“And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved” (Genesis 43:14).

Navigating major donor relationships can be tricky. We worry about what to do and what not to do, what to say and what not to say. Joseph’s brothers’ first visit with the governor did not go well. He questioned them, accused them of spying, and threw them in jail. Eventually, he sold them grain and allowed them to return home but with two caveats (a) one of them had to stay, and (b) they had to bring their youngest brother when they returned. They sulked home with their tails between their legs and told their father the bad news. The famine continued but when they reached the desperation point, Israel sent his sons back to Egypt to buy more grain. Their second visit teaches us four lessons about repairing major donor relationships.

Questions
Israel had lots of questions about their first visit, “Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?” (Gen. 43:7). They didn’t mean to reveal sensitive information, they were just answering questions. After your major donor visit, it’s easy to second guess yourself about what you said wrong or shouldn’t have said at all. It’s important to critique yourself but remember the Spirit is in control of your conversation and will guide your words (see Matt. 10:19-20).

Answers
Major donors ask tough questions about your theology, mission, vision, strategic plans, budget, and financial projections. Judah knew they must be ready with answers before they approached the governor. “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you” (Gen. 43:5). If your donor asked you a question that you couldn’t answer the first time, do your homework, and bring the right answers.

Assumptions
The brothers thought they were in trouble when they were escorted to Joseph’s house. They jumped to conclusions about the silver left in their sacks on the previous visit, “He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys” (Gen 43:18). Meeting with major donors can be intimidating but don’t assume that you know what your donor is thinking. Listen and let them speak for themselves.

Relationships
Major donor relationships are built upon trust. The brothers demonstrated their good faith intentions by taking gifts, apologizing for the silver in the sack incident, and showing genuine humility. Joseph responded by showing concern for their father, instructing his servant to reassure them about the silver issue, and hosting them for an extravagant dinner. These relationship building moments broke the tension and paved the way for reconciliation. When you have history with a donor, restoration takes time and actions. “Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for” (Prov. 16:6).

Think About This: Israel was afraid of a bad outcome, so he delayed sending his sons to Egypt. In retrospect, he had more to gain than to lose. Are you procrastinating a stressful major donor conversation? Reach out today. You also have more to gain than to lose.

Response: Father, please give me wisdom to repair my broken major donor relationships.

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was” Luke 19:2-3.

Every nonprofit organization is on the lookout for major donors. Whom do you know? Whom do your board members know? Whom do your other major donors know? What do you do if you run out of leads? How can you find new major donors? Qualified donors must possess these three characteristics: (1) a link to your ministry, (2) a giving interest that aligns with your mission, and (3) the ability to give a major gift. Zacchaeus was an unlikely major donor, but Jesus searched him out and transformed his life.

Ability
Everybody in town knew Zacchaeus was wealthy because he had overcharged them on their taxes. Discovering a prospective donor’s ability is the easiest of the three characteristics. There are many external wealth indicators that a wealth screening service can identify. What does your prospective donor do for a living? Where do they live? What do they drive? A board member instructed a consultant, “You need to approach Christian athletes because they have a lot of money.” The consultant asked, “Do you know anyone personally?” The board member responded, “No, but you can look it up.” It’s true you can search the internet for the salaries of athletes or even executives who work for a publicly traded company, but ability isn’t enough.

Interest
Word got out that Jesus was coming to town and Zacchaeus was interested. Perhaps he had heard the good news of Jesus restoring sight to Bartimaeus (see Luke 18:35-43). Zacchaeus was height-challenged so he climbed his famous sycamore tree to get a closer look. Why would a major donor want to take a closer look at your ministry? The answer is because they see results. Your impact stories separate you from other organizations. If your ministry is making an eternal difference, word will get out and major donors will notice.

