“Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away…” (Joshua 3:15-16)

The children of Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness longing for the land flowing with milk and honey. They arrived at the Jordan River during flood season to face one final test before entering the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb were the only adults who had crossed through the Red Sea. To everyone else, leaving Egypt was a distant memory; this was their Red Sea moment. The Lord instructed the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the river. Immediately, the water from upstream stopped flowing and stood up in a heap (Josh. 3:16). This amazing miracle teaches four fundraising principles.

Follow God’s Lead
The Lord led Israel through the desert with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. At the Jordan, the Lord reassured Joshua he would guide their next steps, “since you have never been this way before” (Josh. 3:4). Israel’s experiences illustrate our Christian walk as the Holy Spirit guides our every step. The same goes for your nonprofit organization. Did you seek God’s wisdom when you wrote your strategic plan or are you leaning on your own human understanding?

Follow the Leaders
God instructed the priests to step into the water by faith. Every capital campaign requires leaders to take the first step. Mike, a board member, made his $250,000 pledge with this stipulation, “I will only give if this project moves forward.” While Mike’s potential gift was appreciated, he was unwilling to get his feet wet. Board members and key donors must lead by example and give generously to your vision. Some projects never start because: (1) no one is willing to make the lead gift and/or, (2) no one is willing to lead the fundraising effort.

Follow Through
The priests stood in the middle of the river on dry ground waiting until everyone had crossed over. Your job as a fundraiser is to motivate everyone in your constituency to join your effort. You must tell convincing stories of why your promised land is so desirable. Donors need a reason to follow you into uncharted territory. Share your compelling story with passion and be patient while people respond. The priests waited for everyone—the early adopters, the early majority, the late majority, and the laggards

Follow Up
This miracle was only the beginning. God planned to drive out the “Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites” (Josh. 3:10). Your campaign is hopefully the first of many to come. Successful campaigns build your donor base and your confidence for next time. Listen to your major donors for what they want to accomplish next.

Think About This: Sometimes, it seems everyone is waiting for someone else to make the first move. Encourage your major donors to step out in faith and become “wet feet” leaders.

Response: Father, thank you for the leaders in our ministry who are willing to step up and make a difference.

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.

“In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.” (1 Kings 6:7)

Building projects are active, noisy places with foremen shouting orders, laborers cutting timber and hammering nails, and skilled masons chiseling stones to perfection. However, God required quietness for the Temple construction site. All the stonework was done off-site. Workers on-site carefully positioned each stone without using any hammers, chisels, or iron tools. This amazing construction process teaches five fundraising truths.

Peace
Some fundraisers create “hoopla” because they believe donors need excitement to motivate them to give. A compelling project does inspire donors, but they should be excited by your ministry story and the lives you impact for eternity, not just an auctioneer’s gavel, a fancy location, or a gimmicky activity. Donors should be quietly transformed by their giving. If their gift is merely an emotional transaction, their support will fade.

Place
Work for the Temple started in the quarry. Fundraising happens outside your office in the donor’s home or office through quiet conversations. This is where you listen to your donor’s heart for your organization and what motivates them to give. Secure the lead gifts well in advance of your fundraising event. Don’t wait until the night of your banquet to ask for “big rock” gifts.

Precision
The accuracy of these craftsman was incredible. Some of the cornerstones in the Temple Mount weighed 50 tons or more. Stone masons quarried, squared, carved, and honed these massive stones for an exact fit. Josephus says “the smallest interstices were not perceptible between the stones.” Effective major donor work requires precision. Listen carefully to your donor’s passion so you can ask for the right gift amount for the right project—especially from your cornerstone partners.

Power
When the work was complete, Solomon brought the Ark of the Covenant and dedicated the Temple. A cloud filled the Temple so “the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple” (1 Kings 8:11). Always remember your building project is not the outcome. Your key results are what God accomplishes in your new facilities as the Holy Spirit changes lives.

People
Solomon employed 3,300 foremen to supervise 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, 70,000 stone carriers, and 30,000 men to cut timber in Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 a month (see 1 Kings 5:13-17). Your project requires people to ask and people to give. Asking is spiritual work. Both the asker and the giver are accomplishing kingdom work, and both can be transformed by the quiet work of fundraising.

