Revenue and

Enrollment Ideas for

Zion

By
Paul Conway
Fall 2008

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Maximizing our Donation Programs..……………………………………………………………………………………………….….1

1. Cause Related Marketing:

2. Planned Giving Programs
3. Major Gifts Program
4. Project Giving
5. Event Fundraising Program
6. Will Writing program
7. Partnering with Corporations

II. Maximizing our Resources……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…1-3

1. Reworking Current Delivery systems for education

2. Bible Institute
3. Seminars, Retreats Summits
4. Project Fund Raising

III. Maximizing our Educational Status………………………………………………………………………………………………….3-4

1. Grant Writing
2. Grant Writers
3. Fundraising Education
4. Historical Society
5. Refine our Degree’s:

IV. Maximizing our Students …………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………4-5

1. Partnership Scholarships
2. B.L.I.T.Z. (Bringing Laborers in to Zion)
3. S.T.R.I.V.E. (Students Turning Responsibility Into Valuable Experience)
4. Legacy Scholarships

V. Maximizing our Mission…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5-6

1. Fundraising Dinners & Events

2. Utilize Celebrities
3. Utilize Leaders

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VI. Maximizing our Church Support………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

1. Grants and Scholarships For Departments of our School:

2. Develop new successful fundraisers:
3. Keep current successful fundraisers:

VII. Maximizing our Board of Directors…………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

1. Increase the responsibility of the board to encompass the fiduciary responsibilities of the
Institution if it does not currently
2. Incorporate them into the fund raising team
3. Utilize them to work their local, regional and national network
4. Access and utilize their gifting and networking

VIII. Maximizing our Community…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6-7

1. Network with Local community leaders, businesses, and corporations:

2. S.T.R.I.V.E. (Students Turning Responsibility Into Valuable Experience)

IX. Maximizing our Denominational Headquarters…………………………………………………………………………………..7

1. Accessing Denominational funding creatively

X. Appendix

1. Grid of potential audiences for Fundraising

2. STRIVE Program Details

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I. MAXIMIZE OUR DONATION PROGRAMS: “Maximize a program and cycle of giving by establishing a
donor’s manual”

1. Cause Related Marketing: Utilizing our cause as a means of fundraising.

a. Utilize our cause of Missions and humanitarian needs around the world to promote
giving to an organization that is raising up leaders to meet the needs of the third
world nations.
2. Planned Giving Programs: Maximize programs that are planned giving events.
3. Major Gifts Program: An established program ready for these rare donors.
a. Although Corporate and Large gift giving accounts for one 3%-5% of all giving, we
have already been a recipient of it via Hobby Lobby. Creating a structure and policy
in place would be good for potential future donors.
4. Project Giving: Establish fundraising through channels of projects and causes people are
passionate about outside our institution.
5. Event Fundraising Program: Establish annual fundraising events that get our supporters on
a cycle of event giving.
a. Dinner events with famous guests
b. Golf Tournaments.
c. Fuel the flame
6. Will Writing program: Establish a will writing program and suggest it to our alumni
regularly. A “How To” for people who would write Zion into their will if they knew “how to”.
7. Partnering with Corporations

II. MAXIMIZING OUR RESOURCES: “Seeing our resources as a means to increase revenue”.

A. Reworking Current Delivery systems for education:

1. Bible Institute (Financial Potential of $25,000.00): (This is not Associate Degree status)
Bible Institutes originated to equip adults in careers for the mission field. College education
has evolved from this in reaction to the secularization of education. We have evolved from
Institute status to a College. I suggest we reclaim embrace both. The district office success
with the “School of ministry” is based on a delivery system that is financially flexible and
convenient for working people.

Pricing: Equal to or lower than the district courses.

Teachers: Rather than adding to the schedules of current professors, utilize the many
people who are academically equipped. Perhaps even requesting one or two semester’s
pro-bono to help jump start the revenue.

Audience: Our region and Northern New England so as to not compete with Southern
New England District.

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 Curriculum: That is more appealing to those outside the traditional Bible College circuit.
More appealing in subject matter as well as practical for immediate lay leader use.

