“Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master’” (Genesis 24:12-14).

Abraham’s servant faced a challenging assignment to find a bride for Isaac. His instructions were clear—don’t look among the Canaanites, but only among Abraham’s relatives. So, he traveled to Abraham’s native land and stopped at the well outside of Nahor. Many daughters of the townspeople were coming to draw water, but how could he identify the right one? Four applications emerge about finding new donors.

Right Prospect
Finding a bride was a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. Identifying new donors seems similar. Consider scanning your donor database with an asset screening service to identify hidden major donors. It compares your donors with public information to identify those with capacity. Another effective way to discover new prospects is by word of mouth. Encourage your board members to network within their circles of influence.

Right Profile
Abraham’s servant loaded up ten camels with gifts and traveled more than 450 miles to find the right person. It was worth the effort. He walked by many wells until he found one with the best prospects. Non-Christians might give to your ministry because they have similar values, but you must find your main support among God’s people. John writes about missionaries of his day, “For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers” (3 John 1:7 NLT).

Right Preparation
Prayer is key to finding your next major donor. The servant knew he would only be successful with God’s intervention. He prayed three requests: (1) for success—not for his own glory—but to serve Abraham, (2) for God to schedule a divine appointment, and (3) for this young woman to go above and beyond to fulfill his request. There are no coincidences. God opens incredible doors if you ask.

Right Time
When the servant arrived in Nahor, he parked his camels “near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water” (Gen 24:11). He went to the right place at the right time to look for the right person and prayed. Before he finished praying Rebekah showed up with her jar; he ran to her and asked for a drink. Here’s a great fundraising principle: God will lead you to the right donors, but you must ask for their help. Start your relationship by asking for a small gift.

Think About This: As you review your donor list, ask God for success, open hearts, and a generous response. Then go the well, ask, and listen for opportunities.

Response: Lord, please lead me to the right prospective donor at the right time. Give me boldness to ask.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:3-8).

The parable of the four types of soil reveals different heart responses. Jesus’ message of forgiveness was the same for everyone, but not everyone could receive it. Your ministry faces these same reactions from potential donors.

Path
This donor doesn’t resonate at all with your mission. Your message bounces off their heart and never takes root. A donor interested in athletics may not be interested in fine arts and vice versa. You can share all the benefits of your new fine arts building, but your words literally will fall on deaf ears. There is also a spiritual component. The birds came and devoured the seed on the path. The devil will blind your prospective donors to prevent them from giving.

Rocky
This donor makes an emotional response to your appeal but has no genuine connection to your ministry and their support quickly fades. They show promise and may even get involved for a while but when it becomes difficult to give, they lapse because they weren’t committed to your mission. John makes an interesting observation, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19).

Thorns
This person receives your message and responds but has too many other concerns distracting them from generosity. “The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22). Unfortunately, many of your donors are like the rich farmer. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-22).

Good
This donor receives your message and responds generously. Some produce thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred. How should this inform your major donor strategy? You can spend lots of time cultivating relationships with those along the path, on rocky soil, or infested with thorns – yet none of these soils produce fruit. Instead, focus your efforts on donors whose heart connects with yours.

Think About This: One Christian university analyzed their million-dollar gifts and discovered in almost every situation, the donor’s first gift was small, but their gifts grew as their relationship grew. Spend your time in the right soil cultivating gifts which are thirty, so they grow into sixty, one hundred – or even a million.

Response: Lord, please help me discern which donors to invest more time in cultivating.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally” (Colossians 2:1).

The Apostle Paul planted fourteen churches in his lifetime. There is no biblical record that Paul ever traveled to Colossae and yet he had an incredible influence on the believers there. Presumably, the church was established by Epaphras, one of Paul’s friends and coworkers (Col. 1:7). How did Paul make such an amazing impact on people he never met face to face? How can you influence donors you haven’t met yet? Consider these four goals:

Encouraged in Heart
Paul’s desire for the believers he knew and those he didn’t know was “that they may be encouraged in heart” (Col. 2:2). He was serious about this, “I want you to know how hard I am contending for you” (Col. 2:1). How do you encourage people you don’t know? You do it by serving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Mitch was interested in church planting and did an internet search to find a mission that was accomplishing something of eternal value. He found one and sent an initial $1,000 gift.

