Make it Transformational: A Blog for Champion Discipleship

The following is a reprint of a post first published on March 23, 2010.

‘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?

This month we’ve been exploring the topic of newsletters in our workshops and the question has come up, “Aren’t printed newsletters a thing of the past?  I mean, come on, we’re in the era of technology now!”

Maybe so, but before you scrap that printed newsletter, let’s consider a few things...

Why do you publish a newsletter in the first place?  Is it to simply get information out in the easiest, most cost effective way?  Certainly these are great reasons to consider moving to just e-newsletters, and If these are the only things that matter to you, by all means stick with it.

Consider though, a grander purpose that God ordained for you when he put you in the position you’re in with your organization.  A position in which He is calling you “to equip His people for works of service” that they may grow in faith and knowledge of Him, progressively growing more mature and looking more and more like Christ (Eph 4:11-13).

If you believe this purpose, then it's crucial to strive for a newsletter that contributes to building up and growing champions of the cause. Now, why might a printed newsletter matter in all this?  Let me share a few reasons why this could be a useful channel of communication (btw, I'm not suggesting that you don't use e-communication - I believe both have an important role):

•      Printed newsletters are easy to use and refer to.  If you have a tool you really want people to USE and REFER to, like a prayer calendar, get it into their hands (don’t expect them to download and print out!)

•      Printed newsletters have a higher perceived value than something we read on the computer and so given more attention.  Let your readers know this is an important tool for them to learn about and respond to the cause.  

•      With printed communication, people connect at a deeper, more emotional level when they’re physically holding it and reading it.  Tangible over virtual communication is much more likely to leave a deeper footprint in the brain (meaning it’s more likely to be remembered).

The question isn’t, should we move everything to e-communications; instead it is, how can we best equip our champions to effectively use the gifts God has given each of us to impact the causes He is calling us to?

Suzanne

If you've been around Mission Increase Foundation for any length of time, you know that we're pretty fond of big ideas. Over the past year we've thought and shared quite a few of them in our local workshops, so I thought it might be nice to condense them into a year-end review post. For all you big picture folks, this one's for you!

Engagement: The Heart of your Development Program

The perilous effects of philanthropic and ministry professionalization and contrasting call to true biblical Koinonia.

Understanding the role of the non-profit as a church renewal movement. 

Big Idea #1: Engagement is about Growth...not of budgets and buildings...but of our champions!

Definition of Engagement - (1) A champion moves from P to E when they acknowledge a mutual accountability relationship (2) with you (individually and corporately) (3) so that they might learn how to effectively use their gifts to bear fruit for the cause. 

Big Idea #2: Engagement is not a "works righteousness" approach, it is a "works sanctification" approach.

Big Idea #3: Engagement is NOT a different kind of activity, or an increase of activity; it's a commitment to coaching champions.

Big Idea #4: Anyone can coach in Engagement by relying on the 3 E's.

Grant Writing - It's a Partnership

Big Idea #1: Foundations are more than sources of funding.

Big Idea #2: TG (Transformational Giving) grant activity is about discerning God's choice of foundation partners to accomplish His purpose.

Big Idea #3: TG & boiler plate proposals don't mix. 

Transformational Databases (Webinar) - From Data File to Donor Scrapbook

Big Idea #1: The goal of your database: Discipleship, not dollars.

When our data doesn't match God's data, our purposes won't match God's purposes!

Big Idea #2: Tran$actional data = Tran$actional relationships; Transformational data = Transformative Relationships

Def of transformation - "Any significant and lasting transition in your life wherein you switch from one substantial perspective or practice to something wholly different that genuinely alters you at a basic level." [George Barna]

Big Idea #3: Don't track anything your donors wouldn't want you to know.

Thanking and Receipting - Moving Beyond Mere Appreciation to Commending and Coaching Champions 

Big idea #1: Thank God only and commend your champions.

Big idea #2: Commendation is the beginning of coaching. 

Big idea #3: Coaching requires preparation. 

Big idea #4: Not every gift should be commended. 

Fundraising Banquets - The Harvest is Still Plentiful 

Big idea #1: Collecting checks is not enough. 

