Last weekend, football teams across America, from the Peewee ranks to the NFL, had players at the start of the fourth quarter raise their hands extending four fingers. Why? It’s a reminder to their team that games are won and lost during the fourth quarter. It’s a symbol asking everyone...
When it comes to future planning for your church, how far out do you think/dream? That question came to me last week as I sat outside on my patio. It was a Friday, and I had some downtime to think. It had been a busy week, and I need to...
Americans are giving to charity at lowest level in nearly 3 decades. That was the headline of a post that I clicked on recently. The article, posted by Axios, summed up the decline by saying, “Americans gave 1.7% of their personal disposable income to charity in 2022, the lowest level...
The Changing World of Giving is the title of this week’s Coach. The following is drawn from a recent Lifeway Research report and from a post I filed for my sponsor, OnlineGiving.org. As we prepare for end-of-year giving, I want to focus on how people are giving and what you...
It’s September, and I am starting to get emails about end-of-year planning. Those emails are coming from non-profits. Non-profit organizations (NPOs) understand that: 30% of annual giving occurs in December. 10% of annual giving occurs on the last 3 days of the year. Churches can see similar results if they start planning now....
Generosity is not caught, it is taught. Yet many pastors act as if their members will eventually “get it.” I was one of those pastors early on in my career. I seldom, if ever, preached on giving. When I realized that Jesus taught more about finances than any other subject,...
What Does a Capital Campaign Consultant Actually Do? That was the subject line of an email I recently received from a non-profit fundraising consultant. The email began by saying, “Have you ever wondered what all these capital campaign consultants actually do? Is what they do all "smoke and mirrors," or do...
Build, renovate, or repurpose the facilities you need and pay off any debt quickly. That has been my advice for the last few years. I thought about that last Sunday night as I attended a Leadership Summit at the church my wife and I attend. Our Executive Pastor announced plans...
What are some of the top mistakes that churches make when it comes to stewardship? Are you guilty of any of them? I asked those questions at the start of my 2012 book, The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make. Recently I was reviewing my files when I came across my...
“Over 6 million children in the U.S. go hungry. Your gift now will help us eradicate hunger!” Which picture would you attach to the above appeal? Would it matter? A new study by Infinity Concepts | Grey Matter Research entitled RACE & GENDER IN FUNDRAISING: EXPLORING POTENTIAL BIAS AMONG EVANGELICALS gives...