Think About This: Your faith-based donors “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God has selected the donors he wants to build your ministry through their acceptable sacrifices. It’s your job to find them, inspire them, show them how they fit, and ask them to partner with you.

Response: Lord, forgive us for using hype to motivate people to give. Help us reach our donors’ hearts one conversation at a time.

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 have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” (2 John 12)

“I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.” (3 John 13-15)

The Apostle John wrote two brief letters to encourage a “lady chosen by God and to her children” (2 John), and his dear friend Gaius (3 John). In both letters John comments he had much more to write but instead wanted to speak with his friends face to face. Let’s glean four fundraising principles from John’s desire for personal interaction.

Writing vs. Talking
Email marketers use your first name and write copy like you are old friends who haven’t talked in ages. Everyone knows it’s spam but sometimes it sounds so real you forget. Communicating a personal message with paper, pen, ink, and email is challenging. Think of how many times your texts, or emails have been misinterpreted because your readers can’t hear your tone of voice. You may be a great writer, but you are much more effective in person.

Visit Your Donors
Get out from behind your computer screen and go visit your donors. John desired to see his friends face to face and tell them firsthand the great things God was accomplishing. Fundraising is not just about sharing your ministry story; it’s about sharing life together, catching up on how God is working in their family, sharing prayer requests, and encouraging one another. Donor communication is more than words on a page; it’s a relationship and should be a two-way conversation: listening, caring, asking questions, sharing answers.

Joy & Peace
Sargent Joe Friday, in the TV show Dragnet (1951-59) was famous for getting right to the heart of the matter, hence his famous catchphrase when interrogating female witnesses: “Just the facts, ma’am.” Personal meetings communicate more than facts and figures. John shared joy and peace. You should share joy—the joy of being together, joy in how God is changing lives because of their partnership, and joy in their generosity! Share peace—God called you to be a peacemaker. How are your donor’s gifts helping sinners find peace with God and peace with others?

Friends
John loved God and he loved people. He wasn’t an aloof elder writing from an ivory tower. He connected on a personal level with friends and wanted his friends to connect with one another. Find ways to introduce your ministry partners to your co-workers and board members. The more connections your ministry has with a donor, the less likely the donor will become disinterested.

Think About This: The most effective fundraising strategy is face to face conversations with your ministry partners. What’s holding you back? Whom should you visit this week and ask to partner with you?

Response: Lord, forgive me for relying too much on letters and emails. Help me schedule time to visit my ministry partners face to face.

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.

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. (Mark 10:49-51)

Bartimaeus sat along the road to Jericho for a lifetime begging for alms from all who passed by. One day he heard the commotion of a crowd on their way to meet Jesus. Emboldened, he cried out to Jesus, but the crowd shushed him to keep quiet. He didn’t stop but cried even more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:39). Jesus heard his cry, called for Bartimaeus, and changed his life for eternity. Bartimaeus’ boldness teaches us four important fundraising truths.

Do Your Research
Word about Jesus of Nazareth had traveled far and wide. Even though Bartimaeus was blind, he could still hear and knew Jesus could help him. Scripture records thirty-seven miracles of Jesus; healing Bartimaeus was number thirty-three. He had plenty of evidence Jesus had the power and the willingness to heal him, so he cried out with confidence. Do you know a major donor in your world who could help if he or she only knew the impact your ministry makes? Keep your ears open for generous gifts major donors make to similar ministries.

Keep Asking
Those around Bartimaeus were embarrassed for him and didn’t want him to make a scene. They didn’t have the same urgency as he did. They had their sight and had no idea what it was like to live in total darkness. Likewise, those who are uncomfortable with asking find excuses for not asking. Some even project their reluctance on you by saying, “Why bother? That donor would never pay attention to you!” Don’t listen to the naysayers. Keep asking!