United in Love
Paul’s second goal was they would be “united in love” (Col. 2:2). No doubt you’ve experienced the unity of the body of Christ. Perhaps you’ve had a conversation with a stranger and discovered they are a believer. Immediately, you have a common bond. This is one of the reasons donors who don’t know you yet, can quickly get to know you. You’re not just friends, you’re family. The ministry thanked Mitch for his gift and visited him to share more information. Mitch signed up for $1,000 a month.

Complete Understanding
Encouragement and unity laid the foundation, but Paul’s final goal for the believers was to have complete spiritual understanding. Donor relationships start by being encouraged in heart and grow deeper by being united in love, but the goal is for your donor to have a complete picture of what your ministry accomplishes for the Lord. Mitch learned more about the ministry’s mission, vision, and impact from a gift officer, executive director, and even the founder. He responded with a $60,000 gift.

Christ
What moves a donor from initial gift to major gift? It’s “the mystery of God, namely Christ” (Col. 2:4). When you focus on developing a Christ-centered ministry, those donors who are gospel-focused will find you. Paul connected with these donors three ways: (a) He never stopped praying for them (see Col. 1:9), (b) They learned of him through mutual friends: Epaphras, Tychichus, Onesimus, Philemon, and others (see Col. 4:7-17), and (c) He wrote personal greetings (see Col. 4:15). When Mitch was asked if he would support a capital campaign, he indicated a gift of $100,000!

Think About This: Even though many believers in Colossae never met Paul personally they knew him from their mutual friends and his writing. You will find new donors through your mutual friends and writing. Cultivating them from an initial gift to a major gift depends on how well you tell your story and ask.

Response: Lord, help me work hard to encourage the donors I don’t know yet.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” (John 12:7).

One of the most beautiful scenes in Scripture occurs during Holy Week when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus. Lazarus was reclining at the table and Martha was serving when Mary took a pint of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head and feet wiping his feet with her hair. Immediately, the whole house was filled with its fragrance. Judas Iscariot was indignant and judged her generosity, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor” (John 12:5)? Jesus defended her extravagance and proclaimed she was preparing his body for burial. We can glean at least four applications from this passage.

Saving
The perfume was worth about a year’s wages. Can you imagine giving a gift equal to your annual salary? Probably Lazarus, Mary, and Martha had all been saving for a special occasion. Thrifty people are not necessarily stingy people; they are just selective about when and what they support. A donor who had given $25 a month indicated a $500,000 gift for a capital campaign. When asked what prompted his generous response, he replied, “You didn’t need it until now.” Mary decided this was the perfect time to offer her sacrificial gift.

Giving
Mary gave her elaborate gift to a friend who had walked with her for years. She sat at Jesus’ feet attentively soaking in the Word of God and then witnessed the miraculous resurrection of her brother. Receiving Lazarus back from the dead was worth far more than a year’s wages. Mary’s sacrificial gift was motivated by love for the Lord and appreciation for what he had done in their lives. Have you walked with your major donors through their joys and sorrows? Has your ministry changed them for eternity? Donors give to the degree your ministry has directly touched their heart.

Donor Intent
Some questioned Mary’s generosity claiming her gift could have been used for better purposes. Everyone has an opinion about how others should spend, invest, and give their resources. Donors leave specific instructions to guarantee their estate gifts will fund projects they support. Perhaps you remember the old saying, “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’, then you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’!” As a ministry, you must abide by your donor’s intentions for their gift. Know your donors so well that you can align your needs with their desires.

Extravagance
We remember Mary’s extravagant gift because she anointed Jesus’ body for burial. What compelling reason will prompt your donors to give extravagantly to your ministry? Asking for annual support just to maintain the status quo is a major demotivator and won’t move your donors to tap into their investment accounts. You must present unique giving opportunities which will make an eternal difference. Do you have a significant project worthy of your donors’ legacy?

Think About This: Someone will always be critical of a donor’s motive or their gift. To some, Mary’s perfume was wasted. To Jesus, it was a sweet smelling sacrifice. Don’t let others discourage your major donors from being generous.

Response: Father, I praise you for each sacrificial gift. Help me honor their generosity.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread” (1 Kings 17:7-11).

