Is it the right time to raise funds?

After watching the NFL playoffs, I am reminded of why your success is all about timing.  How many times did success or failure of a play depend upon just the right timing?  A ball had to be in the right place at the right time at the right moment.  Players had to be in the right place and the right time at the right moment.  What is true for successful football teams is also true for you when it comes to raising funds.

One of my specialties is helping churches know the right timing for raising funds.  You can have the right plans, the right motivation, the right everything but if your timing is off success will elude you.  Here is a truism…

You must give time to find out the right time to raise funds!

One of the crucial mistakes many church leaders make is assuming everyone is on board with what is being proposed.  Sure, the people around the planning table are all in.  But what about the rest of your leaders?  Are they ready?  Is the congregation?  If they are not ready they will not give.  So,

You must give donors the time to take the journey.  You cannot rush the process and still see success.  One of the most frustrating things for pastors and staff is how long it sometimes takes our members to get on board with what we are proposing.  Yet if you hurry the process you risk the results.  The bigger the “ask” the more time your donors will need to get their arms around what it is you are asking them to do.

Don’t hold a capital campaign without a feasibility study!

 

Feasibility studies take the “think” out of the campaign.  Ever ask a pastor if his leaders are on board only to hear this response, “I think so.”  You “think” so?  Why should something so important, raising mega dollars, be left up to chance?  Why not KNOW before the campaign kicks off what issues you face, what questions must be answered, etc.  That is just one advantage a feasibility study gives you.

“The best intelligence I ever had going into a capital campaign!”  Rev. Shane Bishop Christ Church one of the fastest growing UMC churches in the U.S.

That is what Pastor Shane told me after we completed a feasibility study for him.  The information we gleaned allowed him and his leaders to finely craft their message.  This allowed them to better connect with their members.  It allowed them to launch their campaign at the right time thus ensuring success.

The Pros Use Them!  Non-profits utilize feasibility studies as a standard practice.  Listen to one of the leading non-profit guru’s Gail Perry speak to this issue…

“So why is an outside consultant so important?  Because your donors will feel more comfortable talking “off the record” to her about issues that concern them.  Your consultant will present the feasibility results as sets of data, without identifying who said what. This anonymity gives donors permission to be completely honest, not just about why an organization excites them, but also about any concerns that they have.”

OK, basically she said, “They’ll tell us stuff they would never tell you.”  No offense, but that is basically it.  We can discover what a donor truly feels about that future project.  Donors who are not excited are far less likely to give a significant gift on any level.  A feasibility study will help you know if the time is right or if you need more work before you launch a campaign.

Take time for the important things.  Getting “it” right the first time is crucial towards success.  It builds confidence in your donors that the church can actually accomplish the vision.  Why rush something so important?  My advice is, take the time to do a feasibility study well before you hold your capital campaign.

Remember, it is all about the right timing so give yourself time to find out the right time!  I can help you do that!  Contact me today.

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach