When done right, a ministry can increase its donor income by staying on top of the promotion area.  This is an area often overlooked, because it usually doesn't bring direct income.  As pre-evangelism is to evangelism, so promotion is to development.  You must be increasing and replenishing your prospects in order to increase your donor base, and it starts with promotion.

Great promotion is important for many reasons.  Here are a few:

• It creates a sense of goodwill, which leads to giving.
  
  
• It attracts new prospects, who should eventually become donors.
  
  
• Your donors are more encouraged to give to you when the promotion is quality.  They like to support winners!
  
  
• The "competition" among all the ministries is getting tougher every year as the organizations raise their level of promotion.  You need to promote at a higher level, too.
  
  
• Promotion "tells your story" to your constituency, this is important, as they need to have their vision renewed.
  
  
• Promotion is many-pronged tool.  It's not a project.  It is a continuous activity.  Yes, promotional events are important, but what you do between events is what communicates your image and mission to your donors and potential donors.
  
  
• A ministry which has a good promotions program has many elements in action at the same time.  It's difficult for most people to juggle several balls at once, but this is essential in the promotions area.  Make sure you have someone in charge who is able to multi-task.

One Way to Promote:  Speaking Engagements and Public Appearances

Most of your staff and Board are capable of making a ministry presentation to select groups of people.  Certain staff would do poorly in front of a large group, but would excel in a small-group Bible study.  The key is to find out who does best in different situations.

It is a fact that if a person meets and hears someone speak from the ministry, he will have more interest in it in the future.  You and your staff and Board can literally introduce thousands of people to your ministry in a year.  You can get into secular settings, as well.

So how do you get invited to speak?  First of all, let people know you are available.  You'll be surprised as people open doors to civic groups, schools, workplaces and more.

Then, start contacting churches and organizations that would be good speaking opportunities. 

You should train your staff and Board on how to present the ministry, so each person is including the essentials.  Of course, you'll adjust for the group you're addressing, but the same basic information should be shared each time.  Remember, the #1 objective of most promotional speaking engagements is to cause people to desire more information about your ministry.

Hand out materials, have a contest for a prize-giveaway, show a DVD, and field questions.   You may have to have a different approach when speaking to a church congregation, but still let them know you are a dynamic ministry.

Excerpted from The Complete System for Ministry Fundraising & Development, by Jon Fugler & Ron Johnston.  There is a full chapter on Effective Promotion in the System.