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The image features a soft pink background with several layered paper-style hearts in various sizes on the left side. On the right, elegant white text reads “Recognizing Donor Loyalty” with the reference “1 Kings 2:7” below it. The overall design conveys warmth, gratitude, and appreciation.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Recognizing Donor Loyalty

by Ron Haas
November 3, 2025

“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom” (1 Kings 2:7).

David was experiencing the lowest moment of his life. His son, Absalom, rebelled forcing David and his household to escape across the Jordan River. They arrived at the little village of Mahanaim exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. There, a wealthy man named Barzillai the Gileadite appeared with many gifts: wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, honey, and cheese from cows’ milk (see 2 Sam. 17: 27-29). His generosity and David’s response teach us four important lessons about deepening our donor relationships.

Generosity
Perhaps Barzillai had met David previously or perhaps he just knew his reputation. Either way he developed a deep loyalty for David which resulted in rich generosity. A major donor was asked if he would support a campaign and he responded, “I don’t know much about this project, but I’ve known the president for years and trust his judgment. My wife and I would consider a gift of $500,000.” Generosity springs up from a loyal heart. Barzillai’s gifts gave David strength to fight another day.

Humility
On David’s return to Jerusalem, he didn’t forget who helped him win the battle and invited Barzillai to come live in the palace. Barzillai graciously declined the invitation, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the difference between what is enjoyable and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I still hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?” (2 Sam. 19: 34-35). Some donors don’t want recognition, but you should offer anyway.

Sacrifice
Barzillai then made an unusual request and asked David to take his servant, Kimham, to the palace instead of him. David was pleased to respond, “anything you desire from me I will do for you” (2 Sam. 19:38). One important way to honor your major donors for their loyalty is to listen to their ideas and implement them whenever you can. If they ask for a favor, respond with the generosity they have shown to you. This was true friendship. “The king kissed Barzillai and bid him farewell, and Barzillai returned to his home” (2 Sam. 19:39).

Legacy
Every nonprofit wants to know how to reach the next generation of donors. Typically, grandparents and parents have institutional loyalty, but children and grandchildren lose interest. One key way to capture the interest of the next generation is to honor the memory of the previous generation. David told Solomon to honor the descendants of Barzillai because he stood by him when times were tough (see 1 Kings 2:7).

Think About This: Famed L. A. Dodgers’ coach Tommy Lasorda said, “You give loyalty, you’ll get it back. You give love, you’ll get it back.” Sounds like the principle of “sowing and reaping.”

Response: Father, I praise you for our faithful donors who have stood by us in good times and bad times. Help me honor them for their loyalty.

fundraising, humility, leadership, pride, generosity, ministry growth, donor relationships, mentorship, spiritual lessons, nonprofit leadership, success and failure, faith-based fundraising
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Weak Fundraising

by Ron Haas
October 20, 2025

“His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall” (2 Chronicles 26:15-16).

At 16 years of age, Uzziah was crowned king. Pretty heady stuff for a teenager. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and God gave him success. He fortified Jerusalem, built towers in the wilderness to protect the people, and assembled more than 300,000 troops. Uzziah was a genius in designing war machines. “In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls” (2 Chron. 26:15). God blessed him with victories over all the surrounding nations. Uzziah was living the life, but he got too big for his britches and God taught him humility. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). Pride embeds itself deep in our hearts but eventually rises to the surface. Ironically, fundraising success can derail you and your ministry. You begin to trust your own human efforts instead of God’s provision. Uzziah made three crucial mistakes.

No Mentor
Uzziah was successful at the beginning of his reign because he listened to godly counsel. “He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chron. 26:5). Zechariah died and Uzziah took a tragic turn to the dark side of pride. Who are the “Zechariahs” in your life? How often do you seek their advice? Do you have a leadership coach to mentor you? Who keeps you grounded?

Stubbornness
Uzziah desired to burn incense on the altar of incense. Eighty-one godly priests warned him against it, but he wouldn’t listen. Some executive directors who have a little fundraising success think they know everything they need to know and stop listening to those around them. They don’t take advice from their team and push forward with their own agenda. Before you ask your key major donor for a gift, ask your team for their insights for the right project and the right amount. How willing are you to submit to their counsel when it goes against what you think?