Big idea #2: Banquets are not a one night stand.

Giving Circles  (Webinar) - One of the Most Important Trends in Fundraising You've Never Heard of

Definition of a Giving Circle - A giving circle is a small, informal group of 8?12 individuals who pool their funds together for charitable purposes.  They meet regularly to socialize, determine giving priorities, consider options and make combined charitable gifts.

Big idea #1: Champions will engage in ministry, finding ways around you if necessary. 

Big idea #2: Everything old is new again…

3 D's: Direct Involvement; Disintermediation; Discipleship Need 

Big Idea #3: People will engage directly in ministry; they won’t necessarily do so effectively.

The Board's Greatest Gift - 

Big Idea #1: Three duties of the board: Duty of Care, Loyalty, Obedience...

From which comes the boards Fiduciary responsibility to provide accountability for the organization (both legal and moral) as "owners."

Big Idea #2: Discerning The Role of the Board

Big Idea #3: In Search of a Working Model: Board as Governors

Big Idea #4: The board’s Greatest Gift…to themselves and you as an ED...a set of well done policies.

Big Idea #5: The Board is not Staff - addressing the board’s role in fundraising and strategic planning.

Direct Mail - Roadmap to Riches

Big idea #1: Don’t ask strangers for money.

Big idea #2: Giving is both a response to and vehicle of God’s grace.

Big idea #3: Well-coached (and grace-filled) champions urgently plead to give and get involved when an opportunity arises!

Big idea #4: Biblical DM is cause-focused & dictated by your champions' need.

Question #3: ‘What other ministries are practicing TG and what can we learn from them?’

Answers: You have to listen to the podcast...it was a great one!

That's a lot of big thinking! You can be sure that with the new year will come many new "big ideas." We've been hard at work praying and studying over the past few months in preparation for this year's slate of workshops and we're excited about the things that God is continuing to reveal to us as we study His word. We do hope that you consider joining us for our upcoming workshops! Consider it an invitation to think obediently, think big, and think collaboratively with God and others for our good and the good of our communities.  

I went to Globalrichlist.com and discovered that I’m the 43,497,897 richest person in the world.  Even more specific, I’m in the top 0.72% of the world’s population when it comes to wealth.  By American standards, though, I don't feel rich.  I live a modest life with my wife and three children; I drive a ten year old minivan that recently needed major repairs (thanks, Brake Masters!  I think…); and my family, like yours, is forced to stick tightly to a monthly budget in order to make our life work.

But that's the problem - we look at ourselves "by American standards."  There's a whole other world out there.  The other day I told my son that 93% of people in the world do not have a car.  He responded, "Dad, what are you talking about?  Every family in the world has two cars."  His American standard worldview (even though we only have one car).

Here are some words from Globalrichlist.com… 

Every year [Americans] gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in the world wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash.  But where would you sit on one of those lists?  Here's your chance to find out.  We [Americans] are obsessed with wealth.  But we gauge how rich we are by looking upwards at those who have more than us.  This makes us feel poor.

We [at Globalrichlist] wanted to do something which would help people understand, in real terms, where they stand globally, and make us realize that, in fact, most of us (who are able to view this web page) are in the privileged minority.

We want people to feel rich.  And give some of their extra money to a worthwhile charity.  How do you feel about that?  Richer and ready to give some of your newly found wealth to those who need it most?  It's not hard - just slip your hand in your pocket and pull out something special.  Many people's lives could be happier if you donated just one hour's salary.

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples - OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset - OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone - OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a High Definition TV - OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

I have to be honest, seeing that I'm in the top 0.72% of the world’s population when it comes to wealth has messed me up a little.  I need to give this more thought and figure what God wants me to do in 2011.  I give to my church and to worthy causes - and feel good about it.  At the end of the day, however, I spend the majority of my money (the money that God has blessed me with) on my life.   

Jesus came and lived the most generous life possible, and I believe His followers (of which I am one) are called to live the same way.  What does this mean for us?  After reading this post, please comment.  I would love to hear more from God through you.

Blessings on your 2011!