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A row of colorful sharpened pencils arranged along the top edge of a bright yellow background, with the text “The Art of the Bold Ask” and “Matthew 20:21” centered below.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

The Art of the Bold Ask

by Ron Haas
April 20, 2026

“What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21).

Every fundraiser faces the moment: it’s time to make the ask. The mother of James and John shows us how, and teaches us what to avoid.

Talk to the Right Person
Mom got the most important thing right. She went directly to Jesus, the only one who could give the final answer. She didn’t ask Peter to put in a good word, that would have been a conflict of interest, and Peter couldn’t give the final word anyway. Don’t take a no from someone who can’t give you a yes. Are you pitching the daughter when her mom controls the purse strings? In fundraising, we sometimes waste months cultivating the wrong person. Make sure you’re talking with the right donor.

Ask Boldly
Mom was fearlessly bold. Why? She believed in her sons! Jesus had already honored them among the inner circle of Peter, James, and John. In her mind, it was the logical next step. When you believe deeply in your cause, boldness comes naturally. If you question your ministry direction or doubt your project’s impact, you’ll struggle to ask with confidence. But when you know your mission inside and out, when you’ve seen lives transformed, when you believe God is in this, you can ask without apology.

Get to the Point
Mom didn’t list her sons’ credentials or justify her request. She just asked. Ian, a successful investor, learned this lesson after 30 years. Every pitch deck he made was 90% wasted effort. He discovered that family offices make investment decisions in three minutes, not from 47 slides but from one page answering three questions: What you’ve done (track record), what you’ll do (clear plan), and what they’ll make (their return). Ian says, “If you can’t explain your deal on one page, you don’t understand it yourself.”

You’re presenting an eternal investment. Can you answer on one page: What have you accomplished? What will you do with this gift? What eternal return will donors see?

Ask for the Right Things
Here’s where mom missed the mark. Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking.” Her enthusiasm was genuine, but she completely misunderstood what she was requesting. We make the same mistake. We get excited about our project and boldly approach a donor, asking the wrong person, at the wrong time, for the wrong amount, for the wrong project. A college president once asked a local bank for a $50 million lead gift. Shocked, they questioned why he thought they had that capacity or interest.

Before you ask, do your research. Understand the donor’s capacity, passions, and giving history. Learn what truly matters to them. Match your request to their interests and capabilities.

Think About This: “Desire without knowledge is not good, how much more will hasty feet miss the way!” (Proverbs 19:2) This week, research one prospect’s capacity and interests thoroughly. Then answer three questions on one page: what you’ve done, what you’ll do, and what eternal impact their gift will create.

Response: Lord, give me wisdom to know what to ask, from whom, and when.

Major Donors

Hitting The Donor’s Sweet Spot

by The Timothy Group
July 15, 2020

Where’s The Sweet Spot?

In personal solicitation with major donors, we often talk about the importance of the romance process. This takes place before the actual ask. One part of that is getting to know the donors – their interests, their passions and what motivates them most about what you do. We sometimes call this their “sweet spot.” Not always easy to detect or uncover, but once you do, you have a better chance to hit a home run. Just like in baseball, hit the sweet spot and watch it fly out of the park!

Did You Stretch Enough?

On a recent visit with a client who is engaged in a major capital campaign, I saw this happen first hand. I accompanied the development director on a major donor visit. We had prepared a leadership proposal for him and his wife for $30,000. This number was based on their giving to the last campaign (8 years ago) and also their annual giving since that time. It was a bit of a “stretch” over their past giving.

Should You Go To The Next Level?

The visit went well. He liked the projects described. We completed the solicitation for $30,000, He told us he would talk to his wife and have an answer in a week. We then showed him a list of prepared “named gift opportunities,” starting at $100,000 and as high as $1 million. We do this with all of the donors so that, even if they can’t do (or are not interested in) a gift at that level, they may know someone else who might be.

Game On!

Little did we know that one of the items on that named gift list hit a cord, a “sweet spot.” Four hours after our initial solicitation visit, the donor showed up at the office with a completed pledge card for $150,000! That is right – not the $30,000 we asked him for, but 5 times that amount. He said he went home, discussed things with his wife and they decided to put their name on an outside amphitheater that the ministry plans to construct. Their family’s interest in music, drama and the arts had gone largely undetected. It is an area they are passionate about and they want to leave a legacy in that way.

Win-Win For All

Just think of the success we could have with every major donor if we took the time to find their “sweet spot.” It doesn’t always happen the way I described above. In most cases, it is hard work and something you need to be intentional about. But, in the end, the rewards are well worth the effort.

