We realize that you have many opportunities to give, and we appreciate your choice to come alongside us during this critical time in our nation’s history. Listed below is a summary of goals and ministry needs for the upcoming year. We never take your kindness for granted, and our prayer is that God would give you the wisdom and discernment to determine if He may be leading you to join us in our challenge to call America to prayer.
*The National Day of Prayer Task Force is an independent non-profit 501©(3) ministry. It is not affiliated with Focus on the Family and does not receive government funding.
One of our major goals is to become a “World Class Ministry, doing World Class Business.” We believe that as stewards of God’s funds, the Task Force must be accountable for every dollar. All funds are allocated as follows: 80% ministry outreach, 12% administrative support, and 8% donor development. These percentages are held against current national para-church ministry standards of 75% ministry outreach, 20% administrative support, and 5% donor development. (It is typical for a small developing ministry like NDP to have greater fundraising needs.)
Functional Expenses
As a result, strong ministry impact can be seen through the uniting of the local churches, establishing ongoing prayer groups, transforming cities through prayer, and leading people to Christ. For more specific information on these areas of impact, please click here.
General Operational Support $1,086,627
The three strategic operational areas: Ministry Outreach, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications
Prayer Resources
The Task Force strives to provide quality resources to encourage and inspire individuals in their personal prayer lives, as well as the products needed for community, church, military and school observances. These resources are designed to teach, equip and help mobilize the body of Christ to pray for our local and national leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family. Our product line includes everything from bulletin inserts for churches, theme posters for community awareness to books on prayer intended for personal growth. Each year a theme-centered book by our Honorary Chairman is written especially for the National Day of Prayer. Not only do these resources drive our message, but they help fund over 20% of our efforts.
3 key projects in this area:
Churches
Come alongside pastors and lay leaders who desperately desire to see their congregation unite in prayer for our nation. With a donation of only $68.99, you are able to provide a church with our Complete Event Kit, including resources and DVDs needed to host and promote a National Day of Prayer observance. Our goal is to equip 400 churches in 2012 ($27,596).
Support the NDP Church Scholarship today
Education
Preserve the truth about early American history and the lives and faith of our nation’s founding fathers. With a gift of $180 you can place “Drive Thru History America: Foundation of Character” in one of our country’s public schools. The National Day of Prayer Task Force worked with historian David Barton and renowned curriculum developers to create this resource to align with public school’s social studies standards. Our goal is to place “Drive Thru History America” in 200 schools in 2012 ($36,000).
Military
Encourage the faith of our military with a devotional book. Your gift of $10 will cover all shipping costs and enable those who request the books to receive them free of charge. Our goal is to send 3,000 devotionals in 2012.
Grassroots Ministry
Coordinator Network $103,200
The NDP Coordinator Network is a grassroots effort of more than 12,000 volunteers across the country, and it is the very heart of our ministry. Last year, more than 3 million Americans participated in prayer observances, from small church gatherings to stadium rallies. It is their dedication, passion, and burden for our nation that drives God’s people to unite in prayer for America and its leaders. Our challenge is to educate, equip and encourage our coordinators in order to grow this network and increase our ability to impact the nation through prayer.
Two key projects in this area:
Enable a Prayer Mobilization Task Force in your state. Help us recruit, train and equip prayer coordinators to mobilize your state in prayer not only on the National Day of Prayer but throughout the year. (To cover all 50 states, we need to raise $90,000. It costs $1,800 per state.)
National Prayer Calls – your help will enable NDP to unite the nation in prayer via the phone and web. Our last prayer call had over 10,000 people on the call interceding on behalf of America. Each call costs $1,100 to support enough lines. Our goal is to have 1 call per month ($13,200)
Coordinator Conference $49,508 (National Prayer Summit)
Each year, hundreds of NDP Coordinators gather at the Task Force headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a weekend of intense training and prayer. Our annual Coordinator Conference is designed to equip and encourage our growing grassroots network for their ministry efforts both on the National Day of Prayer and throughout the year. Workshop topics include event planning and media promotion, as well as specialized seminars designed to help our coordinators deal with relevant issues and conflicts they may encounter in the planning process of their events.
Coordinator Network NAL Support $54,000
Our grassroots volunteer network is supported by eight National Area Leaders (NALS). Each NAL oversees six to nine State Coordinators from our 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in a concerted effort to transform their communities through prayer. Their goal is to move prayer observances from a day to a discipline of personal repentance and intercession. Throughout the year, our leadership team meets with local volunteers in their assigned states helping recruit, train, equip and motivate local leaders to move their cities toward spiritual transformation.