Link
Finding personal connections to your ministry is the most challenging step in major donor development. Zacchaeus did not have a link to Jesus, so Jesus created a link. In fact, Zacchaeus was the reason Jesus went to Jericho. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Some criticized Jesus for pursuing Zacchaeus (see Luke 19:7). Some may criticize you for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting a major donor who doesn’t fit your typical donor profile. Links to prospective donors come through many different networks. Pursue them all.

Gift
Zacchaeus’ heart was totally transformed by his encounter with Jesus, and he demonstrated it by his generosity. “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor” (Luke 11:9). What unlocks this level of generosity? First, your donor needs to experience Jesus personally, and secondly, your donor needs to see how their gift will help bring others to Jesus.

Think About This: Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ home to spend time with him. That’s where personal conversations happen. As a ministry leader, you should make it a priority to visit your key prospects in their homes and share your ministry stories.

Response: Please guide me to major donors who can partner with 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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13 NLT).

One day each believer will stand before the Lord to give an account of what they accomplished in this life for him. Jeremiah reminds us that God’s examination will be thorough, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve” (Jer. 17:10). This reminder of final accountability should motivate each of us to “make the most of every opportunity” (Eph. 5:16).

Fundraisers make choices every day how to invest their time. Some busy themselves with wood, hay, and straw activities, others focus on gold, silver, and jewels. How can you know the difference?

Wood, Hay, & Straw
The list of fundraising activities is endless: 5k fun runs, galas, golf outings, concerts, auctions, etc. While these events can be fun and create great public awareness, they may not be the highest and best use of your staff and volunteer time. Events can reach many donors at one time but have at least three limitations: (1) an ask from the podium is much less personal, (2) the donor doesn’t have an opportunity to ask questions, and (3) your donor can simply ignore the response envelope.

Gold, Silver & Jewels
The gold standard for fundraising is face to face solicitation. Why do so few ministry leaders ask? It’s friends talking with friends about how your ministry is making an eternal impact. Personal asking has at least three advantages over all other fundraising methods: (1) you can tailor the ask to the donor’s giving interest, (2) you can challenge the donor with a stretch ask amount, and (3) you can follow up with your donor about their gift decision.

Fire
Some don’t ask for fear their donor will be offended and stop giving. Asking tests a donor’s priorities. Will they give to the Lord’s work, or spend it on themselves? Will they focus on temporary things or eternal? God may use the refining fire of asking to purge the dross and reveal your donor’s true heart. “He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness” (Malachi 3:3). Ultimately, asking benefits your donor.

Value
Face to face asking has the highest return on investment of your fundraising time. Take an inventory of your development calendar. Any activity that is not directly helping you prepare for a personal donor meeting, schedule a personal donor meeting, actually have a personal donor meeting, or follow up to your donor meeting is a wood, hay, and straw activity.

Think About This: It’s great when your boss gives you an Attaboy! for going above and beyond. How much more rewarding to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:21).

Response: Father, please help me make personal donor visits a high priority of my week. Help me say no to good things, so I can focus on the best things.

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

Fundraising is good work but hard work—travel, planning events, creating marketing materials, scheduling newsletters and appeals, writing proposals, submitting grant applications, managing staff and volunteers, preparing reports and presentations, and on top of all that—the constant concern about making your fundraising goals looms over your head like the sword of Damocles. Are you tired yet? This verse can encourage you at the end of a long day, month, or year. Take heart in the promise that all your work will pay off if you just keep doing good. Now read this verse from your donors’ perspective.

Weary
Giving is also good work but hard work. Your ministry partners have many giving choices and are burdened with the responsibility of making good stewardship decisions. They are also troubled by the cares of life: health struggles, financial challenges, church problems, and kids or grandkids drifting from the faith. How can you encourage them? Consider Isaiah 50:4, “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary.” You can lift your donors when they are discouraged. “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up” (Prov. 12:25).

Proper Time
Giving is almost always a timing issue. Your donor might love your ministry and your project but can’t give right now. Most donors aren’t motivated by your calendar; they have financial pressures and priorities of their own. You are eager to reap a harvest, but your donors are also eager to reap a harvest. Some may be waiting on a literal harvest of crops, a quarterly interest payment, or the sale of a property. Be bold and ask but be patient and wait for the proper timing.