Don’t Delay
When Jesus called, Bartimaeus jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. As a fundraiser, arrange your life around your major donor’s schedule. Be flexible. When they finally answer your emails or phone calls, reach out immediately. If they suggest a time to meet in person, clear your calendar and move heaven and earth to make it happen. Any delays on your part might give the donor the impression you’re not interested.

Ask Boldly
Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” A gift officer was passionately sharing a ministry story when the major donor interrupted, “What do you want from me?” Would you be ready with an answer, or would you hesitate? Bartimaeus responded confidently because he knew Jesus could provide exactly what he needed. Major donors give to what you ask them to give. Ask confidently and expect an enthusiastic “YES!”

Think About This: John Wesley’s expectation of his preachers was they would be ready to preach, pray, or die at a moment’s notice. Hopefully, as a fundraiser you are spared the die part, but you should always be ready to pray and ask!

Response: Father, forgive me for negatively seeing fundraising as begging. Help me listen for opportunities to share our story with key donors and be ready with an answer when they ask how they can help.

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.

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.” (Exodus 4:13-15)

Moses offered excuse after excuse for not being the right spokesman to break the bad news to Pharoah, but God rebuffed each one. Exhausted, Moses finally replied, “Please send someone else.” Have you made excuses for not fundraising? Perhaps you’ve proclaimed, “I don’t like it, I don’t want to do it, and I don’t have time for it.” Maybe you’ve washed your hands of your fundraising responsibility by simply hiring someone else. There is another path. The Lord knew Moses needed someone to stand with him, so he cast Aaron to play a supporting role. You should recruit a fundraising tag team partner. Notice these six characteristics of a great team player:

“He can speak well”
Aaron was a good communicator. Many different personality types can be successful at fundraising, but the most effective are those high in extroversion with the courage to ask. In fact, the most important quality to look for is the courage to ask.

“On his way to meet you”
The Lord prompted Aaron to join Moses (Exod. 4:17). You should hire someone who is led by the Spirit to join your ministry. You are not just looking for someone who is qualified, you are looking for someone who is called.

“Glad to see you”
Fundraising is a challenging job; it’s easy to become discouraged. Build your team with joyful people who can encourage each other when times are tough. Enthusiasm is a catalyst that produces great results. Find people who can put the “fun” in fundraising.

“You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth”
The fundraiser’s job is to echo the words of the person in charge. Everyone must play from the same sheet music. A journalist once asked Leonard Bernstein what the most difficult instrument was to play, the maestro responded: “Second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who plays second violin with enthusiasm is difficult.”

“I will help both of you speak”
Moses and Aaron were entering uncharted territory and needed to walk humbly before the Lord for the right words to say. Seek the Lord to know the mind of Christ. Make sure you raise money for the right projects at the right time.

“I will teach you what to do”
You can learn fundraising theory by reading books, attending workshops, and taking classes, but most fundraising is learned through on-the-job training. Ask the Spirit to guide you through each donor relationship.

Think About This: Aaron held up Moses’ arms as he prayed for Joshua on the battlefield (Exod. 17:12). Moses wasn’t strong enough by himself; he needed Aaron’s help. Are you supporting your team in prayer?

Response: Father, help me recruit tag team members who can compensate for my weaknesses and make us better fundraisers.

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.

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:10-12)

God called Moses to rescue his people from Egypt. Moses had lots of questions, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exod. 3:11). “What will I tell the Israelites?” (Exod. 3:13-17). “What if they don’t believe me?” (Exod. 4:1). God answered each concern and gave Moses three miraculous signs to prove he was on God’s mission. Finally, Moses pulled out his last wimpy excuse and claimed he could not speak. God was not amused and retorted, “Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say” (Exod. 3:12).

If God has called you to leadership, like it or not, he also called you to be the number one fundraiser for your ministry. You can make lots of excuses explaining why you don’t have right personality, skill set, or enough time. But the fact remains—major donors want to talk with the boss and the donor buck stops with you. Learn three fundraising truths from Moses.