God supplied Elijah’s needs during the famine with a brook and a raven. When the brook dried up, God provided for Elijah through a widow. Should we ask for gifts during an economic crisis? Elijah did but the widow pushed back, “I only have a handful of flour and a little oil in a jug” (1 Kings 17:12). Amazingly, Elijah asked a second time and shared this promise, “Don’t be afraid… ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land’” (vs. 13-14). This passage teaches four truths about asking.

Asking Tests a Donor’s Priorities
The widow’s plan was to prepare a last meal for herself and her son and die. Elijah’s request forced her to reprioritize her meager resources. Would she believe and give what she had or hoard it for herself and die? Your donors face the same challenge, “How can I be sure God will open the floodgates of heaven and pour out his blessings (see Mal. 3:10)?” When you ask for a gift, you give your donors an opportunity to respond in faith with a generous gift.

Asking Triggers God’s Blessing
Who benefited from Elijah’s request? Elijah, the widow, and her son. Before this encounter, they were doomed to starvation; afterward, they had abundant flour and oil. Who benefits when a donor gives to your ministry? You do because you have resources to fulfill your mission. But the major beneficiary of the gift is the giver. Paul taught, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account” (Phil. 4:17).

Asking Teaches the Asker to Trust God
Fundraisers tend to rate donors on external indicators, but generosity is not necessarily connected to a person’s net worth. Some wealthy Christians are paupers when it comes to giving. Look for donors who are “rich in faith” (James 2:5). The widow gave more with her two mites than all the gold of the Pharisees combined because she gave all she had (see Luke 21:1–3).

Asking Establishes Long-Term Relationships
Direct mail creates distance between the asker and giver. Personal solicitation bridges the gap. Some are afraid to ask for money for fear it will strain relationships but asking for a gift can establish relationships which will last for eternity. Imagine Elijah, the widow, and her son fellowshipping around the table as they rejoiced in God’s amazing provision. Asking is ministry. Cultivate personal relationships with your major donors.

Think About This: Praise the Lord for those with faith to ask boldly and for those who give generously when asked.

Response: Lord, give me boldness to ask even in tough economic times.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6.8).

Israel wanted to know how they could please God. Would he be satisfied with burnt offerings of year-old calves (Micah 6:6b), or thousands of rams “with ten thousand rivers of olive oil” (Micah 6:7a)? They even asked if they should offer their firstborn sons as a sacrifice to God (Micah 6:7b). What exactly did God want from them? The answer to their sin problem wasn’t more religion but changed hearts, “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly.”
Submitting grant proposals can be intimidating. What does the foundation require in their grant application? Are there any magic words to guarantee a positive response? Should you submit the results of your last physical and a note from your doctor? Would including photos of your children increase your chances? Grant makers are interested in these five items

Share the problem.
Some problems are easy to understand. The prophet Agabus foretold of a great famine spreading throughout the whole world (see Acts 11:27-30). Natural disasters cause people to dig a little deeper because the needs are so great. Your problem might not make the headlines, but it may be even more critical. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord’” (Amos 8:11).

Share your plan to address the problem (activity).
Their solution was straightforward. “The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea” (Acts 17:29). Your solution has three possible elements (1) people, (2) program, or (3) property. Your plan must make business sense.

Share why this activity will make a difference (relevance).
Relevant strategies are helpful and on point. The disciple sent their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. Foundations want to know you have the strategy and capacity to accomplish your goal. It’s not enough just to have activity, you must produce results. What data will prove your solution works?

Share what you expect to happen because of your activity (impact).
Foundations are outcome-focused and want their grants to be catalysts for change. Your outcome isn’t the new building or even the new program, it’s how these tools will produce tangible results in the lives of those you serve.

Share a specific request.
Foundations want to know what you want. They are not the expert on your issue you, you are. Ask for a specific amount. They might not give that amount, but they want a number. A good rule of thumb is to not ask for more than 10% of the goal. Thankfully, there are exceptions to every rule.

Think About This: Treat grant makers like major donors and seek to reach out to them personally. Your personal touch might lift your proposal to the top of the list.

Response: Father, please give me wisdom to navigate our foundation strategy. Help me identify and approach the foundations whose giving interest aligns with our mission.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me… You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. (2 Timothy 1:16-18).

