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Skipping Stones | Turning Plans into Action–Part II

by Zach Clark

Smooth, flat rocks thrown at the right angle with a quick wrist flick will hop across the water’s surface rather than quickly sink to the bottom.  It doesn’t take a bodybuilder to accomplish this physics-bending feat; it just takes a patient and practiced handler with good form.  Momentum, once harnessed, is no easy thing to […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: action, Christian leaders, development, donor, leadership, leadership skills, plans, recruiting, reinvention

Momentum Missteps and Mishaps

by Zach Clark

The human brain likes to group. It generalizes. It categorizes. It organizes. The first time you saw an Archie comic at the grocery store checkout line, I doubt the decorative cardstock indicating the cost also defined the comic book for you. My guess is the more you encountered books with recurring characters comprised of drawings […]

Filed Under: Articles, Uncategorized Tagged With: donors, fund, indicators, leadership, ministry, mishaps, missteps, momentum, plan

Stepping Stones | Turning Plans into Action–Part I

by Zach Clark

When done right, your development message is clear. A development message is structured to answer the questions donors always have but don’t always ask:  Why is this important?  What’s the mission?  What values drive all this?  What’s the history?  How did you get here?  What is the plan?  What are the strategic plan steps?  What […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: action, development, donors, goals, intentional, leadership, message, plan, progress, strategy

Grow Better to Escape Trending Troubles

by Zach Clark

It’s time to walk through your talking points, your ministry’s prospect plans, and how to integrate both with the donor journey. What hurdles are your ministry facing that impact giving behaviors? Despite historic success and growth among organizations, asset holders, and generous people, are there ongoing, unusual losses and failures? Is it the continued, far-reaching […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: giving, grow, intentional, leader, leadership, ministry, questions, vision

5 Reasons to Grow

by Zach Clark

You have a plan for growth for your organization.  You have a plan to reach more people this year.  Do you have a plan for how you’re going to grow personally?  We have to have a different point of view than what is often taught or what is common in society about the value of […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, counteraction, development, grow, growth, leadership, leadership skills, measure, mindset, reinvent, responsibilities, tasks, value

Over It? Go Through It.

by Zach Clark

How does one move from overwhelmed to overjoyed? This is a part of the human experience, especially as leaders.  How do we move through these challenges that we face with that sense, sometimes even daily, of being overwhelmed?  And then, how do we come to a place of joy consistently? I want to identify the […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: challenges, Christian leaders, christian leadership, development, development and leadership, leadership, leadership skills, overjoyed, overwhelmed, struggle

Renew or Redo in the New Year

by Zach Clark

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. […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, cleanslate, disciplined, driven, giving, goal, lead, leadership, leadership skills, newyear, organization, plan, profile, vision, willing, work

The Countdown Counts

by Zach Clark

What should you do 60 days (or less) until the end of the giving year? Less than sixty days remain in the calendar year, but who is counting?  Less than sixty days are left to mobilize the giving you need this year. What should you focus on?   Have you thanked your donors?  Have you reported […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, development, end of year, leadership, reporting, thank

Finalize Year-End Giving

by Zach Clark

All the work you do in development from January through September is reflected in the response and activity from givers in October through December. From a development standpoint, there are two pivot points in the year at which you are trying to ask people to make a giving decision. In the first half of the […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, communicate, decision, followup, giving, leadership, leadership skills, personal

Ripple Effect

by Zach Clark

Ever watch the joy and imagination of a young child playing pretend? The promise of potential they feel is palpable.  No matter the chosen storyline, I’m willing to bet one undeniable truth lies underneath it all: I want to change lives.  I would encourage you to get very clear on your vision for a single […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: development, ministry, organization, profile, ripple, vision

The Illusion of Effectiveness

by Zach Clark

My father wisely taught me there are no expenses in development.  There are only investments.   Every dollar and hour spent on development should have a corresponding result and impact on giving.   Why?   You don’t exist to keep people employed in development.   That’s not why you’re there. You’re there to bring others alongside you to support […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, communicate, effectiveness, evaluate, giving, illusion, leadership, leadership skills, strategies

Ask In All Seasons

by Zach Clark

As leaders, we must proactively reach out in specific ways to people willing to give at different times of the year. Many nonprofit organizations use a fiscal year that starts in August or September and finishes the following summer. Some do operate on a budget year, otherwise called a calendar year. This distinction is important […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: action, ask, Christian leaders, christian leadership, effort, followup, leadership, leadership skills

Work Smarter, Not Harder | Limits of Leadership

by Zach Clark

Let me give you a framework to think about using your capacity.  Imagine your junk drawer at home. The larger the junk drawer, the more junk you will find to put in there. Eventually, you will fill it up and go to junk drawer 2.0.  There will always be junk to fill the drawer.  Capacity […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: capacity, christian leadership, development, donors, giving, leadership, maximize, work

Work Smarter, Not Harder | List More, Overthink Less

by Zach Clark

Ideally, you’re in the room with your donors at least once every eighteen months to two years.  You’re touching base. You’re updating. You’re refreshing their memory of your ministry’s vision.  You’re repeatedly moving through the cycle of thanking and reporting.  As your organization’s advancement leader, I encourage you to continually work on your lists so […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: approach, development, donors, leadership, lists, overthink, success

Work Smarter, Not Harder | Maximize Your Calendar’s Potential

by Zach Clark

Picture your calendar. What’s the first thing you see in your mind’s eye? Is it a due date? An upcoming party or birthday celebration? The start of a new semester? Time management research shows that the majority of stress and feelings of overwhelm are due to the next two weeks on a person’s calendar. Knowing […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: calendar, Christian leaders, development, leadership, leadership skills, maximize, resource, work

Where You Go Is Determined by Where You Are

by Zach Clark

If you’re in development, chances are you’ve already racked your brain for the best ways to expand your network.  Look around you. Who do you see? Start there.  For those of you working in schools or ministries with gatherings, it’s sadly common for people to only interact with others they know. If there’s a stranger […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: donors, fundraising, giving, intentional, leadership, leadership skills

Your Ministry Needs YOUnity

by Zach Clark

As leaders, we must work impactfully with individuals and just as effectively with teams. I have compiled practical tips for your interactions through leadership that will grow trust, influence, and results with others, whether a large group or a party of one, ultimately benefiting your ministry. Let’s dive in, first focusing on EIGHT ways to […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christian leaders, hire, lead, leader, leadership, leadership skills, mission, organization, team, Unity

Self-Leadership Isn’t Self-Explanatory

by Zach Clark

Self-leadership is an area of passion and growth that’s hard for me to talk about because I have many regrets about habits and lack of discipline many years ago. I want to be careful, too, because I’m still growing in this as well. The goal is not to be perfect. God is the one doing […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: development, discover, grow, growth, leadership, notes, review, selfleadership, Tools

Start Well to End Well

by Zach Clark

Have you ever planned for a long vacation with your family? Different family members have different takes on what “planning” looks like. Some consider remembering toothpaste to be above and beyond, while another individual who shall remain nameless would label socks if given a chance.  Who do you think everyone goes to on day two […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: character, chemistry, Christian leader, christian leadership, community, competency, development and leadership, hirewell, hiring, hiring tour, identify, leader, leadership, leadership skills

Asked and Answered | Fundraising Events

by Zach Clark

Leaders of communities with diverse backgrounds and economic means must manage the perception that some fundraising activities are being geared only toward those small groups that might be more apt to be able to give financially.   Cultural implications exist in an organization’s community when you do fundraising events. While not as big of an issue […]

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: development, donors, events, facetoface, fundraising, giving, leadership, long-term giving, organizations, perception, recruitment

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