In the PEO spectrum of Transformational Giving, most ministries choke a little in thinking of the ownership. Some hate to think of the champion owning. We equate ownership with decision making and control and so we squirm at the idea.
First of all we need to get our need for control under control. God needs to be THE Owner, so perhaps we exercise too much control and the 'non-professional' feels devalued in our ministry. If control equals ownership then we need some redefining.
Transformational Giving does not go well for control freaks (whether the control freak is the ministry leadership or the champion.) You see transformation worries little about who gets credit or who wins the debate. So the word, 'ownership' in a transformational setting need not make us nervous. Rather it can open us up to be more collaborative with our champion base while at the same time not giving everyone who gives a vote on what this year's budget should look like.
Rather ownership can be the guide for our transformational giving and lifestyle. Ever watch a football game? See all the fans with the same color shirt on when the stadium looks all red, or blue or whatever color. The fans all dressed in the same color and dyed hair and painted faces are owners. Ever hear these fans talk about their favorite team. The say things like, "our guys" and "my players". Do the owners get worried about control when 'Joe fan' says, "MY team". Not at all. That is what they want. They want that fan involved and not just a spectator. They want them yelling and making noise and being an influence.
The owners are excited about the ministry. They influence others to get on ‘our team’. They get others excited to part of something big. Give us owners of The Cause!!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Help Get a Champion Started
Getting started can sometimes be the hardest part. After all once an object is in motion is it easier to keep it going. A big question for funding today is getting the ‘bodies at rest’ in motion. How do we get the person who is not even at the Participation level to get going?
With all the fears today about money and budgets, small steps can become a helpful way for new givers to see that their faith in God is not misplaced. However the small step in giving must be linked to relationship or discipleship if it is to help the champion move from getting involved to staying involved.
The other day I met with three young men who have a burden to be part of the solution. One mentioned he has always had a burden for missions and has supported missions. However he is not at a point that he can give funds regularly. (Unfortunately many ministries make the champion feel if they cannot give regularly they are not ‘on board’. This is unintentional but it tends to happen.) So he did what we want every champion to do…he found others ways than just dollars to give. He created a website with a vision to help others like him to start a pattern of giving.
Here is a part of his story… A missionary was visiting him once and mentioned that one of his methods of evangelizing was buying guys coffee and talking faith. So the champion said, I could help pay for one of these coffee meetings. The missionary said this would be a huge help and from this small idea the champion was being part of evangelism on the other side of the world. Then this got him thinking, what about the others from my generation who could help in similar fashion. So a website was born.
http://www.forafriend.com/ is a website for the champion to get started. They can pledge a gift, like a cup of coffee, a DVD, a Bible etc. Then from this site the champion hears back from the ministry telling them when the gift was used. Also the site gives the champion opportunity to drop the ministry emails and encouragement. It has the tools built in it for transformational giving. In other words, the gift can become an opening for discipling the champion to greater things in the Cause.
With all the fears today about money and budgets, small steps can become a helpful way for new givers to see that their faith in God is not misplaced. However the small step in giving must be linked to relationship or discipleship if it is to help the champion move from getting involved to staying involved.
The other day I met with three young men who have a burden to be part of the solution. One mentioned he has always had a burden for missions and has supported missions. However he is not at a point that he can give funds regularly. (Unfortunately many ministries make the champion feel if they cannot give regularly they are not ‘on board’. This is unintentional but it tends to happen.) So he did what we want every champion to do…he found others ways than just dollars to give. He created a website with a vision to help others like him to start a pattern of giving.
Here is a part of his story… A missionary was visiting him once and mentioned that one of his methods of evangelizing was buying guys coffee and talking faith. So the champion said, I could help pay for one of these coffee meetings. The missionary said this would be a huge help and from this small idea the champion was being part of evangelism on the other side of the world. Then this got him thinking, what about the others from my generation who could help in similar fashion. So a website was born.
http://www.forafriend.com/ is a website for the champion to get started. They can pledge a gift, like a cup of coffee, a DVD, a Bible etc. Then from this site the champion hears back from the ministry telling them when the gift was used. Also the site gives the champion opportunity to drop the ministry emails and encouragement. It has the tools built in it for transformational giving. In other words, the gift can become an opening for discipling the champion to greater things in the Cause.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
One Size Does NOT Fit All
The last three post we did a flyby of the three levels we can disciple donors/champions in the cause. We have champions who are at the Participation level, Engagement level and Owner level. Now as we think of the champions in these levels of their journey, we begin to see that our communication cannot afford to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Think about the champion who is an owner of the work. They assist in funding, they rally people for prayer and even get others to go on a team or volunteer. Now think of the newest members of your support team. They are just learning the ropes of what is means to be mission active. The idea of being involved on a regular basis is still churning in their mind. Should these two types of champions receive the same communication? Not if the communication is speaking into their need not your need.
TG is about the need of the team member and equipping them for the journey. Most champions are in one of these three levels of activity. The time has come to write communication in at least two, if not three different ways. One letter needs to target the “P” level champion with challenges for them. The second letter could be a letter combined to target the “E” and “O” level champions. This letter is more involved and shares deeper aspects of the ministry and how the champion can continue to be an impact.
