Beyond the Appeals: 10 Steps to Success for Generosity. Session #2: The Next Six Steps: Supporting Ongoing Mission

Annual appeals matter, but they're only one piece of a comprehensive generosity strategy. In this second session of the Beyond the Appeals roundtable series, GSB Fundraising's Pete Reuss walks through the ministry development side of the 10 steps, showing churches, camps, and nonprofits how to build a giving culture that goes far deeper than the ask.

Pete covers how a strong strategic plan makes annual giving easier and more compelling, why outcome stories are more powerful than program updates, and how to move from informing donors to genuinely motivating them. He also digs into the importance of building year-round relationships with major donors, noting that the most generous gifts almost always come from people who already feel deeply connected to your mission.

The session closes with a practical look at planned giving and endowment development, including why the biggest reason people don't leave estate gifts is simply that no one asked, and how organizations can start that conversation in accessible, low-pressure ways.

Whether you're a congregation looking to strengthen your annual fund, a camp trying to tell your story more effectively, or a nonprofit ready to build a planned giving program, this session gives you a clear and practical framework for the work.