The Five P's Strategy
As a District Chair of the Annual Program Fund (APF), your work will revolve around what we call the Five Ps: Pledging, Projections, Push, Praise and Personal Contacts.Pledging
- Pledging for the next fiscal year begins in mid-May, when the APF Office sends pledge forms to all congregations. The APF Office sends duplicate forms in late October to congregations that have not yet responded.
- Membership numbers and expenses reported by congregations by February 1st are the basis for the Fair Share requested in the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1st .
- District Chairs/committees are asked to provide follow-up with congregations that have not responded with a pledge by the mid-November.
There are many reasons for encouraging pledges from congregations. Congregations that pledge are more likely to honor their commitment. Pledging increases the accuracy of projected income. Pledging also increases the likelihood that APF contributions will become a regular part of a congregation's budget. Since all congregations regularly ask for pledges for operating and capital expenses, this approach should be familiar and acceptable to most congregations.
Projections
- The APF Office provides projection sheets and guidelines electronically in January to District Chairs. Information is gathered by District Chairs/committees in February, projecting year-end contributions for each congregation and the total for the district.
- District Chairs send completed Projections to the APF Office by the date specified by the APF Director (usually early March) .
- The APF Office compiles the data and provides it to the UUA Administration and the UUA Board Finance Committee for their April meeting.
Projections provide an ideal time to make contact with your congregations. Having a well-trained committee will make the task easier. It may be necessary to talk to ministers, treasurers or other congregation members to determine a congregation's intentions. If you have a pledge, decide if it is reliable, and follow up to confirm if there is any question. Follow up if the pledge is close to—but not at—Fair Share. If the congregation has not pledged, a personal contact is strongly recommended. This is an opportunity to thank them for past contributions and to talk about the possibility of increasing in the future if they are not Fair Share. Utilize district leadership for information about congregations that may be having problems. If, after submitting projections, you become aware of a significant change, please be sure to notify the APF Assistant.
It is essential that you submit projections in a timely manner and that they be as accurate as possible. The UUA Board and Finance Committee use these projections to monitor current year income and expenditures.
Push (Pay by May)
- The Push campaign begins in May, when District Chairs/committees review the District Monthly Report and note congregations that have paid less than expected to-date.
- Guidelines for which congregations to contact personally are provided by the APF Director.
- District Chairs/committees encourage congregations to pay by the end of May to ensure receipt and proper crediting of their contributions—especially if the congregations intend to have delegates at General Assembly.
The idea is to remind congregations of their commitments to their Association and to try to maximize contributions. Do not assume that because a pledge has been made, that payments will be made promptly and timely. Payments are often late or delayed through inattention or error. The Push campaign is an essential part of the total APF campaign, and telephone calls to selected congregations can be very effective in increasing contributions.
Praise
Both the APF Office and the district APF committees thank congregations for their support of the UUA and the larger movement.
- Delegates to General Assembly from Honor Congregations (full Fair Share), Merit Congregations (20% increase over previous FY's contribution) and Leadership Congregations (top 50 contributors in previous fiscal year) receive ribbons and coordinated beads to wear at GA. "Coupons" for them are included with the registration materials if the congregation has paid by the end of May. Otherwise, they are available at the APF display table.
- Honor and Merit Congregations receive certificates of appreciation with a cover letter from the APF Office. Honor Congregation certificates are mailed to the "early birds" after the second and/or third quarters and in late summer for the remainder. Their names are included in the fall issue of UU WORLD magazine and in the Annual Report on Giving. Leadership Congregations receive a thank you letter along with a "premium," such as a book or video.
- The APF Office sends letters of appreciation to congregations that have made a contribution, even when the contribution is less than Fair Share.
- District Chairs/committees are asked to recognize Honor, Merit and Leadership Congregations at district events, in newsletters, by providing district certificates and/or personal thank you letters or in other creative ways. Recognition of all contributions is strongly encouraged.
Personal Contacts
- District Chairs/committees are asked to contact congregations for specific reasons (e.g., projections), but are also encouraged to be alert to other opportunities to build relationships with them. The tone of all contacts should be positive and contribute to a good relationship with the UUA. The district directory will help you to set up a contact list.
- Personal visits are strongly encouraged during the year, perhaps with another district leader (e.g., President, Trustee), to provide information and to get feedback on needs, services provided, the nature of their support for (or lack of support for) the UUA and the broader movement's direction, etc.
Personal visits to a congregation can be effective if well planned and if you are comfortable making them. Face to face discussion permits better understanding of the situation in a congregation and makes it easier to discuss the APF story. In some cases the visit may be to an individual, while in others it can be to talk to a Board, or even to the entire congregation.
The agenda for the visit should be developed based on the congregation's current situation. Thank them for their APF contributions and listen carefully to what they say. Answer questions if you can and promise to get back to them on questions you were unable to answer. Research the congregation before the visit. Such things as past APF giving, budgets, problems and successes are important. Do not bypass the minister. Even if the invitation came from a member, talk to the minister before visiting. Above all, be positive!
It is worthwhile to visit congregations that have been Fair Share and ones that are improving as well as any that are poor contributors. There is no set number of visits to be made.
After the meeting, send a short letter thanking the congregation for the opportunity to visit. Be sure to supply any information you may have been promised during the visit. Give feedback to the APF Director especially if problems have come to light during the visit.
District meetings and General Assembly also offer opportunities to visit with ministers and congregational leaders.
For more information contact apf @ uua.org.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
