Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 in his first sermon, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). As followers of Jesus, you are the “they” of this passage because God has called you to a ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Cor. 5:18). Whether it’s sheltering and feeding a homeless family, saving an unborn child, rescuing a woman trapped in abuse, or training a student in God’s word; you have a high calling.
Your fundraising efforts must provide adequate resources so your ministry can reach its greatest impact. Unfortunately, many development departments have fallen into disrepair and need serious renovations.
Consider these three strategies to revitalize your fundraising efforts:
Rebuild.
The more you know about the people who support your ministry, the better you can share the right ministry story that will capture hearts. Your success will rise and fall on how well you populate and access your database. Start with good information.
Restore.
It’s difficult to fix everything at once, but your top priority must be to reconnect with your key donors. Schedule personal visits with your Top10/Next 20 and ask why they have not given in a while. Listen to their concerns and seek to restore their confidence. Sometimes, it’s giving an overdue “thank you”; sometimes you may need to be a peacemaker.
Renew.
Renew your donor relationships by sharing a compelling reason to give again. What’s changed? If the old has passed, what is the new creation that has come? How are you thinking innovatively about your ministry? What are you doing to creatively meet the needs of those you serve? Is your messaging fresh? Do you have a new story to tell?
Isaiah prophesied about the positive things God’s people would accomplish. “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings” (Isaiah 58:12). Rebuild, restore, and renew with joy. You may need to change your business card.
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.