Each communication needs to incorporate a challenge. Certainly the challenge to the “E’s” and “O’s” would be different from the challenge to the “P’s”. A good starting point to move your fund-raising into a transformational giving focus is to divide your champions according to their level of activity and then target your communication accordingly. This then reflects the champions need and where they may be in their journey. Now you become a part of their growth in the team and thus we see the discipleship of giving impacted.
The days of one mass newsletter to all level champions, ie. one size fits all, needs to be a strategy of the past.
Think about the champion who is an owner of the work. They assist in funding, they rally people for prayer and even get others to go on a team or volunteer. Now think of the newest members of your support team. They are just learning the ropes of what is means to be mission active. The idea of being involved on a regular basis is still churning in their mind. Should these two types of champions receive the same communication? Not if the communication is speaking into their need not your need.
TG is about the need of the team member and equipping them for the journey. Most champions are in one of these three levels of activity. The time has come to write communication in at least two, if not three different ways. One letter needs to target the “P” level champion with challenges for them. The second letter could be a letter combined to target the “E” and “O” level champions. This letter is more involved and shares deeper aspects of the ministry and how the champion can continue to be an impact.
Each communication needs to incorporate a challenge. Certainly the challenge to the “E’s” and “O’s” would be different from the challenge to the “P’s”. A good starting point to move your fund-raising into a transformational giving focus is to divide your champions according to their level of activity and then target your communication accordingly. This then reflects the champions need and where they may be in their journey. Now you become a part of their growth in the team and thus we see the discipleship of giving impacted.
The days of one mass newsletter to all level champions, ie. one size fits all, needs to be a strategy of the past.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Moving Forward - Part 3 of 3
This is the final stage in moving champions forward. We have identified two levels already: Participate, and Engaged. This step is the Ownership level or the “O”.
To disciple a champion to this level it is the process of helping the champion become the owner of mobilizing others for the cause within their sphere of influence.
A champion is an owner when the following happen:
• Transfer cause to others
• Provide tools for others in working in the cause
• Reproducing yourself in others ie. Getting non active Christians to participate.
• This is a transfer of cause, not legal transfer
The moving forward is not linear movement. Rather it is circular in that the Owner brings in others to the Participant level of the cause and as they move deeper the cycle reproduces itself and the cause grows.
The Owner no longer waits on the agency or institution to move them forward. They move themselves and take the responsibility to move others in their sphere of influence. Reproducing becomes key at this level. Thus making empowerment one of your major tools in the journey you have with the “O’s”.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Moving Forward - Part 2
The blog post from August 31 spoke about moving champions forward in their spiritual journey. Giving is part of this journey and we are looking at three parts of moving forward in the discipleship journey.
Today we move from the PARTICIPANT level to the ENGAGED or “E” level.
Here is an overview of the “E” level
• Effort goes beyond short-term project
• Work grows from short-term to long-term commitment
• Awareness gets beyond event focus and becomes cause focused
Here are some examples of moving from “P” to “E”.
• One time giver sees the need to be a recurring giver.
• Children’s Sunday school teacher sees the role she plays in the youth ministry and parents’ lives, in fact the teacher sees the role in the life of the Church not just the kids.
• A work team member who may support and assist in completing one project then gets the ‘aha’ moment and asks, “What’s next?”
Moving from “P” to “E” is really that ‘aha moment’ when we see the big cause and the regular activity required to move the cause forward. An institution without champions involved at the “E” level may potentially always be in ‘crisis’ mode. Meaning you could always be giving desperate appeals to the onetime donors to do it again, or always pleading for volunteers to help one more time.
The “E’s” get it. They realize the need for long-term giving and service. They see that it is their spiritual role not to be part-time players but to join the cause to see His Kingdom move forward.
But let’s keep in mind principle # 9 in Transformational Giving. Principle #9 is “Giving is learned not latent”. This is also true for champions moving forward. The one time giver or short-term volunteer may not see the need to do more without being discipled. For example many folks go on one mission trip and think they have met their ‘quota’ for the Great Commission. So a role your institution needs to take is developing a strategy to help the “P” see the need to grow in their journey. This needs to be intentional on your part. What are things can you do to help the “P” get the big picture and become an “E”? Most won’t make this move without help.
Today we move from the PARTICIPANT level to the ENGAGED or “E” level.
Here is an overview of the “E” level
• Effort goes beyond short-term project
• Work grows from short-term to long-term commitment
• Awareness gets beyond event focus and becomes cause focused
Here are some examples of moving from “P” to “E”.
• One time giver sees the need to be a recurring giver.
• Children’s Sunday school teacher sees the role she plays in the youth ministry and parents’ lives, in fact the teacher sees the role in the life of the Church not just the kids.
• A work team member who may support and assist in completing one project then gets the ‘aha’ moment and asks, “What’s next?”
Moving from “P” to “E” is really that ‘aha moment’ when we see the big cause and the regular activity required to move the cause forward. An institution without champions involved at the “E” level may potentially always be in ‘crisis’ mode. Meaning you could always be giving desperate appeals to the onetime donors to do it again, or always pleading for volunteers to help one more time.