“Now go”
You can accomplish many fundraising tasks sitting behind your computer screen, but to engage major donors you must go see them face-to-face. Video conferencing is a wonderful fundraising tool that gives you opportunities to invite donors on virtual tours of your ministry or introduce them to team members on the other side of the world. As cool as technology is, it’s no substitute for a warm handshake, enjoying a meal together, and sharing a heart-to-heart conversation.

“I will help you speak”
Talking with major donors can be intimidating. These people make important business decisions every day, ask tough questions, and have high expectations. Moses was intimidated by Pharoah, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exod. 6:30). Don’t be unnerved, God can give you courage to approach them.

“I will teach you what to say”
The Lord gave Moses exactly what to say and how to say it. Actually, Pharaoh was the one who was afraid, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh” (Exod. 7:1). A campus evangelist who works with grad students once observed, “These students are brilliant in their fields of study, but they are babes when it comes to Scripture. I used to be intimidated to share Christ, but now I’m confident.” God can teach you what to say to major donors.

Think About This: Interestingly, Stephen preached “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). Moses claimed he wasn’t eloquent, but that wasn’t true. Perhaps your excuses for not fundraising are also not true.

Response: Father, please forgive me for my reluctance to talk with major donors. Give me courage to go, share what you are accomplishing in our ministry, and ask for their financial support.

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.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” (Acts 8:26-29)

Philip had an amazing assignment from the Lord to travel from Jerusalem to Gaza for a divine appointment with an Ethiopian eunuch who had been worshipping at Passover. This wasn’t an ordinary traveler; he was the treasurer for the queen of the Ethiopians. The Spirit prompted Philip to ask him if he understood the passage he was reading from Isaiah and the eunuch invited him to ride along in his chariot. Philip shared how the Messianic prophecies pointed to Jesus’ life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection. He was explaining baptism when they came to a body of water, the Ethiopian asked to be baptized as a testimony of this faith in Christ. Fundraising is like evangelism—the Spirit must lead us to the right person, guide our conversations, and prompt that person to respond.

Direct Your Path
No doubt your fundraising to-do list is chocked full of important letters to write, brochures to design, social media posts to create, events to plan, and meetings to attend. Have you left room in your calendar for the Spirit to guide you to major donors? Philip was going about his day when an angel moved him to start walking. Dan, a major gift representative, starts his day by praying for the Lord to direct his path.

Lead You to the Right Donor
The Lord led Philip to the eunuch, and he can lead to you the donor who can partner with you. As Dan left his home, he was prompted to visit Barb, even though it was an hour and a half out of his way. She met him at the door, and he was surprised to learn her husband had passed away two days earlier. Because he listened to the Spirit’s prompting, Dan was able to comfort, share Scripture, and pray with Barb.

Help Your Donor Rejoice
God used Philip to encourage the Ethiopian eunuch to place his faith in Christ and obey the Lord in baptism. The eunuch was so excited he went “on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). Dan and Barb became close friends. Barb gave joyfully to many ministries and blessed Dan’s ministry with several generous gifts. It’s amazing to think their relationship started because of a Spirit-led detour.

What divine donor appointment does God have for you?

Think About This: If Philip would have had more time to disciple the Ethiopian eunuch, he would have taught this earthly treasurer the importance of laying up treasures in heaven (see Matthew 6:19-20).  Are you teaching the joy of generosity?

Response: Father, help me listen to your voice. Lead me to people I can encourage even if it takes me out of my way.

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.

“This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.” (Ezra 7:6)

“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra wasn’t trained as a fundraiser. He had devoted himself to studying, keeping, and teaching God’s word. Teaching was his first love, and he was good at it, but the Lord assigned him another job. God led the Israelites back from Babylon in three waves: (1) Zerubbabel traveled to Jerusalem in 528 BC to rebuild the temple, (2) Ezra returned after 80 years to rebuild the people by teaching the Law of God, and (3) Nehemiah came 14 years later to rebuild the wall.

Study
Ezra had spent his life studying the Scriptures. As a boy, he studied how God had rescued his people from Egypt. On the night of Passover, Moses instructed the people to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold; the Lord made the Egyptians “favorable disposed” to give them everything they asked (see Exod. 12:35-36). Your job as a fundraiser is simply to ask. God is responsible to prompt people to give.

