And that line began the best 2011 giving receipt I have received.  Let’s absorb it again: You are one shrewd investor.
How can a giver not be drawn in by that one line that stands alone at the top of page? Five words that explode with [...]

Getting ready to head to breakfast.  Not just a restaurant, but an experience that results from a delightfully choreographed dance of relationships.
And the church can learn much from this marketplace illustration.
If a church would engage givers the way this place engages its suppliers, the giving [...]

Really? December 2012 in January now?  Yes, really.
We know you will make the annual December push and communication. Most end of year giving communication looks and feels rushed with the potential giver feeling presumed upon.
Take these steps to forge memorable and effective December 2012 annual [...]

When engaging with a church, I almost always give on line and in the service. Nothing like first-hand experience to feel the process through the reality of being an actual giver.
Anyone surprised that there is a mishmash between what the church thinks the giver experiences [...]

With some, no great, reluctance Rock has agreed to let us on the inside of the world of high capacity giver.
A high capacity giver thinks and acts so differently than what church leaders believe.  In trying to help church leaders understand the gap between how [...]

Knowing that the standard, church default contribution letter decreases giver connection rather than builds loyalty, here is an example of an annual statement cover letter.
Dear Brad and Lisa,
What a year we have experienced together at Clear Creek!
Could we have imagined God’s work in just 365 [...]

Sometimes sitting in church, if the angles are just right, you can watch a person and get a glimpse of their personal world.  With the sloped seating in the room with 2000+ and no one blocking my direct view, a couple gave me a picture [...]

The annual giving statement represents an incredible moment to inspire and inform.
Page 2, the secondary giving report, does the informing. Let’s craft an inspirational cover letter that will weave deeper connection to your givers.
The Tools

Church letterhead
Church envelope with first name and address printed directly on [...]

Annual giving statements build healthy relationship or reinforce a passive nonchalance for a giver. In our series on annual giving statements we move from the why of investing in quality statements to what typical elements waste a giver’s time.  A giving household receives the required [...]

Treasurers and business administrators are gearing up.  Toner cartridges are at the ready. Staff are trying to crack the code of how to run the statements. And givers will be just as under-whelmed with their church annual giving statement again this year.
How can church leaders [...]