Reap a Harvest
Your ministry has a monthly budget to meet which requires a certain amount of donor calls to achieve your goals. If you don’t have inputs (number of asks), you won’t achieve outcomes (number of gifts). Focus on sowing seed and the harvest will follow. Learn to see giving through your donor’s eyes. What will their gift accomplish for eternity? Pray that your donors’ generosity will reap a harvest of righteousness for your ministry and for them (see 2 Cor. 9:10).

Don’t Give Up
Galatians 6:9 is a spiritual pep talk to keep us going when things get tough. Isaiah said it like this:

God strengthens the weary
and gives vitality to those worn down by age and care.
Young people will get tired;
strapping young men will stumble and fall.
But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength.
They will soar on wings as eagles.
They will run—never winded, never weary.
They will walk—never tired, never faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31, VOICE)

Perhaps you need this encouragement. Your ministry partners definitely do.

Think About This: When you are tired, everything seems overwhelming. Encourage yourself and your ministry partners with Proverbs 30:1, “I am weary, God, but I can prevail.”

Response: Lord, you are the one who gives me strength to serve you. Help me encourage my ministry partners to continue being generous. 

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others” Ecclesiastes 7:21-22.

Charles Spurgeon lectured this text to his preaching students with the catchy title, “A Blind Eye and a Deaf Ear.” His application was to not let undue criticism discourage them from doing their work. You can spend a lot of emotional energy trying to please critics when you would be much better off focusing on things that really matter. Critics come in all shapes and sizes and have different motives. Here are four:

Hostile Critics
Nehemiah had his share of critics to deal with. Sanballat mocked him like a middle schooler, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day?” (Neh. 4:2). Tobiah added his zinger, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” (Neh. 4:3). Ouch! Nehemiah ignored them and just kept working. Perhaps you have opponents that don’t want you to succeed and criticize everything you do. Use your deaf ear and keep working.

Naïve Critics
When it comes to fundraising, everyone has an idea. A board member shared his sage advice, “What you need to do is find 10,000 people to give us $100.” That might seem like a good strategy and good math because, theoretically, his plan would raise $1 million. However, his plan had two flaws: (1) the campaign goal was $3 million and, (2) the entire town’s population was only 12,000. Campaigns aren’t built from the ground up but from the top-down. All successful campaigns start with leadership gifts to build momentum.

Foolish Critics
Not every critic is an enemy; some are just foolish. Mark Twain remarked, “Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” Solomon wrote two interesting back-to-back proverbs, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him” (Prov. 26:4) and “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26:5). So, which is it? Answer a critic or ignore them? The Spirit can give you wisdom for the right response in the right situation.

Friendly Critics
Spurgeon’s message was about turning a deaf ear, not both ears. A wise person listens to a friend offering constructive criticism. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:6). We often react negatively when someone shares something we don’t want to hear. Our natural self wants to save face, but we must learn to receive criticism graciously. Listen carefully. Ask clarifying questions. Thank your friend for their honesty and take time to reflect on what they shared.

Think About This: Solomon’s main argument for ignoring your critics is to remember, “for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others” (Eccl. 7:23). We all need forgiveness for judging others.

Response: Father, please forgive me for the times I’ve criticized others. Help me always speak “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29).

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be” (2 Corinthians 9:3).

What do you say to donors who pledge but never give? Perhaps the most difficult concept that Paul addresses in 2 Corinthians 8–9 is accountability. Paul had approached the Corinthian church the year before about giving to the believers in Jerusalem who were suffering from persecution and poverty. The church immediately responded with a gift and enthu­siastically promised more. Paul was so pleased with their initial generosity that he shared their story everywhere he went. Many other churches were motivated to give because of the Corinthians’ leadership pledge but they never got around to sending their gift. This was unacceptable to Paul. He was counting on their gift, the church in Jerusalem was counting on their gift, and now the churches in Macedonia who gave because of their example were paying attention. Paul writes to prompt the Corinthians to keep their promise.

