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White lettered dice spelling 'YES OR NO' on a bright surface with the text 'Farewell to Fickle Fundraising' and '2 Corinthians 1:15-17' above.
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Farewell to Fickle Fundraising

I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? (2 Corinthians 1:15-17).

Have you ever been misunderstood? Paul planned to visit Corinth on his way to Macedonia and return to Corinth before traveling to Jerusalem (see 1 Cor. 16:5-9), but his plans changed. The Corinthians were upset Paul didn’t show up and accused him of being fickle. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines fickle as “likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason.” Donors can also become disgruntled with us when they perceive we say one thing and do another. Consider these principles to avoid sending mixed messages.

Tell Them What You’re Going to Tell Them.
Paul asked the Corinthians to “send me on my way to Judea.” Earlier, Paul had asked all the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to take up a collection for the believers in Judea (1 Cor. 16:1-4). On this trip he was planning to receive their gifts and take them to Jerusalem. If you intend to ask a donor for a gift, let them know why you are coming. Be forthright and say something like, “I would love to tell you about our project and share a proposal of how you could partner with us financially.”

Tell Them.
The essence of fundraising is asking. Cultivation is a key part of the donor experience, but all your relationship-building efforts must lead to solicitation. If you want them to pray, ask for prayer. If you want their time, ask them to volunteer. If you want a gift, ask for a specific amount. If you are unsure of what amount to ask, ask if they would consider a gift in the range of $10,000, or $100,000, etc. Another strategy is to show them your gift chart and ask, “Would you prayerfully consider making a leadership gift?” You could also ask an open-ended question like, “Where do you see yourself fitting into our campaign?”

Tell Them What You Told Them.
Your donors should know exactly what you asked them to consider. When you suggest a number, you both know what you asked. Your ask might be too high or low, but stating a specific amount starts the conversation. A camp director asked a donor for a $75,000 gift for a capital campaign. The donor responded, “That’s more than I was thinking, but I like what you did. I will remember that number and ask my friends to help me raise that amount.”

Think About This: Paul was not fickle. He said what he meant and meant what he said. Just as we must speak with integrity, we want our donors to give us a clear “Yes or No.” Ask boldly and let God prompt them to give generously.

Response: Lord, help me ask clearly so my donors know exactly how they can partner with us to advance your kingdom.

Fundraising

Use Fundraising AI (Without Losing the Personal Touch)

Let’s talk about how to make AI your friend in ministry fundraising. Here’s some practical tips to help you connect with your donors while saving time.

First Things First: AI Is Your Writing Buddy

Think of AI as your enthusiastic assistant who’s read every fundraising book out there but needs your guidance on the heart and soul of your ministry. It’s great at making your writing shine, but you’re still the one leading with God’s vision.

Super Practical AI Prompts You Can Use Today

For Your Next Fundraising Letter

Try this prompt:

Write a warm fundraising letter for our Christian food bank ministry. Include:

  • A story about Sarah, a single mom we helped last month with groceries and prayer
  • Reference Matthew 25:35 naturally in the text
  • Mention that $50 feeds a family for a week
  • End with a clear but gentle ask

Tone: Compassionate and hopeful

Length: About 400 words

For Monthly Donor Thank Yous

Here’s a winning prompt:

Write a thank you email to our monthly donors who give $30/month to support our youth ministry. Include:

How their faithful giving helped us take 50 teens to summer camp

  • A quick story about one teen who got baptized
  • Make it feel personal but not overly emotional
  • Keep it short and sweet (150 words)
  • Write like you’re sending a grateful note to a friend

For Impact Updates

Try this approach:

  • Create a ministry impact update for our email newsletter. Include:
  • 3 bullet points of what we did this month (served 200 meals, held 4 Bible studies, helped 15 families with rent)
  • A short praise report about answered prayer
  • A specific prayer request for next month
  • Bible verse that fits naturally

Style: Casual and joyful

Quick Tips to Keep It Real

Do This

  • Feed AI specific details about your ministry’s personality
  • Give it real stories and numbers to work with
  • Let it help with the writing structure, but you add the heart
  • Use it to create different versions for different donor groups (first-timers vs. long-time supporters)

Skip This

  • Avoid using AI for one-on-one donor conversations
  • Don’t use language just because it sounds “spiritual”
  • Skip the corporate-speak (nobody wants to read about “optimizing donor engagement”)

Making AI Work Better for You

  1. Keep It Personal Instead of: “Write a fundraising letter” Try: “Write a fundraising letter like you’re telling a friend about our ministry’s biggest need right now”
  2. Add Your Flavor Give AI examples of words and phrases you actually use in your ministry. If you say “family” tell AI that!
  3. Real Stories Work Best Feed AI specific stories:

Quick Fixes When AI Gets Too Formal

If AI writes: “We humbly request your generous contribution to facilitate our ongoing ministry initiatives…”

Ask it to rewrite like this: “Write that again like you’re talking to a friend over coffee.”

Remember This!

  • AI is great at organizing your thoughts and making writing flow
  • BUT you know your ministry and your people best
  • When in doubt, make it sound more like a conversation and less formal.
  • Keep stories real and specific
  • Let your ministry’s personality shine through

The bottom line? AI is like having a super-helpful volunteer who’s great with words but needs your guidance on the heart of your ministry. Use it to save time on writing so you can spend more time actually ministering to people!


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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