The greatest challenge for many non-profits is finding more donors. Onesiphorus could be the patron saint of donor research. He was Paul’s colleague in Ephesus who searched for him until he found him in Rome. You may need to revive old friendships like Onesiphorus with Paul, or you may be searching for new ministry partners. A successful donor acquisition strategy involves analyzing your database for lapsed donors, networking and relationship building, and marketing and promotional campaigns. Start with the strategies Onesiphorus used.

Search Hard
We are blessed to live in the information age, but there is no one magic database to answer the question, “Where’s Waldo?” Recruit a team of volunteers to research Facebook, LinkedIn, and your old student directories to update your donor information. Consider subscribing to an address search service. Enlist someone who has been with your organization for years and knows everyone and their cousin and task them with namestorming a list of past and potential donors.

Find
Onesiphorus was persistent. He didn’t have our modern research tools. Instead, he had old-fashioned sandal-leather and began knocking on doors and talking with anyone who would listen. Encourage your board members to identify potential donors. Networking is your best donor research strategy. One donor scrolled through his iPhone address book and shared thirty-five potential donors he would be willing to introduce to the ministry.

Help
What is your motivation for finding new donors? Is it so they can help you, or is it so you can help them? Our overarching donor engagement perspective should be to help donors grow in the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:7). Your donors will benefit more from your conversation than you will. Paul said, “Not that I desire your gifts, what I desire is that more be credited to your account” (Phil. 4:17). Your mission should be to help your donors “lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Tim. 6:19).

Refresh
Onesiphorus refreshed Paul again and again. One way to refresh your donors is to share good news about everything God is accomplishing in your ministry. Donors love to hear stories of changed lives. “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (Prov. 25:25). Do you encourage and reenergize your donors? Are they invigorated by your mission, vision, and results? Do your donors love to see you coming because of the joy you bring them? Encourage your donors and they will encourage you. “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Prov. 11:25).

Think About This: A board member made this great observation, “Everyone in our organization needs to be constantly in conversations with people to find out where God is hiding money!”

Response: Father, please give me persistence to find new donors. Lead me to the ministry partners you’ve assigned to help us.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer” (Nehemiah 6:3-4).

God assigned Nehemiah the task of building the wall around Jerusalem. He was a capable leader who rallied the people to make tremendous strides despite severe opposition. His enemies responded with anger, insults, and threats of violence to impede his progress, but nothing worked. The children of Israel stayed on time and on task. Then his foes thought of a devious plan—invite him to a meeting! Every fundraiser should follow Nehemiah’s time management strategy.

Your Work Matters
Nehemiah realized he was involved in a great project. Israel’s future hinged on his success. Without the wall, the people would be vulnerable to attack. The completed wall would allow people to go about their daily lives to work and worship in peace. Others in your organization might not see your value but your job as a fundraiser is critical to your ministry’s success. Without resources, you won’t be able to provide for those you serve.

Stay Focused
Nehemiah realized unnecessary meetings would distract him, burn time, and prevent him from accomplishing his goal. So, he declined the meeting request, “I cannot come to your meeting. I am involved in a critical job. Why should I leave it and go to your meeting?” Set your priorities and stick to them. If the meeting doesn’t directly relate to bringing in resources, assign someone else. Your primary job is building donor relationships. Stay focused on your task and stay in your lane.

Avoid Unnecessary Meetings
Meetings are a necessary evil of every organization. You will be tempted to accept every meeting request because you want to be a team player. You might even have a special expertise that would add value to a meeting outside your department. Don’t do it. You must graciously decline time and time again. The most effective use of your time is spent identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major donors.

Stay Vigilant
You’ve got to admire Nehemiah’s single-mindedness. They kept asking and asking hoping he would acquiesce, but Nehemiah turned them down every time. Instead of your colleagues asking you to help them accomplish their department goals; turn the tables and ask them to help you raise money. At the end of the fiscal year, you will be evaluated on how much money you raised, not on how many meetings you attended. You can’t avoid every meeting but learn to say “NO!” more often.

Think About This: Elon Musk of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter believes meetings “are what happens when people aren’t working.” He has three rules for meetings: (1) No large meetings, (2) No frequent meetings, and (3) Don’t be afraid to leave. “Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren’t adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.”

Response: Father, give me wisdom to know how to manage my time well. Help me ignore things that distract me and concentrate on things that matter.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).

