“2008 is the perfect year to use PNC as ministry bait!”
July 2nd, 2008 by Amy BethI think my very-jammed-packed-weekend-trip finally caught up with me because I was almost falling asleep at my desk by late yesterday afternoon. I decided to give up and head home a few minutes early so I could take a nap.
Those of you who know me in real life know that “taking a nap” isn’t a typical phrase for me. However, since the day I finished graduate school, I have tried to embrace the occasional nap.
You think I’m kidding about the whole “day I finished graduate school” thing, but I’m being serious — I got the diploma, went to lunch with my family and then came home to take a long nap. And it was glorious.
Anyway, since I skipped out a bit early today, I worked from home a little last night. I had some serious email inbox clean up to do as well as some website updates to send in. And then, I had the unthinkable task: trying to figure out how much processed nacho cheese we need to start purchasing for this fall.
Here is the one good thing about using PNC: it as a shelf life of a YEAR. And yes, this does concern me but? Honestly? I try to avoid thinking about what is actually in PNC.
Anyway, I pulled up the trust calculator and started doing my equations. If Sparkle has three weekly programs and there’s x amount of girls at school # 1 and then x amount of girls at school # 2 and finally x amount of girls at school # 3 and there are ten weeks of programs in a semester but are we going to serve PNC at the Christmas party or can we afford to maybe have pizza that week and while I’m thinking about it, how much can we spend on their Christmas gifts this year and just how many cups should we buy for this fall? And, beyond that, do we go with the 8 oz, 12 oz or 16 oz ones this year? And the napkins — should we do those or paper towels this year? And then there’s the whole Kool-Aid vs. Soft Drinks debate. Do we serve Kool-Aid in the elementary and middle school programs and then just switch to soft drinks for the high school programs? OR MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST SERVE SUNNY DELIGHT TO EVERYONE.
It is like a massive jigsaw puzzle that I’ll never actually figure out because, when I get to the end, there’s always three pieces missing. We always end up with too much of this, not enough of that and so forth. And then, each July, we pretend like this will be the year we get it right.
This year’s motto? “PNC will be great in 2008!”
Just kidding. We’re really going with “I’m gonna find my mate in 2008.”
The rhyming? You noticed the rhyming, right?
Anyway, in light of the fact that my brain is very tired from trying to figure out PNC Volume for ‘08, I have a question for you. Early next week, we’ll be mailing out our annual “back to school” letter to our entire donor base. Basically, once a year, we ask our donors if they’d consider making a one-time donation towards our budget for that school year. Most people prefer this to the monthly commitment option; we, of course, love it when people embrace the monthly commitment option but HELLO WE LOVE ANY OPTION.
What I’m wanting to know is this: if you were to get a once a year letter from us, what would you want to hear about? Do you want to know specific stories from the past year about girls we served? Or maybe you want the straight up facts and figures with a healthy dose of percentages and pie graphs thrown in. Or perhaps you’d just like a list of links of blog entries about the time I went out with That Boy? Because that? Well, I can’t think of anything that screams “Best Ministry EVER!” more than that.
Spill it, loves. The very future of our PNC fund depends on your answers.
No pressure though.
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Facts & figures are great. Corp. Exectutives want those.
But personal stories get to that part of their heart…you know, the part they have to put away during important meetings & such.
I think you should use a little of both.
I’d want numbers. I want the number of schools you serve and the number of girls in those schools. How many attend lock-ins? How many have given their lives to Christ?
Then I’d want to know how my money helps reach those girls. PNC? Drinks? Gifts? Lock-ins?
Here’s where I’d want to read a few little quotes about how much those things impact the girls, you know, so I’ll get all sappy and want to pull out my checkbook.
=)
Oh… you might want to have a short list of some of the “bigger” items you have in the semester (like the gifts) and approximately how much they cost. Because somebody might want to do a one-time donation and say, “I bought gifts for the girls” or something like that. Just a thought.
I am going jump onto the bandwagon…
Facts plus heartstrings…perfect combo!
Numbers: good for number people
Stories: good for heart people (short and sweet)
Vision: good for those who want to know where this is headed and why you do what you do
Personal passion: because every one loves to know why YOU do what you do!
I thought of you yesterday at Target because the girls wanted a snack and we got nachos with PNC on them .mmmmmmmm
I love the numbers and the personal stories and I love breakdowns. “1 can of PNC feeds X amount of girls and costs this much.” But let’s not kid here, I also love hearing about imaginary boyfriend and the girls and what not on your blog too.
The combination of a few facts and tug-on-the-heartstrings stories of our kids has served our ministry quite well. One letter that “hits all the high points” and gives the numbers peeps their numbers and the heart peeps their warm fuzzies. I agree with Natalie about the vision and passion part. Selling YOU and what God has done in YOUR life is the first step!
wellllllllll…. i wish i had something original to say, but i just agree with everyone else. i would want to know WHAT you need and WHY you need it… so numbers and the reality of what your budget is and how they could help, but also stories about why the ministry is important and life changing. you probably don’t have to say why PNC is important and life changing because that’s obvious, right?
With the PNC ingredients, I think the phrase “ignorance is bliss” applies.
As far as the newsletter, I agree with the first commenter. A little of both…
I like your second motto about finding your mate in 2008. I think I may adopt it as my own, if that’s all right
As far as your letter… I think the stats are important, but you should include stories too. Afterall, it’s about the individual lives that are being changed.
I’m with everyone else…give them a few statistics but people love a good story of a kid whose overcome their raising.
Also AB, don’t edit your darlin’ voice out of the Corporate Correspondence. Your personality and Jesus in you draws people to want to help your cause…Tell those stuffed shirts you need some PNC and Sunny D! (So maybe you don’t address the letter, “Dear Mr. Stuffed Shirt”. But you get my drift, yes?)
Definitely some of both, and I agree with Lisa about letting people “hear” from you. Your love and passion for Jesus and the girls you are helping will probably draw people in more than anything else.