Action or Inaction
The Corinthians’ good intentions didn’t translate into actions. If your donor doesn’t follow through, should you just forget the pledge? Paul sent a pledge reminder letter to follow up, but then he sent the brothers to check on their gift. John taught, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Your donor’s inaction toward you speaks of their character. Your actions to hold your donor accountable demonstrate your love toward them.

Pride or Embarrassment
Paul had told everyone about the Corinthians’ generosity. Paul was proud of their initial leadership, (2 Cor. 8:24), but their reputation and his reputation were in jeopardy if they reneged on their pledge. Now was the time to finish what they started (2 Cor. 8:11). How often you follow-up with these donors is up to you, but it’s important to stay on top of these ministry partners in a kind and caring way.

Urgent or Optional
Two times Paul mentions he was sending the brothers. He was so urgent because he had already counted their gift. Help your donors realize that your ministry’s key initiatives won’t happen if they don’t follow through with their promise. When you visit them, be respectful, empathetic, and sensitive to the fact that life happens, occasionally causing donors to fall behind on their payments.

Obedience or Disobedience
Don’t focus on the negative. Focus on the positive things that will be accomplished when your ministry partner is able to fulfil their pledge. Remind your donors of the people who will be changed for eternity because of their generosity. “Others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them” (2 Cor. 9:13).

Think About This: Paul emphasized that we should give generously and cheerfully, not grudgingly, reluctantly, or under compulsion. This means Titus and the brothers did not twist anyone’s arms, but they did share Paul’s message face to face. Perhaps the brothers’ very presence made the difference.

Response: Father, please give me the words to say as I visit our ministry partners who are behind on their pledge.

Friend, have a Spirit-led fundraising week!

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.” (1 Corinthians 2:3).

We have an image of a courageous Apostle Paul boldly preaching about the Unknown God to the Greeks in Athens (Acts 17:16-33), or casting out a demon from a young fortune-telling girl that triggered a riot which lead to his beating and landed him in prison (Acts 16:16-24), or causing a riot in Ephesus for preaching the Good News (Acts 19:23-41), or standing firm for his faith before King Agrippa (Acts 26). But there’s another side to Paul’s ministry—he came to Corinth in weakness, great fear, and trembling. Some people saw Paul as timid, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (2 Cor. 10:10). Those that underestimated Paul as a messenger failed to realize the power of his message. Do you approach your major gift donor meetings with weakness, great fear, and trembling?

Weakness

Paul embraced weakness. In fact, he “delighted in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:10) because he wanted Christ’s power to rest on him. The Corinthians prided themselves in their wisdom (1 Cor. 3:18-20), but Paul chose the opposite approach. He did not use eloquence, human wisdom, or persuasive words. Rather, he wanted his message to demonstrate the Spirit’s power. If you approach your major donor meetings with pride and overconfidence, you might not get the response you desire. Don’t trust your fancy brochure, professional video, scripted presentation, or winsome personality. Humbly share your need and ask your donor to consider partnering with you. Then trust the Spirit to move in their heart.

Fear

Fear is a debilitating emotion. Some are vexed with acrophobia (fear of heights), arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) or the dreaded coulrophobia (fear of clowns). Some ministry leaders suffer from the fear of asking because they are afraid the donor will say no. They falsely believe that if a donor declines to give, the donor is rejecting them. This perspective is rooted in pride. It’s not about you. It’s about your ministry and the people you serve. Boost up your courage and ask.

Trembling

Major donors might intimidate you and cause you to get tongue-tied. Paul’s reliance on the Spirit kept him from shaking in his boots. His trembling turned to confidence as he proclaimed God’s message through God’s power (1 Cor. 2:4). Ezra’s enemies tried to intimidate him from completing God’s mission but, “Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord” (Ezra 3:3). Your best response to anxiety is to keep meeting with donors, keep sharing your ministry stories with confidence, and keep asking.

