The start of a new year is when people are driven and willing to sit down and look at what’s working and what needs to be reworked.
A clean slate is more than just exciting – it’s a prime opportunity to clarify who your organization is and what it stands for, allowing for disciplined planning.
Know your numbers using a yearly scorecard.
Keep in mind that giving is a trailing indicator. Your total giving usually answers to some other disciplines you’ve been applying.
At least once a year, quarterly, hit the pause button. Go back and look at these trailing numbers to see what they are telling you.
You can track dozens of numbers as a leader at any given time. However, the numbers every leader needs to be monitoring are what my team and I call the “roll out of bed in the middle of the night” numbers. In other words, if I called you in the middle of the night and woke you up, you could spout off these numbers.
- Total Giving
I mean this, literally. Find and know your organization’s total giving.
- Long-term Giving Commitments
How many pledges do you have in place? This number will always be in flux, for people will be moving on and off the list as people fulfill their commitments and new people are challenged. We believe when this list is growing, it’s an indicator of a healthy organization.
- Monthly Commitments
These amounts may be smaller than the long-term giving commitments, but this is a critical number to track for organizations responsible for raising 100% of their funding.
Two other figures worth closely eyeing are total donors and donors retained, with a final group being donors regained.
- Donors Retained
Get out your list of donors from the past year and track throughout the year who gives in this calendar year.
Of course, it’s early in the year, so there won’t be many to check off, but continue to check and track. We believe that every ministry organization should be able to retain 100% of their donors every year.
- Donors Regained
These are donors who have stopped giving for whatever reason. The question becomes, why? It could be due to economic reasons within their circumstances, but it might be a matter of whether we are thanking them well enough or reporting to them. What can be done to reverse the decrease in giving?
Knowing these five figures and tracking their trends in your organization’s finances, relationships, and communications regularly will be illuminating.
A year of possibility lies ahead. Move forward with purpose and take hold of your organization’s potential. Report back and let us know how this message helps your organization.