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Hands holding a red heart against a pink background with the text "Effective Donor Follow-up" and "2 Corinthians 9:3".
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Effective Donor Follow-Up

by Ron Haas
December 4, 2024

โ€œBut I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.โ€ (2 Corinthians 9:3)

What do you say to donors who pledge but never give? Perhaps the most difficult concept Paul addresses in 2 Corinthians 8โ€“9 is accountability. Paul had approached the Corinthian church the year before about giving to the believers in Jerusalem who were suffering from persecution and poverty. The church immediately responded with a gift and enthuยญsiastically promised more. Paul was so pleased with their initial generosity he shared their story everywhere he went. Many other churches were motivated to give because of the Corinthiansโ€™ leadership pledge but they never got around to sending their gift. This was unacceptable to Paul. He was counting on their gift, the church in Jerusalem was counting on their gift, and now the churches in Macedonia who gave because of their example were paying attention. Paul writes to prompt the Corinthians to keep their promise.

Action or Inaction
The Corinthiansโ€™ good intentions didnโ€™t translate into actions. If your donor doesnโ€™t follow through, should you just forget the pledge? Paul sent a pledge reminder letter to follow up, but then he sent the brothers to check on their gift. John taught, โ€œlet us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truthโ€ (1 John 3:18). Your donorโ€™s inaction toward you speaks of their character. Your actions to hold your donor accountable demonstrate your love toward them.

Pride or Embarrassment
Paul had told everyone about the Corinthiansโ€™ generosity. Paul was proud of their initial leadership, (2 Cor. 8:24), but their reputation and his reputation were in jeopardy if they reneged on their pledge. Now was the time to finish what they started (2 Cor. 8:11). How often you follow-up with these donors is up to you, but itโ€™s important to stay on top of these ministry partners in a kind and caring way.

Urgent or Optional
Two times Paul mentions he was sending the brothers. He was so urgent because he had already counted their gift. Help your donors realize your ministryโ€™s key initiatives wonโ€™t happen if they donโ€™t follow through with their promise. When you visit them, be respectful, empathetic, and sensitive to the fact that life happens, occasionally causing donors to fall behind on their commitments.

Obedience or Disobedience
Donโ€™t focus on the negative. Focus on the positive things which will be accomplished when your ministry partner is able to fulfill their pledge. Remind your donors of the people who will be changed for eternity because of their generosity. โ€œOthers will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with themโ€ (2 Cor. 9:13).

Think About This: Paul emphasized we should give generously and cheerfully, not grudgingly, reluctantly, or under compulsion. This means Titus and the brothers did not twist anyoneโ€™s arms, but they did share Paulโ€™s message face to face. Perhaps the brothersโ€™ very presence made the difference.

Response: Father, please give me the words to say as I visit our ministry partners who are behind on their pledge.

Yellow background with silhouettes of people raising their hands in shadow, featuring bold text 'SHADOW DONORS' and vertical text 'PSALM 39:6
Fundraising Verse of the Week

Shadow Donors

by Ron Haas
November 20, 2024

In truth, each of us journeys through life like a shadow. We busy ourselves accomplishing nothing, piling up assets we can never keep; We canโ€™t even know who will end up with those things. (Psalm 39:6, The Voice)

Scripture describes our lives as a โ€œmist that appears for a little while and then vanishesโ€ (James 4:14), grass springing up new in the morning โ€œbut by evening it is dry and witheredโ€ (Psa. 90:6), a passing breeze which does not return (Psa. 78:39), a swift weaverโ€™s shuttle coming to an end without hope (Job 7:6), and a fleeting shadow (Eccl. 6:12).

David observed in Psalm 39 most people live busy lives but donโ€™t accomplish anything of eternal value. They accumulate assets they can never keep and have no idea who will finally end up with all their things. Who will inherit your possessions? You only have three options: the government, your children, or charity.

The Government
New York Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, died from a heart attack on July 13, 2010, at age 80. Many people think the Steinbrenner family hit a home run with estate taxes when he passed away. Why? In 2010 there were no estate taxes. In fact, 2010 was the only year with no estate taxes. If he had died in 2009 or 2011, his widow and four children would have paid an estimated $500 million to $600 million in estate taxes.

Your Children
Your ministry partners have no guarantee their children will make wise financial decisions or, like the prodigal son, squander their wealth in wild living (Luke 15:13). Solomon bemoaned leaving his inheritance to those who would follow him, โ€œAnd who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?โ€ (Eccl. 2:19). Todayโ€™s donors also question how much to leave their childrenโ€”some donโ€™t need the money, others would waste it, and sadly, some have wandered from the faith.

Charity
It makes logical sense someone who has been generous to your ministry throughout their life, would be generous in their death. Unfortunately, many people donโ€™t even think about including charity in their estate plans. One easy way is to encourage your donors to tithe their estate. Another creative approach is to encourage your donors to adopt a child named, โ€œCharity.โ€ A donor with three children would typically divide their estate in thirds, by adopting โ€œCharity,โ€ each beneficiary would receive 25%.

We shy away from planned giving conversations because we perceive them as complicated. Your job is to keep it simple. Donโ€™t worry about structuring a gift. Instead, focus your efforts on telling your ministry story and asking your donors to make a gift that will last beyond their lifetime. We often rely on literature to present giving opportunities, but the strongest approach is to ask face to face.

Think About This: McDonaldโ€™s heiress, Joan Kroc, left more than $200 million to NPR. Her transformative 2003 bequest wasnโ€™t because of a major gift officerโ€™s strategy, it was because she remembered meeting with NPRโ€™s then-president, Kevin Klose, who had hoped Kroc would give at the $25,000 level. Go meet with your planned giving prospects and ask!

