Strategic Gift Designs was launched in December 2002, focusing on “high-end” giving for Rescue Missions. Strategic Gift Designs could be the solution for your next Capital Campaign or Major Gift development level. Strategic Gift Designs offers a customized approach to structuring campaigns to exceed expectations and provide on-going major funding. Strategic Gift Designs is a sister company to Strategic Consulting, where Kenneth Click is the Founder/President.

Notes from a very blessed Rescue Mission

Almost from the beginning of working with this mission we have painstakingly followed the best practices for prospecting and evaluating leader names and wealth names throughout community and surrounding area. When followed, these methods work and they give (a) time for participants to gain emboldened confidence to move out, (b) a time a of solidifying their personal commitment of commensurate portions of their time, their talent and their treasury to be given, and (c) the sheer joy of employing best practices looking for, finding, and researching a prospect's full potential.

That is the case here in story . A member of our team – a born-and-bread town person, now a widow and in her 70's, socialite at one time, knows everyone personally – found a very special name that had slipped by us in the beginning. Upon querying some people, she obtained his address. Her sources were telling her that, in recent “decades,” this person had chosen to stay in the background and not seek any limelight.

He quietly built his fortune in land, buying and selling.

So our team member sent him a letter about the mission – it’s longevity in the community, and it’s role of improving the lives of men in their care. He responded with, “Please come by and tell me more.” She did and, at the conclusion of this meeting, she invited him to take a tour of the mission. He was aware of the mission, but had not been there before and asked if he could bring his son and two daughters? Of course, was the answer!

During the campus tour, they entered the newly renovated 1908 Fire Station, and proceeded to the second floor. When they looked southerly out a back window, the father (our prospect) told a story to his children about the green house that is 80-100 yards from the building they were in. The green house had been childhood home were there mother grew up as a little girl! It was, I'm told, quite an emotional time for the family to enjoy those moments of reflection and remembrance of their now-departed mother.

As the family left, the father said, “We want to do something in the name of my wife, their mother, that could help fulfill the dreams for the Women & Children's Shelter. We will get back with you shortly.” This was early December 2005.

When further questions were answered within a week or two, the father and the son, who handles the day-to-day operations of their business and foundation, said they were closing some significant real estate transactions at the end of January and would talk again with us regarding their final decision.

By mid-February of this year, they made their gift decision and decided on naming opportunities, specifically the naming on both the Fire House and the soon-to-be-built Women & Children's Shelter.

On Monday, March 6, 2006, with the public present, the mission dedicated the Fire House building and conducted the groundbreaking for the Women & Children's Shelter -- in the snow (3” over a 24-hour span, temperatures of 30° and a slight breeze putting a chill on everything). Despite the weather, nearly 100 leaders across the community attended and shared in the moment.

Our prospect, wishing to shun any public notice or attention, called and said he would not be attending but would come to the office the following morning to finalize his gift intentions. Promptly at 9am, he and his son arrived to discuss the details of the namings, and then toured the second floor of the Fire House once again. As they stood at the window and looked out upon the green house just a short distance away, it reminded them of their present purpose: to help.

Their exit was brief, leaving with these words, “We will deliver you a check on Friday, March 10 th, in the sum of $1,000,000 to name each of the two buildings.”

It just seems to me that God's people – doing the work of His Son – who are open and willing to employ the methods and practices that work best in a spirit of cooperation and anticipation will see the bearing of fruit soon appear. The glory of God is shown, and the Kingdom of God is further spread.

In Christ’s Love,

Ken Wilcox