Divine Integration

■ Renewal and ongoing giving is largely through a strong and consistent direct-mail follow-up to donors across all sources — including regular monthly appeals and a dynamic monthly newsletter to tell the fuller story of need and the results of donors' giving.

■ There is a major focus on educational outreach, providing information for people interested in the Jewish roots of the Christian faith and other issues related to Israel.

■ There is a strong effort to cultivate donors — a monthly newsletter, a quarterly magazine for donors and a special effort to touch donors in meaningful and timely ways. Web cultivation, including the rabbi's newsletter and special alerts, touches donors instantaneously using a younger medium.

■ The organization utilizes all channels and takes pains to be sensitive to donors by "honoring their gifts to us, which are very heartfelt and often are truly sacrificial gifts," Cleghorn says.

■ The three-year-old planned-giving program is performing at a high level, and gift annuity and bequest commitments are growing at a strong pace.

■ There is a commitment to think creatively about ways to personally express appreciation to donors.

■ The biggest new emphasis is to go much deeper into data analysis to see trends of renewal and attrition, how best to optimize channels, and continue the investment in strengthening donor 
acquisition.

"Also, core to all we do is that we stay current with issues and events in Israel and those affecting the safety and security of Jews around the world," Cleghorn says. "There is controversy associated with our mission, but many people, especially in America, are very deeply committed to Israel and the Jewish people."

A tricky mission

The nature of IFCJ's mission — to foster understanding between Christians and Jews and foster support from both for humanitarian and social programs in Israel itself — has both positive and negative implications for fundraising and other communications. The mission, for one, lacks broad-based appeal with the general public, so TV and radio programming, mailing lists, etc., are limited.