Scripture records many times when God’s people remembered the Lord’s blessing in their lives. Samuel erected a stone to memorialize Israel’s victory over the Philistines. “Ebenezer” means “Thus far has the Lord helped us.” Every time someone walked by the “Stone of Help” they would pause, reflect, and rejoice because the Lord’s great victory. We can learn five important fundraising lessons about celebrating your victories.

Victory
This victory was special (see 1 Sam. 7:7-11). Israel asked Samuel to cry out to the Lord on their behalf. Samuel prayed and the LORD cracked a loud thunder over the Philistines scaring the daylights out of them and giving Israel a resounding victory. There was no question, God showed up in a miraculous way. We should approach our fundraising challenges with the same attitude. We will succeed only if God provides! If you could succeed by yourself, you would take all the credit.

Celebrate
As fundraisers we are so focused on achieving our current and future needs, we sometimes neglect to celebrate how God has already blessed. Our all-consuming goal is the annual operating fund deadline on June 30^th, then on July 1^st we start all over on next year’s budget. We push right through and forget to thank God for his provision. We also forget to celebrate and thank our donors for how God used them to help us. Give your team and your donors a sense of accomplishment.

Remember
How will you remember your donors who helped you accomplish your successful capital campaign? Some create thank you walls listing all the donors who contributed. Others record the list of donors in the annual report or remembrance book. Perhaps you could host a special worship service or celebration banquet. Whatever you do to thank your donors, be sure to reflect all the praise to the Lord. “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another” (Isa. 42:8).

Thus Far…
Samuel added “thus far” to his inscription. Just because you celebrate, doesn’t mean you’re finished raising money. You have more spiritual work to do and more lives to change. You will need your donors’ help for the next victory. Don’t short-change your celebration event by launching the next campaign. Be sure to communicate 100% gratitude and 0% ask. There will be plenty of time to cast your next vision.

The Lord
When you celebrate what the Lord has done, you inspire the next generation fundraisers to also walk by faith. “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known” (Hab. 3:2). Just as you have been encouraged by those who’ve gone before you, give those who come behind you something to strive for. God can do it again!

Think About This: Don’t forget, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17).

Response: Lord, you have graciously provided for us. We give you all the glory for our success!

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” (Mark 14:13-14).

This curious story from Holy Week feels like a scene from a spy thriller. “You will meet a man wearing a pink carnation. Follow him.” One explanation is Jesus was protecting his disciples by keeping the location of the Last Supper a secret from the Jewish leaders. The disciples obeyed Jesus’ instructions and found everything as he said. This story teaches four fundraising lessons.

Go Meet
Often when we dig into our donor database, we don’t see many wealthy people. One major gift officer lamented, “I would like to find a few donors who have more than two nickels to rub together!” Jesus scheduled his disciples for this unusual divine appointment. The disciples didn’t have to search for the man carrying a jar of water because “he will meet you.” Be aware of every person who comes across your path. The Holy Spirit can lead you to the right person at the right time.

Follow
The nugget in this gospel account is the man carrying the jar of water wasn’t the owner of the house who provided for their needs. He led them to the owner of the house. You may not have many major donors on your list, but perhaps you know someone who can introduce you to high impact donors. Look for connectors who are wired. Always ask, “Who do you know that might be interested in our project?”

The Owner
One important fundraising principle is, “Never take a “no” from someone who can’t give you a “yes.” The servant with the water jar wasn’t the decision-maker, the homeowner was. As you research your potential donors, determine if you’re talking with the right person or if there someone else who will make the final decision. You might be talking with the son, when it’s the father or grandmother who will decide whether to support your ministry and for how much.

Specific Ask
You are not asking for yourself but for your ministry. Give your donors the opportunity to make an eternal difference with their gift. When the disciples asked the owner for help, they framed their request as, “The Teacher asks…” They had a specific request. Asking for a specific amount or a range gives your donor something new to consider. Perhaps you can frame your request like this, “Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us for a gift in the range of _____ to _____?

Think About This: A major gift officer asked a donor to refer someone who might be interested in supporting the ministry. The donor replied, “Our very best friends shared with us last week that they made $300,000 in the stock market.” The gift officer searched the database and found this prospective couple had already given several smaller gifts, so he renewed their relationship. Eventually, this “new” donor gave a $75,000 gift.

Response: Lord, open my eyes to the divine appointments you have scheduled for me.

Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.