National Observance $108,252
Each year, our National Observance in Washington, D.C. represents the millions of prayer gatherings made possible by the Christian heritage established in this very city. It not only brings citizens, supporters, and prominent leaders together to experience the power of corporate prayer, it draws national media attention from major broadcasting venues. It also increases our large donor base by over 20%, resulting in the opportunity for increased funding for our fast-growing ministry. May 3, 2012, we will be joined by Honorary Chairman Dr. David Jeremiah and representatives from each branch of our nation’s government.
Creative Services $54,000
In the past, the Task Force has received the support of an in-house advertising agency for theme collateral material and product development. In order to support our growth and outreach, we will need to replace these venues and hire a manager to oversee and engage contracted creative and public relations services. This new position is critical for NDP to maintain the integrity of our message and to control our identity in a fast-growing national presence.
Website $26,590
The National Day of Prayer Web site (www.nationaldayofprayer.org) is one of the most widely used and effect tools we offer. Over 3 million people visit the site each year. It features valuable resources and training information, as well as inspirational material to help people grow deeper in their prayer life.
In the months leading up to the National Day of Prayer, millions of people will visit our national map of prayer observances. Coordinators and church leaders across the nation can easily post events, not only for the National Day of Prayer, but throughout the year.
Our Web site also offers Webcasts of live events, interactive forums, educational materials, connection to thousands of prayer intercessors who prayer for individual needs, and access to the latest social networking tools like Facebook.
National Media Campaign $67,400
85% of Americans claim to be either Catholic or Protestant, acknowledging Jesus of the Bible. However, only a small percentage will hear our message through listening to Christian radio or going to Christian bookstores. Instead, NDP must reach them through national media outlets to increase exposure, encourage participation in local events, and truly call this nation to prayer. Staff and agency support are essential to facilitate this nation-wide media presence.
In order to implement a significant national media presence and drive awareness and participation with the National Day of Prayer, there are two components that must be in place: earned media and purchased media.
The National Day of Prayer has been very successful in generating earned media from a purchased media base at a ratio of over 31 to 1. A true national campaign must reach over 280 million individuals an average of 8 times in a four week period. (Industry experts have proven that an individual needs to be impacted with a message 6-8 times before they act.) The resulting frequency of our message should increase participation in NDP events by 60% and draw an additional 31,000 individuals to hear the Gospel message.
Here are 3 key projects within Media:
- Send an NDP public service announcement to a television station now for only $35 – NDP has arranged the spot placement but your gift will help us send high quality tapes to every local station around the nation. (Our goal is to send PSAs to 200 television stations in 2011 = $7,000)
- Help NDP record and place positive prayer messages on the radio for only $50 per spot. Our goal is to cover at least 808 stations ($40,400)
- As we expand on the world wide web, we need your help to make sure the National Day of Prayer is at the top of Google and Yahoo especially when people need help on prayer. It costs us $80 per state per month. Our goal is to cover at least 5 months of placed search ads ($20,000)
Summary
When you make a donation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, you help to support the efforts of nearly 40,000 volunteer coordinators across the nation. Good stewardship is very important to us, and each gift is used wisely and carefully to best support our mission. We know that each gift represents personal sacrifice, and it is our commitment to use each donation to achieve the maximum impact for the Lord’s work.
With your partnership, we hope to reengage believers across the country with the urgency and priority of prayer. As God’s name continues to be stripped from our national government, the Task Force is committed to standing strong for America’s freedoms of religious expression. This includes our Constitutional rights to gather, worship and pray in the public square. For generations, prayer has remained an integral part of America’s institutional heritage, and we must be intentional in preserving this historical foundation of faith by calling our nation to prayer.
This year, thousands of events will be held in all 50 states and territories. A powerful series of television and radio commercials will reach an audience of nearly 90 million people through the secular media and an additional 25 million through Christian media outlets. And once more, a prominent National Day of Prayer observance will be held in our nation’s capitol, reclaiming the historical grounds of prayer and faith established by our founding fathers.
Together, we can make a difference. With your help, the power of prayer in the Christian community will continue to be a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5.14).
Thank you for your commitment to the NDP mission of calling our nation to prayer.