Feature article submitted by Kent Vanderwood, Vice President. Kent offers clients over 35 years of non-profit experience including teaching, administrative, consulting, and directorships. Through his work as Development Director for The Potter’s House, Gospel Communications International, and Mel Trotter Ministries, Kent brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and development. He currently resides a board member for the West Michigan chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). His passion for seeing Christian stewardship principles applied in a systematic way helps the non-profit organization or ministry be successful in fulfilling its mission.

Capital Campaigns, Strategic Planning

Is Now The Right Time For A Pre-Campaign Study?

by The Timothy Group
April 29, 2020

There is an abundance of important questions being raised today, such as:  

“What activities should we minimize or eliminate?”  

“Should we postpone or cancel events?”  

“Should we press forward with donor asks or pull back?”  

One important question we at The Timothy Group have been hearing frequently is:  

“We were planning to conduct a Pre-campaign (or Feasibility) Study over this Spring and Summer, with a Capital Campaign planned in the Fall. Is this a good or bad time to try to do this?” 

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no simple answer to this question. States and non-profit organizations will begin re-opening activities and group gatherings on varied schedules; about a dozen states have begun the process as of today. Each organization will also be impacted differently. For example, a school must consider the upcoming summer vacation and uncertainty about the Fall: while a rescue mission may experience higher demand for services now than normal. So, know your organization and begin steps now that will allow you to “jump-start” it once you get the green light. 

Donor Research: The first step in a Pre-campaign Study is identifying who you want to hear from to determine your readiness to conduct a successful campaign. You want to know the “buy-in” for the project and the potential available support from your constituents, both financially and in a volunteering capacity. So, identifying who you need to talk to is important. Who are your top 10, your next 20, and your next 200? Regardless of whether you launch a study next week or in two months, you can get your lists in order. Our advice is to get it done now! 

Case for Support Development: In your Pre-campaign Study, you will “test” or measure the interest in, and support for, what you plan to accomplish in your Capital Campaign. Your “Case for Support” is a document that lays out that plan in a thorough and compelling way, so your closest friends and donors can realize your vision and thereafter share their level of interest. You will need a strong Case at some point, so start writing it today. We often complete several reiterations of this document before we finalize it, so why not get started on a draft now? You’ll be a step ahead when the time comes.  

Your Calendar: A well thought through Pre-Campaign Study takes about 90 – 120 days to plan and carry out. We can often finish a Study in 3 months, although the timeline is heavily dependent on communication  between parties. Here is a typical breakdown we would recommend: 

Month 1: Preparation of all documents. This includes the Case for Support, the Questionnaire, and the Cover Letters, envelopes, etc. and the segmentation of potential interviewee lists.

Month 2: Data and input collection. This includes the mailing of materials, the completion of personal interviews, and the return and compilation of mail and online surveys. 

Month 3: Results analysis. This month consists of breaking down all the compiled data and creating a written Report of the results of the Study. 

Month 4: Report presentation. This consists of preparing and presenting the final Report to the Client. This month also includes plenty of Capital Campaign pre-planning and often results in a decision regarding whether to move forward or not being made.  

One additional crucial factor to weigh is a little more subjective – when will your donors and supporters be ready to give input and make any Pre-Campaign or Campaign decisions? We have heard that some donors may need time to recover and therefore, may not be ready to make any financial commitments before the year’s end. Others we know are ready now as this time has not affected them as adversely. So, this is a question only you can answer, as you know your constituents best. We don’t believe you should hold off just because you’re unsure of what donors will say. That is, after all, one of the main reasons to conduct a Pre-campaign Study in the first place. 

In summary, you may be more ready than you think. We talk about a “season of recovery” which we believe will begin by late Summer or early Fall, when normal fundraising activities will resume. If these factors line up reasonably with your long-range plans, that makes this Summer a great time to conduct your Pre-Campaign Study! 

Who Is Ready? To put your mind at ease a bit, we have a client who is currently pushing forward with their Pre-Campaign Study. They will be mailing out their Case Statement this week and plan to conduct face-to-face interviews, likely virtually, in late May. Their long-range plan is to complete the Study by early June with an anticipated Capital Campaign launch this Fall. The factors, for them, are aligned at this time. 

We encourage you to walk in faith and have full confidence that God is with you. Here is a Scripture passage we often share with anyone pondering a Capital Campaign for ministry growth:  

“All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the LORD’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan. Be strong and courageous and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” I Chronicles 28:19-20

Article Submitted By: Kent Vanderwood, Vice President, The Timothy Group, April 30, 2020

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