RLCIFOD Ministry
Development Plan 2011-2012
PHILOSOPHY
We seek to employ a highly relational fund-raising philosophy to reflect our regard for
both the people we serve and the donor prospects we anticipate. This philosophy must
be reflected in the RLCIFOD Ministry development plan and strategy, as well as in our
website, e-Newsletters, brochures, mailings, reports, and special events. We will take
each step of this development plan in prayer, with faith in God’s direction and provision.
And, we will create a master calendar detailing due dates for materials and dates of key
meetings.
BUDGET REALITIES AND GOALS
We project a $210,000 operational budget and a program budget of approximately
$100,000.
RLCIFOD Ministry one-time donors
These donors would respond to web-based or Facebook friend solicitations.
Goal: $15,000 from 300 RLCIFOD Ministry partners
Action Steps: We need to focus all social networking initiatives, church talks,
special events, presentations, web and email solicitations, and RLCIFOD Ministry
tours and church conferences on encouraging folks to make just one first gift to
RLCIFOD Ministry.
RLCIFOD Ministry partners
RLCIFOD Ministry partners give monthly gifts of varying amounts, but averaging $40
per month.
Goal: $48,000 from 100 RLCIFOD Ministry partners
Action Steps: We need to encourage all one-time donors to become RLCIFOD
Ministry partners. Create and send a RLCIFOD Ministry partners email blast twice a
year to RLCIFOD Ministry program participants, perhaps using an incentive of a
matching grant from a major donor.
RLCIFOD Ministry partners should receive our e-News and a specially selected
book each year. We should send them two ‘upgrade’ letters per year, starting in the
second year. We may also wish to develop ‘RLCIFOD Ministry advocates’ – folks
who will present RLCIFOD Ministry to three churches and to all their friends during a
reception at their home each year; we would need to provide materials to help them
make these presentations and to sign up folks to become RLCIFOD Ministry
partners. Put simply we need to create the Message, Materials, and directions on
how to create Meetings.
RLCIFOD Ministry major donors
For our purposes, we will define major donors as folks giving $500 or more annually.
Goal: 100 major donors, giving a total of $60,000.
Action Steps: We need to consider anyone within our spheres of influence that
might become a RLCIFOD Ministry major donor. Once, this low hanging fruit is
harvested, we should plan to hold at least five ‘coffees’ in the next year, sponsored
by board members or other major donors. They would invite friends to hear us
speak in their home.
Our major donors should receive our e-News, a specially selected book each year,
and a special personalized letter twice a year. We should plan other coffee
opportunities and face-to-face meetings around our travel schedules, enabling us to
directly connect with 250 prospects to yield 100 donors.
Special Major Donor Category: Business entrepreneurs will likely best understand
the unique nature of the work of RLCIFOD Ministry; Christian Business Associations
and Convene members in many cities are obvious targets for us. We should try to
speak at meetings of these groups and encourage board members to join local
groups.
RLCIFOD Ministry church partners
We need to convert 10 churches from program participants to donors.
Goal: $40,000 in church support from 20 churches.
Actions Steps: Due to the time-consuming nature of these relationships, we are
seeking to touch base directly with only the churches that had the greatest impact
from their use of RLCIFOD Ministry materials.
RLCIFOD Ministry corporate partners
RLCIFOD Ministry should develop four corporate sponsors to support the work by
matching payroll-deducted gifts made by employees.
Goal: 5 companies totaling $50,000 in employee gifts with a company match
Action Steps: Create a video of the company already doing this – to share with
prospects and to post on our website. Create donation system and contact owners.
RLCIFOD Ministry foundation donors
This donor group has three major characteristics: grants of $5000 or more are given;
reports and major funding proposals are required; and often, they use staff
assistance to help them make their grants.
Goal: $60,000 from 4 foundations in the 2010-2011 fiscal year and start
relationships with 3 others.
Actions Steps: Because of current economic challenges, many foundations are not
making grants; furthermore, if they turn down an organization for funding, many
foundations require a 12-month waiting period before they will accept another proposal
from the organization. As a result, it is wise to ‘keep our powder dry’ and wait until we
have the best chance to receive funding. That said, there will likely be several
foundations/corporations with whom we could build strong relationships we can contact
in the near term with grant proposals.
I must say that it usually takes time to start seeing results from foundations, as they
only make decisions a few times a year -- and it takes a while to move up their
docket in order to be considered. Foundations and corporations are extremely
productive funding sources, especially when viewed as long-term prospects.
Year-end appeal letters
We should send a letter to all donors in late November with a follow-up letter around
December 10, requesting a special gift before the end of the calendar year. We
should also arrange for a challenge grant to be presented in a fiscal year end mailing
(to be sent late May), so that we finish the ministry year in the black.
Goal: $37,000 in one-off gifts.
This Development Plan calls for income generation of $310,000 with a 5% surplus over
the expense budget. May God bless these efforts!