How Much Time to Spend in Donor Ministry?
Blog originally posted in August 2012
The Stewardship Foundation in the United Kingdom published a survey showing how much time mission workers spent to keep their giving partners informed. How about you? Where would you put yourself in this chart?
Average time spent weekly in donor communication
Comments:
10% spent no time communicating with giving partners! Oops!
20% spent 15-30 minutes per week.
There is no right answer, of course. Scripture doesn’t give us a formula. But don’t we owe our giving partners more than a “tip of our hat” a few minutes each week?
In the past I hesitated to be specific because I didn't want to be legalistic on this question. But that was unhelpful. Now, based on my experience of many years and that of other up-to-budget workers, I suggest 10% of your time going to donor communication—about ½ a day per week.
Let’s remember: It is much easier to retain giving partners than to recruit new ones! Invest in them! I have a few missionary friends who are fully funded, but they rarely make appeals to new donors—they don’t have to. They do such a good job of donor ministry their partners increase their support regularly.
The more you focus on donor ministry, the less pressure you will feel to make new appeals. And donor ministry is MINISTRY! They are on the front lines with you!
Of course, if you are not fully funded, you must implement a funding strategy with a deadline. Talk to your supervisor about your schedule.
The Apostle Paul gave us an example. In Romans 15:24 Paul invites the Romans to support him in his ministry journey to Spain (Greek propempo—“helped on my way by you)”. But then he says, “…when I have first enjoyed your company for a while.” And in verse 27 he adds, …“find refreshing rest in your company.”
Paul was eager to get to Spain, but he had time to “enjoy the company” of his giving partners.
Here are some donor communication ideas:
• Write newsletters (hard or soft copy) once a quarter
• Personal note to individual donors once a year
• Phone donors now and then, ask about their lives
• Email or text ministry updates and thank you’s
• Social media updates
• Date file hygiene—keep donor profiles current
• Meet in person or online “just to say thank you.”
• Save your donors’ Christmas cards, use them in your prayers (usually a photo is enclosed)
Here’s something I have done for many years. If I think of a giving partner upon arising in the morning, I text them right away to say, “I was thinking of you this morning. Doing okay? Grateful for you.” To let them know I am thinking of them.
Okay, what’s your plan for donor ministry? Keep it simple. But it must show up in your weekly schedule—not an afterthought when you run out of money.
