So, what do we do about this declining number of donors problem? Engage deeper with as many supporters as possible, authentically. 

Here are three things to consider:

1. Host a “thank-a-thon”. Set up your phone center and engage all your staff and volunteers to contact as many supporters as possible. Consider timing it around Valentines’ Day (We love you!), Thanksgiving (We’re thankful for you!), or even National Radio Day (We couldn’t do this without you!). Use it as an opportunity to reach out to them simply to say thank you, tell a super quick story of how God has moved through your ministry, and then pray together. An authentic “thank you”, with no strings attached, goes a very long way. 

Start with the supporters who are least likely to receive a phone call from you. The couple who has been donating to the ministry for 10+ years, the partner who faithfully gives $10 a month, and the one who gave their first gift EVER during the last 12 months. You’ll leave a ton of voice mails but wouldn’t it be GREAT if they call you back to engage with your ministry?!

2. Talk less and listen more. We all love to talk about ourselves, in fact, we are one of our favorite topics. The same is the case for our supporters. Research shows that we remember what we say out loud far more than what we hear someone else say out loud. So, if we want our donors to remember the impact our ministry makes in their lives and in the lives of others, the best way to do that is to get them to say it themselves. 

Here are ten questions you can ask supporters that can help you build that deeper relationship. Lean in, be curious, listen well and see where the conversation goes.

1. Tell me about the first time you started listening to this radio station?
2. What impact has this ministry made on you personally?
3. What made you want to give your first gift to support this ministry?
4. Why do you continue giving?
5. What advice do you have for us as we continue to grow the reach of the ministry to impact more lives?
6. What could we do to serve our listeners better, deeper, and help them have a more vibrant relationship with Jesus?
7. What questions do you have for me about the ministry? About the mission, vision, strategies, goals, future directions, etc… 
8. What kinds of ministries do you support other than ours? What things are you passionate about?
9. When you give to support a ministry, what kind of impact do you want to make?
10. What would make you want to invest more in THIS ministry?

And the bonus #11 – “How is God working and moving in your life right now?”

3. Pray for and with them. Invest time, staff and volunteers into creating and maintaining a robust prayer ministry. Become the place your donors and listeners think of when they have a prayer need. Have someone available on the phone or in person at events to pray with them in the moment. Respond to every emailed, texted, or mailed prayer request and pray for them. Authenticity and integrity matter.

We do not do this ministry alone. We are a family of believers coming together to do what God has called us to do. Treat your donors like family and then watch and see how God uses that partnership to accomplish great things.

The post Revenue first appeared on CMB.

The post Revenue appeared first on CMB.

In order to stay focused on what God says, The Light FM uses a list of principles, based on Scripture, to guide our donor ministry work.

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” Matthew 6:26, NLT

Guiding Principles of Donor Ministry at The Light FM 

1. God’s economy is different than the world’s. 
2. Every act of giving is first and foremost a statement about the faithfulness of God.
3. God invites people to be a part of His work because of His desire to see them grow in Him (spiritual maturity). 
4. Transformational giving is based on the abundance and trustworthiness of God and not a theology of scarcity. 
5. All employees and leaders of the ministry have a dual calling to steward the mission and grow the people God brings. 
6. Personal commitment to the ministry and mission is a key component in building relationships with our partners.
7. It is our responsibility to be in front of our donors to encourage and help facilitate giving which the Holy Spirit is already working out in the donors’ lives.
8. Partners should be treated as individuals; with individual Spirit-led goals, dreams and priorities for their giving, as we seek the Holy Spirit’s leading on how we connect with them.
9. Partners deserve for us to be fully present with them, listening deeply to their “God-stories” and to steward those stories well. 
10. Partners deserve our honesty and transparency in ministry mission, vision, direction, successes, challenges and impact of their giving. 
11. Giving increased time, talent, treasure, and testimony is a result of partners being comprehensively coached on and directly engaged in the mission of the ministry.

(Adapted from the Mission Increase Foundation’s 10 Principles of Transformational Giving https://missionincrease.org/tg-principles/)

The post Revenue – it’s more than… first appeared on CMB.

The post Revenue – it’s more than… appeared first on CMB.