Overconfidence
It’s great to have confidence in your fundraising abilities, but overconfidence is a trap. You become tone deaf to what your donor wants to accomplish with their giving and only pitch your ministry objectives. Some leaders develop an arrogant attitude believing the donor serves their ministry instead of the other way around. Uzziah charged right into the Temple and the Lord struck him with leprosy. He left immediately and spent the remainder of his days in a separate house banned from the temple (2 Chron. 26:21). Pride is an ugly attitude that will isolate you from your team and even your major donors.

Think About This: In the Christian walk, weakness is strength. You can attempt to fundraise in your own strength, but you will miss the power of Christ (see 2 Cor. 12:9-10). Boldly fundraise with humility.

Response: Lord, give me genuine humility and grace as I encourage our ministry partners to give generously.

Image of a group of light wooden figurines standing in rows, with one bright green figurine standing out in the center. Above the group is the title "Fundraising Employee of the Month" in bold green and blue text, with the Bible reference "Ruth 2:7" in smaller text.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Fundraising Employee of the Month

by Ron Haas
April 30, 2025

“She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter” (Ruth 2:7).

Ruth the Moabite faced a new season of life. Her husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law died so she and Naomi traveled back to Bethlehem hoping to start over. When they arrived, Ruth didn’t waste time sitting around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she got right to work. Fundraisers can learn much from Ruth’s work ethic.

Initiative
“And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor’” (Ruth 2:2). Ruth could have listed dozens of reasons of why she couldn’t be successful. She didn’t wait for something to happen but looked for opportunities to make something happen. The same attitude works in fundraising. The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Humility
“She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters’” (Ruth 2:7). Ruth wasn’t too proud for manual labor. She was willing to do any job that needed to be done. Apply her attitude to your work. Will you set up tables for events, make countless phone calls, or even lick envelopes? It’s wise to delegate tasks to others so you can focus on things only you can do, but “humility comes before honor” (Prov.18:12).

Stick-to-itiveness
“She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter” (Ruth 2:7). Ruth was a Proverbs 31 woman who worked dawn to dusk to provide for her family. Fundraising is hard work and requires long hours. Some fundraisers are good at starting projects but tire quickly and move on to the next new idea.

Appreciation
“At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, ‘Why have I found such favor in your eyes’” (Ruth 2:10). Ruth was grateful for Boaz’ kindness. As fundraisers we must express our genuine appreciation for our ministry partners. Never take your donors for granted. Go out of your way to thank them for their generosity.

Results
“So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah” (Ruth 2:17). The joy of fundraising is reaping the harvest of each gift – large or small. If you’re not seeing results, perhaps you’re not working hard enough or smart enough. Give your team realistic goals and hold them accountable.

Reputation
“Her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!’” (Ruth 2:19) Others notice if you’re lazy or a hardworking fundraiser. What’s your fundraising reputation? Are you a worker or a shirker? Ultimately, you’re not raising money for your organization, you’re raising it for the Lord.

Think About This: “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12). Ruth worked hard and trusted God for the results.

Response: Lord, give me strength to keep working in your fields to gather the harvest.

Silhouette of two hikers helping each other on a mountain at sunset, with text "FEARLESS FUNDRAISING" and "1 Corinthians 2:3".
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Fearless Fundraising

by Ron Haas
November 27, 2024

“I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.” (1 Corinthians 2:3)

We have an image of a courageous Apostle Paul boldly preaching about the Unknown God to the Greeks in Athens (Acts 17:16-33), or casting out a demon from a young fortune-telling girl triggering a riot which lead to his beating and landed him in prison (Acts 16:16-24), or causing a riot in Ephesus for preaching the Good News (Acts 19:23-41), or standing firm for his faith before King Agrippa (Acts 26). But there’s another side to Paul’s ministry—he came to Corinth in weakness, great fear, and trembling. Some people saw Paul as timid, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (2 Cor. 10:10). Those who underestimated Paul as a messenger failed to realize the power of his message. Do you approach your major gift donor meetings with weakness, great fear, and trembling?