Think About This: Jerry Panas, the godfather of fundraising, advised, “Asking for a gift shouldn’t set your knees trembling.
Asking isn’t selling. It isn’t razzle dazzle or persuading people to do something they don’t want to do. People want to invest in great causes. They want to feel they’re helping to change lives. It’s your job to help them understand how their money can make things happen.”

Response: Lord, please give me the confidence to approach my ministry partners in humility and love. Help me ask boldly!

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

In truth, each of us journeys through life like a shadow. We busy ourselves accomplishing nothing, piling up assets we can never keep; We can’t even know who will end up with those things. (Psalm 39:6, The Voice)

Scripture describes our lives as a “mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14), grass that springs up new in the morning, “but by evening it is dry and withered” (Psalm 90:6), a passing breeze that does not return (Psalm 78:39), a swift weaver’s shuttle that comes to an end without hope (Job 7:6), and a fleeting shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12).

David observed in Psalm 39 that most people live busy lives but don’t accomplish anything of eternal value. They accumulate assets they can never keep and have no idea who will finally end up with all their things. Who will inherit your possessions? You only have three options: the government, your children, or charity.

The Government
New York Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, died from a heart attack on July 13, 2010, at age 80. Many people think that the Steinbrenner family hit a home run with estate taxes when he passed away. Why? In 2010 there were no estate taxes. In fact, 2010 was the only year with no estate taxes. If he had died in 2009 or 2011, his widow and four children would have paid an estimated $500 million to $600 million in estate taxes.

Your Children
Your ministry partners have no guarantee their children will make wise financial decisions or, like the prodigal son, squander their wealth in wild living (Luke 15:13). Solomon bemoaned leaving his inheritance to those who would follow him, “And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?” (Ecclesiastes 2:19). Today’s donors also question how much to leave their children—some don’t need the money, others would waste it, and sadly, some have wandered from the faith.

Charity
It makes logical sense that someone who has been generous to your ministry throughout their life, would be generous in their death. Unfortunately, many people don’t even think about including charity in their estate plans. One easy way is to encourage your donors to tithe their estate. Another creative approach is to encourage your donors to adopt a child named, “Charity.” A donor with three children would typically divide their estate in thirds, by adopting “Charity,” each beneficiary would receive 25%.
We shy away from planned giving conversations because we perceive them as complicated. Your job is to keep it simple. Don’t worry about structuring a gift. Instead, focus your efforts on telling your ministry story and asking your donors to make a gift that will last beyond their lifetime. We often rely on literature to present giving opportunities, but the strongest approach is to ask face to face.

Think About This: McDonald’s heiress, Joan Kroc, left more than $200 million to NPR. Her transformative 2003 bequest wasn’t because of a major gift officer’s strategy, it was because she remembered meeting with NPR’s then-president, Kevin Klose, who had hoped Kroc would give at the $25,000 level. Go meet with your planned giving prospects and ask!

Response: Lord, give me boldness to personally ask my donors to remember our ministry in their estate plans.

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29).

Jesus shared this parable of the growing seed to illustrate how God causes the Gospel to flourish in peoples’ hearts. When the seed starts growing it doesn’t stop until it produces a harvest. Some people new to major gift fundraising think they can plant the seed and immediately harvest a $1 million gift but asking and receiving requires patience and faith. Consider these steps:

Scattering Seed
The farmer sows the seed but is not responsible for the outcome. His role in the process is very limited. All he can do is plant the seed and wait. The only human act in the Gospel is telling the story. Evangelists can’t make someone place their faith in Christ, they can only present the Gospel and trust the Holy Spirit to change hearts. As a fundraiser, you can’t make someone give to your ministry, you can only share the story, ask for their partnership, and trust God to prompt their generosity.

