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The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone” (Numbers 11:16-17).

Moses was having a difficult time. The Children of Israel were complaining again; this time it was about the menu. Moses had reached his limit and cried out to the Lord essentially saying, “I can’t do this by myself. The burden is too great for me. Kill me now!” (Num. 11:14-15). Have you reached your breaking point with all your fundraising responsibilities? Are there too many days of the month left at the end of your money? There’s hope if you follow Moses’ example.

Recruit Leaders. Perhaps you’ve had less than satisfactory experiences with volunteers and are reluctant to try again. You may think that it’s just easier to do it yourself, but that spells burnout. Don’t settle for just any volunteers. Solomon warns, “Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by” (Prov. 26:10). Moses chose those who were known for leadership. Develop a job description with high expectations. Challenge your team to rise to the occasion by giving first and then asking their friends to give.

Empower Them. Most team members want to accomplish something of significance. Some nonprofits make the mistake of recruiting successful businesspeople and then not using them. Unfortunately, these volunteers eventually quit because the ministry wasted their time. The Lord empowered these seventy leaders with the Holy Spirit. Empower your volunteers with stories of your mission impact. Show them how their leadership is making an eternal difference in the lives of those you serve. Motivate your leaders to give their best efforts to advance your mission.

Delegate. The Lord told Moses that these leaders would share his burden. Delegation is an art. Too often leaders just dump responsibilities on others hoping for the best. Even worse, some leaders delegate then don’t give their volunteers freedom to succeed. A wise leader clearly defines expectations, trains fully, provides the resources to be successful, then steps back and lets them engage. The best ways your key volunteers can help your fundraising efforts is to identify, cultivate, and even solicit donors.

Finding, training, and motivating key volunteer leaders is a challenging job, but the alternative of trying to do it all yourself will limit your effectiveness. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Start small. Who are two individuals you could recruit this week to help you fundraise?

Response: Lord, please forgive me for trying to do it all myself. I praise you that you have empowered others who could help carry the load. Please reveal them to me.

Think about this: Perhaps God has increased your pressures to teach you to rely on him and not yourself.

Have a Spirit-led fundraising week,

Ron


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.

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