Financial Potential:
$50. A credit @ 200 students = $25,000.00 (Based on 2.5 credits)

2. Seminars, Retreats Summits (Financial Potential $60,000.00): Use all available space on
campus to house and hold ongoing summits and seminars. CF the Okenga center of Gordon
Conwell Theological Seminary (http://www.gcts.edu/ockenga/). I believe this, more than
any other program could bring additional revenue and exposure for our school than any
additional degree granting status.

Annual educational Summits:

Preaching: Creative Communication (Preaching Techniques for 21st century)

 Inductive sermons
 Deductive sermons
 First, second and third person narratives
 Illustrated sermons
 Video Illustrations
 Visual Illustrations

Leadership: Tommy Barnet, John Maxwell, People in and out of our

denomination. E.g. leadership summit at South Eastern had Colon Powell.

Missions: Humanitarian Issues such as:

 Human Trafficking,
 Starvation and the third world
 Disaster Relief

Church Ministry Summits:

 Prayer
 Worship
 Youth Ministry,
 Children’s Ministry,
 Pastoral Ministry

Topics of summits: Ministry to;

 Biomedical Ethics
 Church building programs
 Church Conflict
 Fundraising
 Church Planting
 Urban ministry
 Teen Pregnancy intervention
 Homosexuality & Lesbianism utilizing people
from Exodus Ministries.

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 Marketing technique for Summits and Seminars: (We use a three step phase)

1. At cost the first year with local speakers.

2. Discounted cost the second year with local and regional speakers.
3. For profit as their reputation progresses with nationally known speakers.

Financial Potential ($60,000.00)

1. 100 people at $100.00 = $10,000

2. 6 conferences with 100 people @ $100 = $60,000.00

3. Project Fund Raising (Financial Potential: Uncertain):

1. Some people like giving to projects more than Institutions and People. Develop
fund raising projects that draw revenue through the conduit of project giving.
2. Some Examples:
a. Chapel Building: Some people like giving to projects more than Institutions
or People. Perhaps we could make the chapel building a project.
b. Financial Potential: Uncertain

III. MAXIMIZING OUR EDUCATIONAL STATUS: “Seeing our Educational Status as an advantage for
reducing costs and raising revenue”.

1. Grant Writing (Financial Potential $25,000.00 - $100,000.00):

a. Purchase good grant leads: Regent University in Canada purchased a national
and international list of Grants for Non-Profit and religious educational
Institutions.
i. Potential $100,000 est.

2. Grant Writers: We have also sent some staff for grant writing training. This would
provide a greater potential for success.
a. Utilize current staff who have an aptitude for grant writing
b. Network nationally with alumni and personal friends who might donate time to
writing grants (Consult a professional grant writer before starting and sending
the grant requests)
c. Hire a grant writer based on commission of the revenue they acquire (great
motivator).

3. Fundraising Education: Invest in those who are willing to raise support for the school.
a. Seminars: Send key faculty and staff to a convention and conference on the
issues that can produce revenue for our school.
b. There are some podcasts free of charge on non-profit fundraising for
educational institutions. (Itunes under the topic of “Fundraising”).

4. Historical Society ($50,000.00): Utilize our historical status for buildings we have not
renovated yet.
a. Potential: $50,000 est.
5. Refine our Degree’s:

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 a. See “Associate Degree Discussion” in Appendix
b. Offer an Associates, but utilize our current structure so as to not waste our time,
resources and efforts.
c. Expand the 2 year degree and Catalyst program to award participants with an
associates by modifying the program.

IV. MAXIMIZING OUR STUDENTS: “Activating our students to fundraising and expand our potential”.

1. Partnership Scholarships (Financial Potential $100,000.00):

i. Gordon Conwell invites students to get support toward their education and matches
it. What they really did was take an existing scholarship and merged it with the
students support raising and increased income for the school. E.g. a student could
receive a scholarship from the school for $2,000 a semester or raise $2,000 and
receive $4,000 in scholarship. Which would they do? They would take the $4,000/
ii. This could be done in partnership with the work study program. We could call it the
Tentmakers scholarship or something creative but what we do is pitch the concept
of the $5,000 discount for S.P.I.C.E. and students partnering with people and
churches to give $50 to $200 a semester.
iii. Potential for this idea
1. 100 students raising $1,000 in revenue = $100,000

2. B.L.I.T.Z. (Bringing Laborers in to Zion)

i. In simple, we have one week each semester where students are all divided into ten
teams and we blitz ten of our top potential audiences for recruitment. It is done
three weeks prior to Campus Experience to increase the likelihood of potential
students coming. We cross the line of scrimmage. Rather than hoping they come to
us, we go to them by crossing our line into theirs.
1. Currently our traveling ministry teams primarily fund raise and support
recruiting. We will help them.
2. This program asks for nothing from the church other than the opportunity
for our team to give them a break and let us minister.
3. Students are activated to team ministry, Zion is presented in a positive light
and our name gets out there with higher potential for recruitment.

