Trends in Religious Giving

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Trends in Religious Giving

• Jack Doyle, President, Amergent
• With special thanks to
• Mark Melia, Deputy VP, Charitable Giving, CRS
• Patricia Regan, CFRE, Exec. Dir., Trinity
  Missions

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• How Does Faith Influence Giving?
• How Why Do Religious Donors Give?
• How Does Religious Giving Differ by Charity?

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Where does the idea of Stewardship come from?
How Does Faith Influence Giving?
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Giving Volunteering Among Religious People and
Secularists
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Religious Behavior Charitable Giving
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• How and Why Do
• Religious Donors Give?

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Why Do Donors Give to CRS?
My wife and I deeply thank you for your
unselfish work with Gods children in need. You
are allowing us to extend our hands and feet as
well as your work in the vineyard of souls for
Him. May God strengthen you in all you do.
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Why Do Donors Give to CRS?
I feel an obligation to help needy people around
the world. I send a check to CRS each month. What
I do is nothing compared to what you do for CRS
each day of your life. You will be rewarded in
the next life. Thank you so much.
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Why Do Donors Give to CRS?
Whenever I try to raise money for supporting CRS
activities, I always mention Matt. 25 and how
you help us fulfill the Lords command to feed
the hungry, etc. Thank you for helping us to be
with you, among the sheep, when that final day
occurs.
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Why Do Donors Give to CRS?
Thanks so very much. We appreciate your hands
and minds as you work with the poorest of the
poor. Gods blessings now and forever for serving
as Ambassadors of The Catholic Church. Love and
prayers.
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Overall Mid-Level Donor Performance in FY08

• FY08 Total of 12.5M given by 4,500 Mid Level
  Donors
• 1,000 - 10,000 annual gifts
• Number of gifts per active donor 5.4
• Average gift amount 537
• Increase in average gift for Mid Level Donors
  from FY2007 to FY2008 22

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Revenue Donors by Cumulative Giving as a of
Total File (2008)
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Love Your Neighbor Package

• Cultivational mailing in 4/07 with no direct
  solicitation
• Focused on a Donor Appreciation Mass
• Asked for prayer intentions
• Featured the 2006 Love Your Neighbor award
  given by Catholic Digest to their readers
  favorite charity

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Love Your Neighbor Package

• Results for Mid Level donors and others
• 13,742 donors
• 363.15 average gift
• 65,729 unprojected revenue
• From a cultivational communication

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Love Your Neighbor - Sample
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Thanksgiving Donor Appreciation Mass

• Cultivational mailing in NOV-2008 with no direct
  solicitation
• Focused on a Donor Appreciation Mass
• Asked for prayer intentions
• Included a Thanksgiving card
• Personal thank you calls to some donors

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Thanksgiving Donor Appreciation Mass

• Results for Mid Level donors
• 17,772 donors
• 414.36 average gift
• 51,269 unprojected revenue

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Thanksgiving Donor Appreciation Mass
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• How and Why Do
• Religious Donors Give?

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Donor Base StatsYear Ending 6/30/08

• 142,942 donors
• Avg Gift Annual Value
• Total 14.96 25.80
• New 8.93 10.80
• Renewed 19.25 50.55

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Revenue Donors by Cumulative Giving as a of
Total File (2008)
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Donors are missionaries, too!

• Older Catholic donors 65
• grew up with a commitment to the missions
• Traditional Catholics devotional
• We foster both in our fundraising program
• Remembrance in prayers and Masses
• Appeals and acknowledgements help meet donors
  spiritual needs

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Direct Mail Cast a Wide Net

• Acquire as many donors as possible
• Best results with spiritual cards with Mass
  and/or prayer remembrances distinctly Catholic
  not available at retail stores
• 2.9 response (range 2.4 - 4.3)
• 8.67 average gift (range 7.51 - 9.73)
• 8.16 cost per new name in FY08
• Packages focus on spiritual benefits to donor as
  well as mission needs

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Dont discard the minnows

• Casting a wide net with direct mail and using
  good cultivation techniques, age and wealth
  overlays, etc. pays off with
• BEQUESTS
• Since 1996, 50 or more of unrestricted income is
  from bequests!

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Reaping the Benefits

• January 2006 through May 2009
• 179 estates were closed
• 173 included an unrestricted bequest
• 8,608,048 received
• 5,793,062 unrestricted
• 44,601 average estate
• 33,486 average unrestricted estate

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Mrs. M

• 1st gift Easter Card Appeal 1993 10
• 1993-2006, made total of 12 gifts to Christmas or
  Easter card appeals (5, 10 or 15)
• Total lifetime giving 125
• May 2009 107,245 bequest!

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Casting a Wide Net YieldsMajor Donor Prospects

• August 2006 wealth overlay of 156,000 donors
  uncovers 9 are wealthy or affluent
• Feb 2007 overlay of new donors in 6-month
  period yields 9 match rate
• Catholic direct mail lists include wealthy donors!

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Thanking Donors, Large and Small

• 3-tiered acknowledgement program
• Every gift gets a personalized thank you
• Thank you letters are warm, personal, focused on
  donors part in our mission and include promise
  of remembrance in prayers and Masses
• Includes reply form and BRE for next gift

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How Does Religious Giving Differ by Charity?How
is it similar to yours?
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You get what you ask for

• CRS and Trinity Missions can use the same lists
  and get a different outcome
• One is seeking capacity for big gifts
• One is seeking large numbers of donors
• A much smaller gift for entry into program
• The same basic metrics for whether of not its a
  good investment are applied

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When is it a good investment?

• Net cost per new name can be recovered
• Enough quality new gifts are produced
• The donors will give readily (stages)
• 100 days, 1st year, ever again
• Scale of gift size increase
• Initial gift versus subsequent renewal giving
• Net income generation

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Post this Slide in Development-new donor
performance goals

• 20 make a quality 1st gift (20)
• 20 contribute again within 100 days
• 40 give by their 1st anniversary on file
• Net cost is recovered within 3 years
• Subsequent average gift from repeat donors grows
  50 from initial gift size
• 60 of all acquired give again (ever)
• Know all (100) 100 donors by name

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Initial results ? 2nd org. twice donors/dollars
but they both enjoyed a 700,000 yield
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What about their Net Income ROI?
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There are many thing to considerdont focus too
narrowly

• 7,000 donors at a 21 cost to acquire (1)
• Generates 700,000
• ROI of 360,000
• Low overhead on donor costs for 3 years
• 35 Av. gift to appeals
• Willingness to give readily (5 gifts/donor)

• 18,000 donors at breakeven(3.3)
• Generates 700,000
• ROI of 90,000
• Annual overhead costs _at_6.00 100,000
• 15 Low Av. gift
• Willingness to give was 3.3 gifts/donor

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Actionable Implications

• Focus on the gift size you need/want
• The mailer that got a 1 response made 250,000
  more in net income than the mailer that got the
  3.3 response
• Consider all overhead expenses
• Whatll it cost to keep mail them?
• What can you add to inspire them to give again in
  their 1st 100 Days?

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Does this look like your program?
2 peak months of 25,000 gifts
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Catholics Give When Inspired