Live
Ezra didn’t just study the Scriptures, he obeyed them. Ezra’s assignment was to ask King Artaxerxes for silver and gold to buy offerings to sacrifice (Ezra 7:15-17), so he courageously stood before the king, his advisors, and all the king’s powerful officials (Ezra 7:28). Think about how intimidating it would have been to share God’s message with the most powerful man in the world! Perhaps he was encouraged by the Israelite’s story. The result was the same–the king gave him everything he asked.

Teach
Ezra’s message was so compelling and so effective King Artaxerxes insisted Ezra immediately return to Jerusalem to teach the Law of God to everyone throughout the Trans-Euphrates. “Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?” (Ezra 7:23). Your message must be compelling to motivate your ministry partners to act.

Ask
Ezra asked the king, his advisors, and officials, and they responded with “650 talents (24 tons) of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents (3.75 tons), 100 talents of gold (3.75 tons), 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics (19 lbs.) and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold” (Ezra 8:26-27). In today’s value, Ezra asked and received approximately $20 million in silver and $214 million in gold! Not bad for a seminary grad! How could God use you as a bivocational fundraiser?

Think About This: Ezra wasn’t a successful fundraiser because of his personality, experience, or even his skill. He succeeded because “the hand of the Lord his God was upon him” (Ezra 7:6).

Response: Father, forgive me for using the excuse, “fundraising is not my job.” Give me courage to fulfill my role to ask our ministry partners for their generous support

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 rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed you concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” (Philippians 4:10)

The Philippian believers faithfully supported Paul from his early days in ministry on his mission to share the gospel with the Gentiles. He appreciated their partnership, “it was good of you to share in my troubles” (Phil. 4:15). In fact, they were the only church who supported him (see Phil. 4:15). More than once they sent him gifts to meet his needs. For some reason, their support lapsed but finally they were able to give again. Paul wrote the Philippians to thank them for renewing their concern for him. How can you re-engage donors who’ve stopped giving?

LYBUNTS and SYBUNTS
LYBUNT (pronounced “lie-bunt”) are donors who gave Last Year But Unfortunately Not This. SYBUNT (pronounced “sigh-bunt”) refers to donors who have given Some Year But Unfortunately Not This. Call your lapsed donors and love on them, “We’ve noticed you haven’t given in a while. If you don’t mind, could you let us know why? Your feedback can help us better serve donors like you in the future.”

No Opportunity
When donors lapse, we immediately assume they’ve lost interest in our ministry. Perhaps it’s true, but in this situation the Philippians wanted to give but had no opportunity. We tend to look at lapsed donor reports without considering why our donors have stopped giving. Perhaps they are struggling with their health, experienced a financial downturn, or simply overlooked your appeal.

Opportunity
How did Paul know the Philippians were concerned, but couldn’t give? He prayed for them regularly, perhaps he heard news from the brothers and sisters traveling to and from Philippi. When your donors don’t hear from you, they forget you. It boils down to a communication problem—out of sight out of mind. Lapsed donors present you with an opportunity to reconnect.

Unsubscribers
You can be notified when someone on your email list unsubscribes. It’s a good indication a donor may be losing interest. How do you respond? One ministry emails their unsubscribed donors asking if anything is wrong. It seems a little big brotherish, but you may rewin a friend. Here’s how one person responded, “To be honest (I regret to admit this, ha) I was mindlessly just cleaning up some email when your message came through, so I promise it was not an overly intentional unsubscribe on my part.”

Renewing Lapsed donors
When you’ve tried to reach a lapsed donor but haven’t connected, write a handwritten note thanking them for their contributions and the impact they have made. Express your hope they will join you in the future and how deeply appreciative you are of everything they’ve given.

Think About This: People stop giving because they feel distant. Paul wrote, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.” The Philippian believers weren’t giving to a ministry or a cause, they were giving to a person. How can you become a real, live person to your donors?

Response: Father, forgive me for not making the extra effort to reach out to my lapsed donors. Prompt me to show love and concern for their well-being.

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.