3. S.T.R.I.V.E. (Students Turning Responsibility Into Valuable Experience):

i. Scotty Gibbons, the youth pastor at James River raises his budget for youth ministry
in one week through this program they invented.
ii. They basically do community service and are sponsored for it by the church and
businesses of the community.
iii. The students gain a Yankee work ethic and fund raising skills, the ministry gains
revenue.
iv. Here is how it works:

1. Students and leaders of the church get sponsors from.

a. The Church
b. The businesses in the Local community

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 c. The nation
2. The church sets up several projects in the community that do not detract
from city or state workers.
3. The work is done and the pledges are collected

v. Legacy Scholarships: Create Legacy Scholarships on peoples legacy like “Christine

Gibson” or “Lenard hero”

V. MAXIMIZING OUR MISSION: “Expressing our mission as a cause worth supporting”.

1. Utilizing our Mission and Missions for Financial Support (Financial Potential:
Uncertain):

i. Right now the causes of the third world and humanitarian need are known
clearer and supported stronger than our mission statement. We existed to
create Pentecostal leaders but our leaders are meeting the needs of human
trafficking and slavery, drug addiction, disaster relief, third world education. We
should attach our mission statement to the missions people are giving. We
already help solve the world’s problems, we should begin to let them know this
and translate it into support.
ii. Our students impact war torn third world countries. We should utilize this fact
as a pitching point for fund raising.
iii. Our Mission statement declares our Pentecostal posture and position, however,
we are one of the most effective organizations in the world of Missions because
of that Pentecostal distinctive. I think if we declared our Pentecostal distinctive
but raised the flag of our success in missions and third world ministry, many
would rally to giving more. I am not suggesting we minimalize the baptism of
the Spirit but rather maximize the good news of our success to reach the world
by the power it provides our students. We focus on the fruit of that distinctive.

iv. Fundraising Dinners & Events:

1. Similar to the Light for the lost banquets.
a. People like David Burdine and his network that give at these
events.
2. Utilize Celebrities:
a. Melvin West, Harlem Globe Trotter and former NBA Player
i. He is also friends with many famous celebrities.
ii. Hold an event with people like this who network with
their sphere of people who have resources and believe
in our cause to reach our country and the third world
countries we send alumni to.
b. Dwight Evans, former Red Sox player attends Calvary Christian
Church
c. Patriots send their children to Dayspring Christian Academy and
do regular fund raisers for them.
d.

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 3. Utilize Leaders:
a. Same Concept as above, but use national church leaders who
believe in what we do. Church and political leaders in our
network.

VI. MAXIMIZE OUR CHURCH SUPPORT:

1. Grants and Scholarships For Departments of our School:

i. Appealing to large churches and corporate organizations for grants: Large Churches
that support causes like missions, children’s ministry and youth ministry to help
establish and strengthen our programming by underwriting a grant to these
departments. The result is increasing revenue to our departments and freeing up
funds that would have gone to salaries and materials that now can be redirected since
these programs are being supported by grants and scholarships.
ii. Financial Potential ($40,000.00 - $60,000.00)

2. Keep current successful fundraisers:

vi. Fuel the flame etc.

vii. Etc.
b. Develop new successful fundraisers:

VII. MAXIMIZING OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS: “Maximizing our Board to full fiduciary potential”.

1. Increase the responsibility of the board to encompass the fiduciary responsibilities of the
Institution if it does not currently.
2. Incorporate them into the fund raising team as part of their service.
3. Utilize them to work their local, regional and national network.
4. Access and utilize their gifting and networking.
ii. How can we utilize their talent?
iii. Pat. Manzo should be consulted for ideas. He is exceptional raising revenue.

