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Steier Tips

After nearly a quarter century of helping nonprofits plan, reach and exceed their fundraising goals, we’ve accomplished a lot – and learned a thing or two. Our Steier Tips page features the latest Steier Group fundraising advice from our team of experts, case studies and helpful insight to consider as you plan your next campaign.

Silver linings found in running a capital campaign during a pandemic

By Steier Wire

The pandemic has created new challenges and changed the way Catholic organizations operate and raise money. At the Steier Group, we have seen the silver linings of this “new normal” and are helping our clients not merely survive this crisis but thrive through it. While the fundamentals of a capital campaign remain unchanged, the following are some of the positive developments we’ve experienced while working through the pandemic. RELATIONSHIPS Relationships are the heart of a healthy organization and the lifeblood of fundraising. Stay-at-home orders and physical distancing have forced us all to reimagine how to sustain relationships and how to…

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Signs of hope

By Steier Wire

The global pandemic has brought uncertainly to every aspect of life. For Catholic parishes, concerns over the virus have negatively impacted Mass attendance, ministry participation and ultimately, the operating budget. But the decline in revenue doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a decline in affinity. In fact, many donors are more motivated than ever to help. Major donors repeatedly tell the Steier Group they are continuing to support the organizations that matter most to them. “You need to ask,” said Paul B. Bolus, a philanthropist in Alabama, during the Steier Group’s Donor Diagnosis live web forum. “You need to do it in…

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Four ways to increase your annual giving during the pandemic

By Steier Tips

A physician was once seeing his patient, the principal of his high school alma mater. Asking how the school was doing, the principal shared they were trying to raise money to improve classroom technology. The doctor asked, “How much would that cost?” to which the principal replied, “We think around $50,000.” At the end of the appointment, the doctor offered to write the school a check to cover the full cost. Surprised, the principal asked, “Are you sure?” “My friend,” the doctor replied, “if someone says they want to give you $50,000, don’t ask them if they’re sure. And yes,…

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What to do if your PPP money is running out

By Steier Tips

For many nonprofits, the Paycheck Protection Program provided a much-needed life raft during the early days of the pandemic. Religious organizations have received an estimated $6 billion to $9 billion in COVID relief funds. Catholic dioceses received $1.4 billion. These loans, many of which will be forgiven, have provided urgent relief, saved four million jobs and enabled nonprofits to continue to serve their communities. However, because initial PPP recipients were required to spend their loans within eight weeks, a time period which was later extended to 24 weeks, the funding is quickly running dry for an increasing number of organizations….

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Now’s a great time to conduct a census

By Steier Tips

Remember when you cancelled your landline or got a new email address? Did you call this change into your parish office? Did you alert your church administrator? Likely no. Parishes and congregations are finding out during COVID-19 that membership rosters are ready for a refresh. It may be time to conduct a census. The outcome will be a roster that contains current email addresses, mailing addresses and cell phone numbers for your supporters. You also may discover that some constituents have moved away – and didn’t leave a forwarding address. The result will be a more accurate database. Is it…

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Live forum: Eliminating the Envelope

By Steier Tips

Religious organizations – when faced with plummeting financial support from their members because of COVID-19 – flocked to provide a platform for online giving. What often took parishes and congregations months to convert turned into a transition of days by necessity, Jared Fritz, Pushpay’s marketing manager, told forum participants that focused on “Eliminating the Envelope.” The forum was hosted by the Steier Group. Fritz shared statistics with participants that reinforced the value of providing donors with a platform for online giving: 74% of churches offer some type of online giving. Less than 15 percent donate by using checks. More than…

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Now’s the time to consider a capital campaign

By Steier Tips

The idea of running a planning (feasibility) study or fundraising campaign while society adjusts to life with COVID-19 may seem a bit crazy. But is it? Over the past several months, the Steier Group has seen a significant evolution in thinking about fundraising during this crisis. In March and April of 2020, nonprofits were rightfully hesitant and unsure about how to proceed. Many determined it was best to weather the storm, hoping that as the situation improved, things would return to normal. We all now recognize “normal” has taken on a whole new meaning and, if we don’t adapt, it…

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Live forum: Our return to worship

By Steier Tips

Parishioners applauded when St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Valley, Nebraska, reopened for Mass recently. “They were so happy to be at Mass,” reported Fr. Lloyd Gnirk. They also cheered at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska, added Debbie Marcil, pastoral associate. Fr. Gnirk’s and Marcil’s comments were part of a panel discussion hosted by the Steier Group that centered on the topic: “Welcome Home … Our Return to Worship.” Panelists reported that parishioners were excited to be back at Mass – but the numbers of attendees weren’t what they expected. Fr. TJ Dolce, pastor at St….

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Don’t be afraid to ask major donors for support – they want to help

By Uncategorized

Worried about asking donors for support?  Does the current climate make you hesitant to reach out to supporters for financial support, even though you know your organization needs it? Are you worried that your organization has fallen behind other nonprofits on your donors’ priority list? If these are questions you are having a difficult time answering, consider heeding the advice shared recently in a Steier Group forum. Experts from across the country joined in a video conference to discuss issues facing the fundraising industry. Foundation representatives, business owners and philanthropists agree you cannot allow worldly concerns to stop you from asking…

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Live forum: What are major donors thinking during the COVID-19 crisis?

By Uncategorized

Major donors are the lifeblood of many nonprofit organizations. Will the pandemic and its economic fallout change their focus or level of support? Is it appropriate to ask them for support right now? The Steier Group assembled a panel of major philanthropists and foundation leaders to answer your questions. Watch the discussion here: Ask. Be thoughtful in your request, but ask. This is not the time to stop asking for support, especially when your organization is serving those impacted by COVID-19. And it is not the time to stop asking when your organization is struggling to survive this crisis. This…

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