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Steier Tips

Dec 06 2016

Capital campaign donor recognition is key to fundraising success

By Steier Tips

What donor wouldn’t want his or her name on a building? Capital campaign donor recognition levels are key to fundraising success. There are many ways to recognize a donor, from the simple, like thank you notes, to the complex, like naming opportunities. Done correctly, a donor recognition program can help you dramatically increase the funds raised during your capital campaign. Because of a successful naming opportunity, a recent Steier Group client was able to secure the first of many $1 million dollar gifts. The right opportunity presented to the right donor can build a meaningful, long-term relationship that is mutually…

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Nov 01 2016

Five key steps to launching a planned giving program

By Steier Tips

According to the Center on Philanthropy, donors that make planned gifts also increase their current giving. Planned giving provides short- and long-term benefits to your organization. Starting a planned giving program is a vital step in securing a strong financial future for your organization. Here are five key steps to beginning your planned giving program: Educate your constituents: Between half and two-thirds of Americans do not have an estate plan in place. Encouraging your donors to sit down and map out a plan is good advice for any family and presents an opportunity for your organization to receive a planned…

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Oct 04 2016

Proper planning yields successful capital campaigns

By Steier Tips

In a major fundraising effort, you will face a number of difficult questions and decisions. None may be bigger than this: Where do we begin? Simply put, the planning stages of successful capital campaigns can begin long before your initial call to the Steier Group. We want to be part of your planning process, but we also know we do our best work when we partner with you at the right time. That “right time” for your organization usually means after you have accomplished some, if not all, of the following: Strategic plan: Putting together a strategic plan allows you…

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Sep 01 2016

Raising mission awareness, ministry and money through capital campaigns

By Steier Tips

Fundraising beyond your organization’s yearly events can be intimidating. Building a new worship space, strengthening an endowment for tuition assistance or reducing debt require extraordinary efforts. You can’t just pass the plate a second time. The idea of a capital campaign is often seen as a major chore; something that you have to do, but don’t want to do. It shouldn’t be that way. Capital campaigns offer a great opportunity to accomplish much more than raising money. When done correctly, campaigns build a sense of community in your donors, sharpen the work you’re already doing and serve as a launching…

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Aug 04 2016

Maximize capital campaign giving with matching gifts

By Steier Tips

What if I told you that I could increase your fundraising by 10 percent, with very little effort? According to HEP Data, nearly one in 10 donors works for a company with a matching gift program. The trouble is that most donors don’t know it’s an option. For nonprofits and donors alike, the process of cultivating a matching gift can be a little mystifying, as the policies and paperwork vary from company to company. Taking advantage of matching gifts requires some strategy. Here’s how you can maximize employer matches and start multiplying gifts: Create awareness. The donor needs to close…

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Jul 07 2016

Engage donors by telling your organization’s story

By Steier Tips

Dr. Seuss could tell a story. So can Stephen King. For me, Harper Lee remains at the top of my list of storytellers. I read “To Kill a Mockingbird” while in junior high school, and the story she told about racism still resonates more than 35 years later. Sharing a story can send a powerful message. Stories put social issues in perspective and give readers a call to action. Stories about overcoming tragedy inspire us. Some stories even make us laugh. Religious and other nonprofit organizations have strong stories to tell. They resonate because, most often, these stories are about…

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Jun 02 2016

Plan for the unplanned when creating a capital campaign strategy

By Steier Tips

The whistle blows and it’s halftime. The sideline reporter asks the coach headed to the locker room, “What adjustments do you need to make in the second half?” This same question applies when evaluating the progress of your capital campaign. The ability to adapt to changing circumstances can mean the difference between falling short or getting past the goal line. A CUSTOMIZED GAME PLAN There are foundational strategies that must be included in any game plan. Those include a well-thought-out case for support, a strong leadership team, an inside-out fundraising strategy and communications targeting your key audiences. HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS “However…

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May 03 2016

Tiered capital campaign goals lead to success

By Steier Tips

Everyone wants to associate with a winner. Whether rooting for a championship sports team or working on a successful capital campaign, people want to invest time and energy and make sacrifices for a champion. To ensure your organization is primed for success, make sure to conduct a campaign planning study prior to conducting a major fundraising effort. This allows your organization to set attainable capital campaign goals and come out a winner. But what happens when organizations are faced with projections that won’t allow them to meet all their needs? The key to success is setting a series of tiered…

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Apr 05 2016

An appointed time for everything: Engaging the liturgical year in capital campaign fundraising

By Steier Tips

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) We all operate under the cyclic rhythm and pace of seasons and events important to us and our organizations. Just as our annual calendar moves through the four seasons, so too we live by other markers of time: academic calendars, fiscal calendars, tax season and more. The many Catholic clients we serve live by the liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent and Easter. In addition, our communities celebrate special events yearly, from remembering the anniversary of a founding or…

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Mar 01 2016

The top five fears of development directors

By Steier Tips

Launching a campaign can seem daunting. Through the years, we’ve faced plenty of challenges that have the potential to derail campaigns and haunt development directors. Here are some of the top fears of development directors and how to overcome each: A Bad Donor Database: You don’t want to go to a cupboard you think is stocked only to find nothing on the shelves. Donors come and go, so your database must be equally fluid. An outdated donor database wreaks havoc on a campaign. When there is no list of potential donors and no giving history, it makes accurate donor evaluation…

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