FOLLOWING UP AFTER THE “ASK”

Often with Annual Giving Campaigns, the greatest amount of energy is focused on creating materials and planning a campaign launch event. However much of the real work of the campaign occurs after the materials have been shared with the parish and the celebratory “kick-off” has taken place.

For this part of the Annual Giving Campaign, we encourage you and your canvassing team to use email or text to follow-up on the initial “ask” letter. Of course you must judge what the appropriate method of contact is for each member of your parish. A phone call could be just the right touch.

The “follow-up” templates will be most effective as you stylize the message to your own congregation. Some churches include information about a specific sermon, or a stewardship related event as they fit the templates to their own congregational contexts. The more you can personalize the templates, the more they will resonate with the individual receiving them.

We’ve created a timeline for following-up (below), configured for an Annual Giving Campaign that begins in mid-October and concludes by the third Sunday of Advent. We also offer follow-up message templates that you may modify for use by your canvassing team.

Timeline for Canvassing Follow-Up

Prior to Start of Canvass

The Stewardship Committee will send out an email to outstanding pledges, reminding parishioners of the requested deadline for the Campaign.

Week One

Canvassers will receive the names and emails of the people to contact on Monday morning.

  • Send the first email message no later than Thursday so that people have ample time to turn in their pledge by Sunday

    • Use Message One – Renewal template for someone who has pledged before (or create your own message). Use this template for someone who has pledged in previous years and send it no later than Thursday of the first week.

    • Use Message One – Newbie template for a newcomer or someone who has attended church for a while, but not yet made a pledge (or create your own message). Use this template for someone who is new to the parish or who has never pledged before and send it no later than Thursday of the first week.

    • Please don’t wait until Saturday to send emails

Week Two

The Fiscal Officer will let canvassers know if anyone from their list has pledged.

  • Send a thank you email to anyone who has pledged in the past week. Use this when one of the people assigned to you has pledged. The Stewardship Committee will send a more formal thank you as well, but remember, we can’t say “thank you” enough!

    • Use the Thank You template or create your own message

  • Send a second email to the remaining names no later than Thursday so that people have ample time to turn in their pledge by Sunday

    • Use the Message Two template (or create your own message)

    • Please don’t wait until Saturday to send emails

Week Three

The Fiscal Officer will continue to update canvassers on pledges received.

  • Send an email on Tuesday

    • Use Message Three template (or create your own message)

  • Send a reminder email on Friday

    • Use Message Four template (or create your own message)

  • Send a thank you email to anyone who has pledged in the past week

    • Use the Thank You template or create your own message

Week Four

The Fiscal Officer will update canvassers one last time on pledges received.

  • Send a thank you email to anyone who has pledged in the past week

    • Use the Thank You template or create your own message

  • Send an email to the – hopefully few – remaining names no later than Thursday so that people have ample time to turn in their pledge by Sunday

    • Use Week Four template or create your own message

    • Please don’t wait until Saturday to send emails

Grid for Tracking Messages

We encourage you to track your progress using a spreadsheet or grid such as this.


Name  
  Date of
Message  

Response  
  Pledge
Submitted  
  Information for Stewardship
Committee/Parish Leadership