Weakness
Paul embraced weakness. In fact, he “delighted in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:10) because he wanted Christ’s power to rest on him. The Corinthians prided themselves in their wisdom (1 Cor. 3:18-20), but Paul chose the opposite approach. He did not use eloquence, human wisdom, or persuasive words. Rather, he wanted his message to demonstrate the Spirit’s power. If you approach your major donor meetings with pride and overconfidence, you might not get the response you desire. Don’t trust your fancy brochure, professional video, scripted presentation, or winsome personality. Humbly share your need and ask your donor to consider partnering with you. Then trust the Spirit to move in their heart.

Fear
Fear is a debilitating emotion. Some are vexed with acrophobia (fear of heights), arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) or the dreaded coulrophobia (fear of clowns). Some ministry leaders suffer from the fear of asking because they are afraid the donor will say no. They falsely believe if a donor declines to give, the donor is rejecting them. This perspective is rooted in pride. It’s not about you. It’s about your ministry and the people you serve. Boost up your courage and ask.

Trembling
Major donors might intimidate you and cause you to get tongue-tied. Paul’s reliance on the Spirit, kept him from shaking in his boots. His trembling turned to confidence as he proclaimed God’s message through God’s power (1 Cor. 2:4). Ezra’s enemies tried to intimidate him from completing God’s mission but, “Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord” (Ezra 3:3). Your best response to anxiety is to keep meeting with donors, keep sharing your ministry stories with confidence, and keep asking.

Think About This: Jerry Panas, the godfather of fundraising, advised, “Asking for a gift shouldn’t set your knees trembling. Asking isn’t selling. It isn’t razzle dazzle or persuading people to do something they don’t want to do. People want to invest in great causes. They want to feel they’re helping to change lives. It’s your job to help them understand how their money can make things happen.”

Response: Lord, please give me confidence to approach my ministry partners in humility and love. Help me ask boldly!

The image shows two people shaking hands against a bright blue background. White text above the handshake reads, "A Donor Handshake," and below it says, "or a Hug?" To the right, the biblical reference "Luke 7: 37-38" is also in white text. The image implies a question about the nature of donor relationships, encouraging a deeper connection than a formal exchange.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

A Donor Handshake or a Hug?

by Ron Haas
October 31, 2024

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” (Luke 7:37-38)

Simon, one of the Pharisees, invited Jesus to his home for dinner. A sinful woman learned Jesus was there and came to worship him. Overwhelmed by his presence, she began to cry as she poured an expensive bottle of perfume on his feet and wiped them with her hair. Simon was appalled at her display of love for Jesus, and that Jesus would allow her to touch him. Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts and taught a parable about two people who owed money they couldn’t repay. One owed a lot, the second owed a little, but the moneylender graciously forgave both debts.

Jesus turned the question toward Simon, “Who loved the moneylender more?” Simon got the point. Those who have been forgiven much, love much; those who have been forgiven little, love little. Simon had not offered to wash his feet, but the woman washed his feet with her tears. Donors who have been greatly impacted by your ministry tend to respond generously. How do you recognize how much your donors love your mission? Let’s apply Gary Chapman’s five love languages to donor relationships.

Words of Affirmation
Kevin, the executive director, was under fire for a biblical stand his ministry took. When the controversy hit the media, Jeff, his key major donor immediately texted to encourage Kevin. Texts turned to phone calls and then to meetings. Jeff ultimately backed up his words with a substantial gift.

Quality Time
We strive to spend quality time with our donors. One indicator your donors value your friendship is when they offer to spend quality time with you.

Acts of Service
The contrast between Simon and this woman was stark. She loved Jesus and wanted to serve him in humility. When donors volunteer to serve in meaningful ways, they love your ministry.

Receiving Gifts
This woman poured out an expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus’ feet. Some would see it as a waste, she saw it as worship. Jesus taught, “Where your treasure is, there is where your heart is also” (Matt. 6:21). When people love your ministry, they give liberally. The opposite is also true.

Physical Touch
Simon didn’t offer a servant to wash Jesus’ feet, but this woman cried on them, wiped his feet with her hair, and kissed them. It’s the glaring difference between a donor handshake and a hug. We desire our major donors to embrace our vision and mission, but some just want to hold us at arm’s length.

Think About This: Everyone’s love language is different. If you give gifts to a donor who’s love language is words of affirmation, you are not connecting to their heart. Know your major donors intimately so you can speak his or her love language.

Response: Father, please help me love my major donors with sincerity. Help me discern when they are ready for a significant ask.

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.

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