Do you bemoan the fact that your development team is understaffed? It’s easy to become jealous of larger organizations that have the resources and personnel to raise millions of dollars. Huge public universities have an army of major gift officers identifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors. In fact, each of the colleges beneath the university umbrella also have a strong team focused on their specific subset of donors e.g. athletics, business, law, nursing, etc. They also have researchers, grant writers, event planners, plus all the latest computers and software to track every gift and every gift officer’s next move.
How can you compete with fundraising juggernauts like this? You can’t. The good news is you don’t have to. God promised the children of Israel that he would fight for them; that makes all the difference. He tipped the balance of power in favor of Moses and Joshua. “Five will chase a hundred.” That’s pretty great odds. But it gets better, “one hundred of you will chase ten thousand!” You may not have the budget or staff of other organizations, but you have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and direct your path.
So how do you handle your disadvantages? Paul instructed, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else” (Galatians 6:4). Focus on what you can do with the resources God has given you. Test your own actions. Make sure you are doing everything you can to Research, Romance, Request, Recognize, Recruit and Report to your donors. Don’t worry about what you could do if only you had something you don’t. Grab your sword and start chasing.
Have a Spirit-led fundraising week!
Ron Haas, Vice President of The Timothy Group, has also 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.
