I heard someone say the other day that small gifts are not needed during a pledge drive.  All gifts are needed from everyone in your audience.

Now, there are certain gifts that last longer.  For example, some stations have found those who do a $1000 gift will be a part of supporting the radio station longer than those who do $10 a month.  While this is true, you still want to open the door for smaller gifts.

When I am on-site with a client helping with their pledge drive, we find a core ask.  Often we find that $1 a day is the most popular giving level.  That works wonders in your event having a core ask and perhaps something tied to that ask.  Recently, a client had a ministry partner,  if a donor gave $1 a day, it not only kept the radio station on the air but sent food, shoes, water or whatever the ministry partner was adding into the pledge.  Listeners love to know their gift is going further and having a bigger impact.  With that said, you still open the door for other gifts, larger and smaller.  If you were to listen to one of our drives, you would hear something like, “The dollar a day gift is the most popular giving level.  Not only are you supporting your station but you are sending (What the ministry partner was adding in) to a family in need.  However, if you are unable to do a dollar a day, do your best gift.”

Always leave the door open for larger and smaller gifts.  At the end of the day, the Bible makes a big deal about the widow’s mite:

Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!

(Luke 21:1-4, The Message)

We don’t want to stop people from doing their best gifts.  It’s true if you don’t have a core ask, you’ll find people will gravitate toward a smaller gift, not because they cannot afford more but it’s just human nature for many of us.  Have a core ask, that will help your average gift, ask for leadership giving, people are ready to do that as well.  I would encourage you to also open the door for smaller gifts.  I don’t actually say on the air that I am looking for listeners to give $10 a month but I do say, if you cannot do the core ask, please do whatever God has placed on your heart, do your best gifts.  Often some of the biggest sacrifices that are made for your station, comes in the form of a very small gift and yet it may be the most extravagant give you receive all year long.

Don’t steal the blessing from someone who can only do a smaller gift for your station.  Happy fundraising!