Response: Lord, give me boldness to personally ask my donors to remember our ministry in their estate plans.

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Growing Major Gifts

by Ron Haas
November 13, 2024

โ€œThis is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grainโ€”first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.โ€ (Mark 4:26-29)

Jesus shared this parable of the growing seed to illustrate how God causes the Gospel to flourish in peoplesโ€™ hearts. When the seed starts growing it doesnโ€™t stop until it produces a harvest. Some people new to major gift fundraising think they can plant the seed and immediately harvest a $1 million gift but asking and receiving requires patience and faith. Consider these steps:

Scattering Seed
The farmer sows the seed but is not responsible for the outcome. His role in the process is very limited. All he can do is plant the seed and wait. The only human act in the Gospel is telling the story. Evangelists canโ€™t make someone place their faith in Christ, they can only present the Gospel and trust the Holy Spirit to change hearts. As a fundraiser, you canโ€™t make someone give to your ministry, you can only share the story, ask for their partnership, and trust God to prompt their generosity.

Sprouts and Grows
The seed has all the power within it to reproduce itself which is why your ministry story is a critical aspect of fundraising. Your story must convey eternal results. The farmer doesnโ€™t understand how the seed grows. Likewise, you canโ€™t read a donorโ€™s heart to know what might take root, so you need to sow many varieties of seed. Your giving opportunities should include people, property, and programs.

Stalk, Head, Full Kernel
Donors rarely give a seven-figure first-time gift, in fact many initial gifts are $100 or less. Stretch your donors by presenting them with greater opportunities. As your donorsโ€™ confidence in you grows, their gifts will increase. An eager major gift officer boldly asked for a $5 million dollar gift from someone who had the ability but no relationship to the ministry. The donor responded, โ€œYou need to give me more of an onramp. Ask me for a project that can start our relationship.โ€

The Harvest
Farming and fundraising are hard work. Both require knowledge of what, when, where, and how to plant, and both require reliance on Godโ€™s favor. The fundraising harvest comes after youโ€™ve invested the hard work of relationship building and asking. The hardworking farmer does what he does so he can enjoy the harvest. If you faithfully tell your story and ask, God will bring a bountiful harvest. He is ultimately responsible for providing for your ministry.

Think About This: Mark 4:28 says, โ€œAll by itself the soil produces grain.โ€ This phrase uses the Greek word automatฤ“, from which we get the English word โ€œautomatically.โ€ Itโ€™s divinely automatic. Fundraising is a divine-human cooperative, but mostly divine. Tell your ministry story well, ask boldly, and leave your results to God.

Response: Father, please help me faithfully tell our ministry story, ask for support, and trust you for the outcome.

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. Heโ€™s authored three books: Ask for a Fish โ€“ Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share โ€“ Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking โ€“ Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising

Fundraising Verse of the Week

Is This the Time to Take Money?

by Ron Haas
October 28, 2024

But Elisha said to him, โ€œWas not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothesโ€”or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? (2 Kings 5:26)

Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, had a big leprosy problem. A servant girl shared good news with his wife that Elisha would heal him. So, Naaman searched for the prophet and took along 750 pounds of silver (worth approximately $230,000), 150 pounds of gold (worth approximately $4.2 million), and ten new outfits. Elisha didnโ€™t even come to the door but sent him to wash seven times in the Jordan. Naaman was offended but his servant finally convinced him to obey the prophet and he was miraculously healed. Naaman was so grateful, he rushed back to thank Elisha with silver and gold, but Elisha refused his gifts and sent him home.

Gehazi believed Elisha had let Naaman off too easy, so he chased after this major donor to ask for a gift for himself. Gehazi shared a cover story about needing seventy-five pounds of silver and some new clothes for two young prophets. Naaman joyfully gave him twice as much as he asked. Gehazi hurried back, stashed the loot in his tent, then went to work like nothing had happened. Elisha caught him red-handed. Unfortunately, all too often, someone in Christian ministry gets caught embezzling funds. How can you protect your heart against greed? Consider these three safeguards:

Contentment
โ€œThe love of money is the root of all kinds of evilโ€ (1 Tim. 6:10). Like many in ministry, Gehazi felt underpaid and undervalued, so he took matters into his own hands. Youโ€™ll never get paid what youโ€™re worthโ€”or so you think. The defense against covetousness is contentment. Paul โ€œlearned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in wantโ€ (Phil. 4:12). Have you learned the secret of contentment?

Others-Focused
Itโ€™s not wrong to be compensated fairly for your work. โ€œThe worker deserves his wagesโ€ (1 Tim. 5:18). Paul instructed, โ€œthe one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructorโ€ (Gal. 6:6). Elisha could have taken a gift, but he was more concerned about Naamanโ€™s spiritual growth than his own financial needs. He didnโ€™t want Naaman to be confused by thinking he could pay for Godโ€™s grace.

Accountability
Financial audits usually catch embezzlers, but Gehaziโ€™s sin was asking for his own benefit and taking advantage of the donorโ€™s generosity. This greed is much harder to detect. As a fundraiser, you have the privilege of befriending many wealthy people. One can easily become envious of their lifestyle. Always put the interests of your ministry above your own. Donโ€™t ask for yourself.

Think About This: โ€œWatch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessionsโ€ (Luke 12:15). The results of greed are not worth the price. Gehazi was struck down with Naamanโ€™s leprosy. Guard your heart!

Response: Father, please forgive me for being discontent with my wages (Luke 3:14).

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. Heโ€™s authored three books: Ask for a Fish โ€“ Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share โ€“ Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking โ€“ Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for  Christian Leadership Allianceโ€™s Outcomes magazine.

Fundraising, Major Donors, