Some development directors have claimed Dug from the 2009 Pixar film Up as their spirit animal. The old man Carl and the boy Russell meet “Dug the Talking Dog” near Paradise Falls. When Russell asks Dug to speak, he responds, “Hi there! My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you!” Dug talks a blue streak, “My Master made me this collar. He is a good and smart Master, and he made me this collar so that I may talk. …” In the middle of his sentence, Dug suddenly stops, looks, and shouts “SQUIRREL!” which becomes the running gag throughout the movie (watch clip here). Even in crazy action scenes, “squirrels” distract Dug and the other talking dogs. Fundraisers have thousands of distractions and can easily develop Dug-like behaviors. The Apostle Paul gives us some solid counsel to stay on track.
Forget the Past. Earlier Paul listed his impeccable religious resume (see Phil. 3:4-6), but he gave it all up to pursue Christ. In fundraising you don’t have the luxury of resting on your past successes. The question your boss always asks is, “What have you done for us today?” You work hard to climb your annual fund mountain, but when the fiscal year ends you start all over at basecamp. This sobering fact remains; you are either bringing in gift income or you are overhead. Your past performance is no guarantee of future success.
Focus on the Goal. Like Dug, it’s easy to get distracted by things that don’t contribute to the bottom line. Some executive directors also suffer from “Dug syndrome” and constantly pull the fundraising team off task to compile a report that doesn’t really matter, attend a non-essential meeting, or serve on a committee unrelated to fundraising. Keep your eyes on the prize. At the end of the fiscal year no one will care how many tasks you checked off your to-do list, they will only grade you on how much money you have raised.
Full Court Press. Paul uses three phrases to convey his physical, mental, and spiritual exertion, “strain toward what is ahead,” “press on toward the goal,” and “win the prize.” You should be exhausted at the end of the day or after a taxing event. Fundraising is hard work that requires patience and persistence. Former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault once said, “Most people don’t focus enough on execution. If you make a commitment to get something done, you need to follow through with that commitment.” Don’t let the fundraising squirrels distract you.
Response: Father, please forgive me for focusing on things that don’t matter. Help me concentrate on the tasks you give me to accomplish.
Think About This: The highest and best use of your fundraising time is to spend face-to-face time with your major donors and ask for their support; everything else is secondary.
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.