Sprouts and Grows
The seed has all the power within it to reproduce itself which is why your ministry story is a critical aspect of fundraising. Your story must convey eternal results. The farmer doesn’t understand how the seed grows. Likewise, you can’t read a donor’s heart to know what might take root, so you need to sow many varieties of seed. Your giving opportunities should include people, property, and programs.

Stalk, Head, Full Kernel
Donors rarely give a seven-figure first-time gift, in fact many initial gifts are $100 or less. Stretch your donors by presenting them with greater opportunities. As your donors’ confidence in you grows, their gifts will increase. An eager major gift officer boldly asked for a $5 million dollar gift from someone who had the ability but no relationship to the ministry. The donor responded, “You need to give me more of an onramp. Ask me for a project that can start our relationship.”

The Harvest
Farming and fundraising are hard work. Both require knowledge of what, when, where, and how to plant, and both require reliance on God’s favor. The fundraising harvest comes after you’ve invested the hard work of relationship building and asking. The hardworking farmer does what he does so that he can enjoy the harvest. If you faithfully tell your story and ask, God will bring a bountiful harvest. He is ultimately responsible for providing for your ministry.

Response: Father, please help me faithfully tell our ministry story, ask for support, and trust you for the outcome.

Think About This: Mark 4:28 says, “All by itself the soil produces grain.” This phrase uses the Greek word automatē, from which we get the English word “automatically.” It’s divinely automatic. Fundraising is a divine-human cooperative, but mostly divine. Tell your ministry story well, ask boldly, and leave your results to God.

Friend, have a Spirit-led fundraising week!

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy” (2 Kings 5:11).

As commander of the army of the King of Aram, Naaman was a proud man and by human standards he had every reason to be. “He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly-regarded” (2 Kings 5:1). He was rich and famous and accustomed to telling people what to do. Only one thing held him back, he had leprosy. A servant girl he had captured told his wife that Elisha would heal him. So, he made a pilgrimage to see the prophet.

When Naaman’s entourage arrived. Elisha didn’t even come to the door but sent his servant to instruct Naaman to go wash in the Jordan seven times and be healed. Naaman stomped off in a huff and told his servant that Elisha should have at least come out to meet him, pray to his God, wave his hands over the leprosy, and cure him. He was convinced that he knew more than Elisha about how to heal his leprosy.

Major Opinion
Naaman’s attitude toward Elisha’s instructions is like some major donors who think that you are doing ministry all wrong. No doubt you’ve listened patiently to someone who doesn’t understand why you did or did not do something a certain way. You should be eager to listen, learn, and respond, but don’t change something just because a wealthy donor says you should.

Major Change
A courageous servant spoke truth and changed Naaman’s mind. He went to the Jordon, washed seven times, and was healed physically and spiritually. It may not happen often but occasionally a major donor who has opposed you, may come to their senses, see things differently, and apologize. (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26).

Major Gift
Naaman rushed back to Elisha and offered him extravagant gifts of gold, silver, and clothing. But Elisha did something that most ministry leaders would never consider—he refused his gifts. In contrast to false teachers who use religion for financial gain, Elisha wanted to reinforce that salvation is free. Are you more concerned about a gift or your prospective donor’s spiritual health?

Major Lesson
Naaman asked permission to take some dirt home so he could sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord. Then he asked if God would forgive him for accompanying his king to the pagan temple as part of his job. Elisha granted both requests told him to go in peace. Elisha showed grace and kindness to this new believer because he knew that spiritual growth takes time.

Response: Father, please help me care more about my donor’s relationship to you than anything else. Please give me discernment to know when I should refuse a gift.

Think About This: Some donors may be tempted to influence your decisions by wielding their checkbooks. It’s easier to refuse a gift when it comes with strings that might pull you off mission. Don’t sacrifice your core values for a short-term gain. Stand for biblical truth. God will bring you like-minded partners who will appreciate your courage.

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 two books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising and Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for At the Center magazine and Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.