The “E’s” get it. They realize the need for long-term giving and service. They see that it is their spiritual role not to be part-time players but to join the cause to see His Kingdom move forward.
But let’s keep in mind principle # 9 in Transformational Giving. Principle #9 is “Giving is learned not latent”. This is also true for champions moving forward. The one time giver or short-term volunteer may not see the need to do more without being discipled. For example many folks go on one mission trip and think they have met their ‘quota’ for the Great Commission. So a role your institution needs to take is developing a strategy to help the “P” see the need to grow in their journey. This needs to be intentional on your part. What are things can you do to help the “P” get the big picture and become an “E”? Most won’t make this move without help.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Moving Forward
We see that Transformational Giving has a discipleship element to it as the giver grows in her relationship to God. Any move of obedience deepens our walk with Christ, giving does this as well.
In TG we see there is progression in this discipleship journey. In the next few posts we will touch on a possible way for the institution to track and strategize with the giver to actually disciple him in giving.
For those who are regular readers of Eric Foley’s blog these next few posts may be review.
At WGM we define the movement of the giver, or champion as we call them, in three stages. The first stage is what is called a PARTICIPANT, or simply “P” level. This is the champion who usually works with you at the follow level:
- Project level
- Short term
- High touch/High yield
- Understandable without knowing you or the agency.
An example is the Christmas Shoebox Project you may do at Christmas. My church does these and the large majority do not even know that Samaritans’ Purse is behind this. It is a single project that is very short-term. It is easy to do with high involvement from the champion.
Another example may be a mission agency’s work team member. They go do a project. It is short-term, maybe two weeks. The project is very high touch and high yield as well. And a team member can go to a mission field and help missionaries without really knowing much about the agency they work with.
Every ministry needs “P” level activities to engage champions. Everybody has a role they can play and the “P” level activities are great levels to get involvement. TG will not happen without involvement that goes beyond check writing.
Perhaps a good exercise is to identify the “P” activities you offer the champion.
In TG we see there is progression in this discipleship journey. In the next few posts we will touch on a possible way for the institution to track and strategize with the giver to actually disciple him in giving.
For those who are regular readers of Eric Foley’s blog these next few posts may be review.
At WGM we define the movement of the giver, or champion as we call them, in three stages. The first stage is what is called a PARTICIPANT, or simply “P” level. This is the champion who usually works with you at the follow level:
- Project level
- Short term
- High touch/High yield
- Understandable without knowing you or the agency.
An example is the Christmas Shoebox Project you may do at Christmas. My church does these and the large majority do not even know that Samaritans’ Purse is behind this. It is a single project that is very short-term. It is easy to do with high involvement from the champion.
Another example may be a mission agency’s work team member. They go do a project. It is short-term, maybe two weeks. The project is very high touch and high yield as well. And a team member can go to a mission field and help missionaries without really knowing much about the agency they work with.
Every ministry needs “P” level activities to engage champions. Everybody has a role they can play and the “P” level activities are great levels to get involvement. TG will not happen without involvement that goes beyond check writing.
Perhaps a good exercise is to identify the “P” activities you offer the champion.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Practice what we preach?
As those who work with helping mobilize the Church to give, we must always be willing to practice what we preach. Are we givers? Are we good stewards? These questions need to be answered and not just personally, but as a local church, mission agency, relief agency etc. In other words, are the instiutions we serve good stewards and givers.
Do we give back or are we always receiving? Does your church give to missions, local groups whatever? Does your agency give to help others, or is it all just receiving?
Hear what Ravi Zacharias says in his book, The Grand Weaver. He has a small but power section on giving in the chapter titled Your Worship Matters (pgs 148-149). But this one quote from that section needs to be heard by all who raise funds.
We should not teach Transformational Giving if we are not helping our ministry lead the way in giving. Zacharias is right about more and more spending weakens our message. The Church spends far too much on itself before addressing the needs around us. The good news is, every time I hear a testimony that reflects a body of believers who does not fall into this category, I see a thriving outreach for God.
It would be a blessing for us to hear more testimonies of institutions and churches who lead the way in giving. If you have one, by all means post it here for the readers.
Do we give back or are we always receiving? Does your church give to missions, local groups whatever? Does your agency give to help others, or is it all just receiving?
Hear what Ravi Zacharias says in his book, The Grand Weaver. He has a small but power section on giving in the chapter titled Your Worship Matters (pgs 148-149). But this one quote from that section needs to be heard by all who raise funds.
“Spending more and more on ourselves and giving less and less to the world in need may be the very reason few take our mission seriously.”
We should not teach Transformational Giving if we are not helping our ministry lead the way in giving. Zacharias is right about more and more spending weakens our message. The Church spends far too much on itself before addressing the needs around us. The good news is, every time I hear a testimony that reflects a body of believers who does not fall into this category, I see a thriving outreach for God.
It would be a blessing for us to hear more testimonies of institutions and churches who lead the way in giving. If you have one, by all means post it here for the readers.
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