VIII. MAXIMIZING OUR COMMUNITY: Accessing our community as a mutual resource for one another.

1. Network with Local community leaders, businesses, and corporations:

a. Develop a reputation for being a community minded group.
i. C.A.R.E. (Creating A Relational Experience) similar to adopt a block.
ii. S.T.R.I.V.E.
iii. Partner with local groups doing community services.
b. Develop a long term strategy for partnering with local businesses and national
corporations that would not conflict with our mission.
c. My brother is an Executive Director for “Safe Kids”. He partners with hospitals and
corporations for his budget. He has given more advice than I could list here but he
is a great resource for grooming our thinking to accessing finances from
corporations and businesses in the community should we choose to venture in that
direction.
d. Some potential steps we could take.

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 i.Invite these people into our circle and think tanks for our institution.
ii.Contact Community service departments of local Corporations
iii.Contact Human Service Departments of local Corporation
iv. Invite corporate sponsors to support us with product to offset some of our
costs.
v. Invite corporate sponsors to enter our think tank so they might develop
relationship with us and become potential contributors.

2. S.T.R.I.V.E. (Students Turning Responsibility Into Valuable Experience):

i. Scotty Gibbons, the youth pastor at James River raises his budget for youth
ministry in one week through this program they invented.
ii. They basically do community service and are sponsored for it by the church
and businesses of the community.
iii. The students gain a Yankee work ethic and fund raising skills, the ministry
gains revenue.
iv. Here is how it works:

1. Students and leaders of the church get sponsors from.

a. The Church
b. The businesses in the Local community
c. The nation
2. The church sets up several projects in the community that do not
detract from city or state workers.
3. The work is done and the pledges are collected
v. Pre established relationships like Bill Pillsbury and others are a great starting
point for us.

IX. MAXIMIZING OUR DENOMINATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:

1. Accessing Denominational funding creatively.

a. Is there a way to access existing funds creatively?
i. Light for the Lost scholarships for students
ii. BGMC Literature for the school
iii. Home Missions support status for school related ministries to our community
iv. Partner with Foreign missions dept. for some funding to equip students and
launch them.
b. President Crabtree would know the soft access points better than anyone else here.

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 POTENTIAL REVENUE SOURCES

Large Businesses National Office

Community Businesses District Offices

National/International Corporate Faith Based Local & National Church

International Church

Historical Society Grants Solicited Giving

Community Alumni
City Grants and Funding Fuel the Flame

Scholarships and Partnerships

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S.T.R.I.V.E.
Students
Turning
Responsibility
Into
Valuable
Experience
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I. Program Overview:

1. Summary: S.T.R.I.V.E. is a fundraising vehicle that combines community service &

student participation with corporate, small business and individual sponsorship.
Service projects are gathered by corresponding with local city officials. The projects are
done voluntarily by students with the work they do financially sponsored by businesses
local and abroad. The result is fundraising though voluntary community service and
business sponsorship.

2. Example: Zion goes to the superintendent of school departments and finds several
schools needing to be painted. We focus on projects that do not take away from job
security of current state and school department workers. At the same time we network
in the local community with business who would sponsor our students and institute
through the vehicle of our community service. The result is a school gets painted that
would not have been and we gain support through an avenue that normally would not
contributed, i.e. the local business community.

3. Convoy of Hope: I have packaged this program apart from Convoy of Hope. I have
helped them in the past but am unfamiliar with their policy and conditions for outreach.
Idealistically, they would be a great program to partner with under two conditions. 1. If
they did an outreach one year ahead of S.T.R.I.V.E. to establish a well respected
presence in the community with no strings attached. We build our sponsorship for
future donors of S.T.R.I.V.E through those that network with Convoy of Hope. 2. If they
contributed to our community free of charge understanding S.T.R.I.V.E. will unite with
the outreach for the purpose of fundraising for the school. There may be another
option to network S.T.R.I.V.E. I am overlooking.

II. Program Goals:

1. To gain financially support from the corporate and small business sector.

2. To instill the value of community service in the student body.

3. To cultivate an appreciation and respect from the local community through the avenue
of our contribution of service to it.

