Model The Maccabees: Creating Change
Keeping Givers Giving
Start An E-Mail Distribution List
Development For Congregations

MODEL THE MACCABEES TO REFOCUS YOUR CONGREGATION

KEEPING GIVERS GIVING

Amid annual commitment shortfalls and capital campaigns, congregations should always strive to keep their major donors in a giving frame of mind. As a board member, it is important for you to establish and maintain long-term relationships with potential large givers and then follow up with appropriate solicitations and expressions of appreciation. It is easy to do this if you keep in mind the four Rs of fund-raising.

Research
Know everything you can about your donors in terms of their connection with the temple, their contributions to and involvement with other Jewish and community organizations, their professions, their homes, their cars, and their children so that, for example,

• You can suggest that you attend together a program held at the temple in which they have a particular interest or which they have supported in the past and
• You can keep them abreast of the progress of the capital campaign either individually or in small groups.

Romance
You don't want a major-gift prospect to hear about a campaign for the first time when you approach him or her for a donation. Instead, you should spend time with each donor, solicit his or her input into the future of the congregation, and help the donor feel invested in the synagogue's mission and future by doing things like

• Sending him or her a personal High Holy Day greeting card and
• Inviting the donor to your home for Shabbat dinner and then accompanying him or her to services.

Request
When you make the actual solicitation

• Make sure that you have donated the best gift you can before soliciting someone else.
• Ask for an amount that is both ample and appropriate for your donor.
• Listen to his or her suggestions and concerns about the temple and follow up on them whenever possible.
• Remain positive about the synagogue and its needs throughout the entire meeting.
• Tailor your presentation to the donor's interests within your congregation.
• Anticipate the donor's objections and be prepared with answers to them.

Recognition
Since donors generally like to be acknowledged and recognized for their gifts

• Write a personal thank-you note.
• Provide the donor with opportunities for public recognition.
• Make sure the donor wants and is informed about the public recognition.

Some of the material for this article was taken from the August 2000 issue of Non-Profit Nuts & Bolts, "Take the Fear Out of Asking for Major Gifts" by James A. Donovan. For further information, please contact the UAHC Development Department by phone at (212) 650-4140 or by e-mail at development@uahc.org.

START AN E-MAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST TO ENHANCE YOUR CONGREGATIONAL COMMUNITY
 

Last month's Inside Leadership highlighted the different types of information that can be disseminated through an e-mail distribution list; the rationale for having either a "for distribution only" list or one that engages in discussion; and how frequently your list should be posted. Below is a discussion of who should be on your list and how to set it up.

Establish the posters and administrator of the list
From the outset, establish and limit who can post information on the list. Consider authorizing your clergy, administrator, educator, temple president, and one other officer. If any other lay leaders, Board members, Executive Committee members, or committee chairs want to post information, it may be prudent to require them to submit their information through the president or the designated officer. In that way, all disseminated information will be reviewed, and your list administrator will not be inundated with postings.

• The designated administrator of the list should be an office staff member or a computer-literate volunteer who will establish the list with the server, address the administrative issues that arise, and update the e-mail list.

Who should be on your list?
Determine a reasonable method for collecting the e-mail addresses of your congregants.

• Do you want this list to be on an "opt-in" or "opt-out" basis? Should you inform the congregation of the formation of the list in the bulletin or in a separate mailing, or would you prefer to include a request for the e-mail information with your annual billing mailing?
• Do you want to include multiple e-mail addresses in one household? Is it appropriate to e-mail one household member and not the others or to rely on one family member to convey the information to the others?
• Should all your staff be on the list, including school faculty members?

Consider privacy issues:
Do not add anyone's name to the list without that person's permission.

• Do not distribute the list to anyone not on it.

• Shamash is the Jewish Internet Consortium that administers all the UAHC e-mail chat lists. To create your list through Shamash, you must become a Shamash associate member and pay a $50 yearly fee.

• Listbot.com and egroups.com will set up your list for free. Be aware, however, that both these servers include sponsor ads. Consider whether or not the presence of ads in general and the specific advertisers used by the servers are appropriate for your congregation and/or individual congregants.