by Kirk Walden, Advancement Specialist

Okay, so you've got just 10 minutes. Perhaps it's almost time for lunch. Or the day is almost over. Or you are between appointments. Maybe you are at an appointment in the waiting room. And there are those 10 minutes.

What are a few ways to use those few ticks of the clock to build a long-term development plan?

Run a report
If you are in the office, use your donor software to run a quick report. Here are some ideas:

• A list of those who have given just one gift of $50 or more in the past year. This may lead to an effective appeal letter in the near future.
• A list of those who have given three times or more in the last year. Perhaps these are future friends you can ask to consider becoming monthly supporters.
• A list of the Top 100 ministry donors. If you send a short, handwritten note to two of these families or individuals each week, you can reach every person in a year—and take two weeks of vacation, too!
• A list of those who gave gifts last year, but not this year. Ask, "How should I effectively connect with these people in 2015?"

Jot a note
If you have your Top 100 list, pull out a note card and write that quick note. In 10 minutes you might be able to write two!

Google, Bing . . .
Yep, think of a financial partner you don't truly know. Find out more by Googling this person. You might find employment (Linked In), relationships (Facebook), where they live, interests and more. You may even find out why your ministry is important to them, who knows? As in any strong relationship, the more we know about a person, the stronger the relationship can be. Google is only a starting point, because relationships grow through conversations. But it is a 10-Minute Start.

Break down a major project
What is that major initiative the ministry is working toward? If there is one on the drawing table, write down the cost figures and break them down into bite-sized pieces. You might be creating an effective ask for a future appeal letter.

Ten minutes is not a lot of time, but if we use these increments of time to be more effective in our work we will not only free up space in our calendar, we will also build our long-term funding in the process.

Click here for more of this month's Advancement Trends in the Life Community.