The Right Plan of Action

What is your plan? The best message and tools, while essential, are worthless without a plan of action. Let me lay out my overall strategy for plans for special offerings. The following action plan uses Labor Day weekend as the target giving date. However, the principles here can be adapted to fit any timeframe.

Let’s start by breaking out the difference between a large offering like a capital campaign and a special offering. Smaller offerings or needs take a somewhat different approach. Your giving goal is much different for a special offering, and they do not require as much time and planning as do larger appeals. However, please note that special offerings do require time and attention.

Special offering strategy – Here is an overview of a plan of action for a special offering:

• At least one month out, craft the vision.
• Communicate three weeks out with your leadership. Why? Their gifts will drive the success of your offering! I’ll show you how in the tool section of this playbook.
• Two weeks from the offering, start showing the ministry’s impact on the area of need across all your communication platforms. Show your story!
• One week out, start a more direct appeal through social media. Set it up through your online giving platform. With a 24/7 offering strategy, you can begin the offering any time, not merely on the weekends.
• Two Sundays from the offering, begin announcing the special offering for Labor Day from the platform.
• Send a series of direct mail appeals the week before the special offering and continue through the day after the special offering. Again, I will show how to do this in the tool section of this playbook.
• Take up the offering with boldness! Craft an offering talk in two minutes or less that gives a positive take on the need your offering will meet. The tool section will provide you with a pre-written offering talk for this.
• Thank those who gave to the special offering and update the offering’s results and its impact. Thanking your donors paves the way for the next “ask.”