Q:  This is our fifth year of holding our Ask Event^™ breakfast and we are wondering if you could give us some advice on how to address those Multiple-Year Giving Society^™ Donors whose pledges will expire.

Jennifer in Ohio

A:  If you have been following the model and cultivating all of your donors along the way, you will find that most of your Multiple-Year Giving Society Donors will naturally renew their pledges for another five years at your Ask Event. We have found that for many groups, 10%–15% of their Multiple-Year Giving Society Donors will pay off their pledges in the second year and renew it for another five years, sometimes at a higher level.

If you are concerned that you haven't cultivated these donors enough to where they will naturally renew their pledges, I would recommend that you put on a mission-focused Free Feel-Good Cultivation Event^™ just for your founding Multiple-Year Giving Society Donors. This will re-connect them to your organization's mission, and they will likely be ready to renew and hopefully increase their pledges at your fifth Ask Event.

Finally, your pitch should include a line (every year after the first Ask Event—you don't need to wait until the fifth year!) inviting prior donors to pay off their pledges early or increase and/or extend their pledges. Your pledge card should have options to match the pitch script.

Terry