III. Program Strategy

1. Phase One: Program Development on Paper:

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a. Brochures are created to present to the community and sponsorship sectors for
the promotion STRIVE.
a. It summarizes the program in community service terms.
b. It should summarize the fact that our students are engaging the problems
of the world such as human trafficking, starvation and poverty etc. Our
students are a worthy investment.
c. The difference between the two brochures is one mentions briefly how
to contribute and why. The second focuses on businesses we are aiming
to gain financial support from.
d. This flyer should communicate to the company how we will be attaching
their business’ image to the community and community service being
done as well as the tax deduction benefit associated with their
contribution to Zion.
e. This brochure must answer the question why? Why should my tax
deduction giving go to you and not somewhere else?

b. Contribution and Response process: Our finance department creates a process

for recording the contribution and a prewritten letter and packet that thanks the
donor for their contribution and provides the necessary paper work for a tax
write off. The channel of online giving should be established for this.

c. Web Page Presence: We create a section of our web page devoted to Strive. It
should include a summary of the program to the people and potential donors
with links to all paper work.

a. We should take photographs of some of the projects we intend on doing

like a school in need of painting.
b. Until we have pictures of this program I recommend we use images of
students doing S.P.I.C.E. used with student’s permission. Even mention
how community service like S.T.R.I.V.E. is already at work through
S.P.I.C.E.
c. This page should have a section dedicated to all the companies and
businesses that contribute to the S.T.R.I.V.E. Program and be updated as
sponsorship is added.
d. A 60 second video to music should be placed on the page before and
after the S.T.R.I.V.E. program takes place for promotion and future
promotion.
e. A link for online giving should be present.

d. A leadership team is developed that oversees:

i. Publicity and Public Relationships: A team that will capitalize on the
community and corporate networks for the publicity of the program.
This team will consist of

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 ii. Student Recruitment: Someone who will develop a team that will recruit
and organize and schedule the student body before, during and after the
time of community service.
iii. Corporate sponsorship: A team that will network with the local business
community pitching our program and gathering financial sponsorship.

iv. Project oversight: A team that will oversee the projects and people that
will take place the week of our community service

v. Financial Tracking: A team that will organize a paper process that

records the contribution, creates a pretyped respond letter immediately
with a letter of thanks, and follows up with a report of the programs
success after we are done.

2. Phase Two: Program Development in the Community:

a. Pitching the Project: We start by meeting with the mayor and Bill Pilsbury who
have been supportive. We gather the network of need and contacts from them
for key people we can dialog with for projects and support. Some key people we
dialog with should be.
i. Police Chief: For anti drug and child safety related program networks we
could network with the day or days we do community service.
ii. Fire Chief: For Fire safety programs we can network with the day or days
we do community service.
iii. Superintendent of Education: To learn of community projects that could
benefit the school.
iv. Department of the Elderly services: To find projects among the elderly
we can help with such as delapoted facilities.
v. Brain Storm other leaders and city departments that would like to know
what we are offering.

3. Phase Three: Sponsorship and Publicity

a. Now that we have a program on paper, the web and contribution system we add
the specifics of the projects and pursue financial Sponsorship and publicity.
b. We approach the Human Service and Community service departments of local
and corporate businesses in the surrounding areas soliciting financial
sponsorship.
c. Inform local newspapers, TV and radio stations of what we are planning. IF
possible get pre event publication. If not get a media presence the day of the
event.
d. We make sure all donors know they will be acknowledged in print on our web
site, in correspondence to the city officials as well as all community publication
when possible (Such as local radio stations and news papers)

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 e. Suggested donors for solicitation:
i. Large Corporations in the Haverhill area
ii. Small Businesses in the Haverhill area
iii. Bradford Alumni who are business owners
iv. Zion Alumni in the corporate world
v. Others

4. Phase Four: Execution

a. We execute the projects selected.
b. City officials are invited to join us.
c. Newspapers and TV Stations are invited to cover our story.
d. Sponsors donating product (Meals, drinks or repair projects) are invited.
e. All contributors are acknowledged in print or publication form.

5. Phase Five: Collection and future promotion.

a. Funds are collected.
b. A ceremony could be held publically thanking businesses and donors presenting
public certificates and awards.
c. A Video is made from the footage and photos gathered from the event and
prepared for the next years S.T.R.I.V.E. event.
d. An evaluation of the event is conducted through debriefing and improvements
are suggested for next year.

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