You see, the paragraph mentions just one key finding from a recent study on volunteering conducted by Harris Interactive for the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund: Americans who volunteer their time and talent to nonprofit organizations donate 10 times more on average – yes, 10 times more! – than those who don’t volunteer. 

This nugget left me wanting more so I did a quick internet search which led me to the complete findings of the study.  Here’s what really got my attention (and maybe you??):

‘The study found that the average amount of money donated to non-profits by Americans who have volunteered in the past 12 months is $2,593 annually, more than 10 times the average $230 donated by Americans who have never had a volunteering experience.’

Other findings from the study caught my attention – and surfaced some related questions you may want to consider if you are involved in any way with growing and sustaining a nonprofit organization:

·         Seven in 10 (72%) say supporting a cause they care about is among their top reasons to volunteer 
Are you communicating the cause and/or vision of your ministry in a simple, inspiring way such that your champions – and those who know nothing about you or your work – want to learn more?

·        Two-thirds (67%) of Americans who have volunteered in the past 12 months say they generally make their financial donations to the same organizations where they volunteer 
Are you coaching and challenging your volunteers to give of their treasure – in addition to their time?  Hint: If your organization separates ‘donors’ and ‘volunteers’ into two distinct groups for purposes of communication, you have identified a problem to address. 

·         Two-thirds (66%) believe "true philanthropy" includes the giving of both time and money

Do you have a variety of meaningful opportunities for transformation in different areas – such as serving, learning, spreading, or mentoring - which represent different levels of involvement to offer your champions?  If you’re a follower of transformational giving, there’s no time for delay in the creation of your organizational PEO grid! 

·         Almost one-third (31%) of the respondents say they are more likely to volunteer time given the recent economic downturn

Do you have a Signature Participation Project in place?  This is a ‘come and see’ project for newcomers that, ideally, is unique to your ministry.  It is intentionally designed with specific characteristics to leave them wanting to learn more about your cause.  Could you invite several champions to spearhead the planning for such a project?

·         Almost half (47%) of those surveyed say volunteers today are more motivated by what they get from the experience than by what they can do for others

Have you taken the time to get to know your volunteers on a personal level?  What are their passions?  Their skills?   What do they want to learn or experience by volunteering?  Get to know something about the person before you assume s/he can – or wants - to tackle the 3 or 4 critical things on your To-Do list. It could make the difference between a long-term volunteer or a one-shot wonder.

What about you?  Are there other key findings in this study that catch your attention?  Do they surface any relevant questions about how your ministry – and other ministries – might engage its champions??    

A thought occurred to me today: despite the reality that those of us involved in fundraising are intimately connected with money, we are all too often afraid or unwilling to speak the word money. We treat the word money with fear and disdain. We use all manner of illusion and simile to avoid the word money. We say things like funds, resources, and assets; we ask for financial participation, contributions, and generous gifts. Can we just get over it?

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Over 4.7 million search results came up when I Googled "nonprofit collaboration."  Think people are talking about it??  You bet!  I saw titles like "Finding the right fit" and "A practical approach to collaboration" and even this "Collaboration: every nonprofit should be doing it"!  Although I don't know what any of these writers' takes are on collaboration, I'm going to go ahead and put my hat in the ring for collaboration as well, but I best share why I do lest I get lumped in with someone...

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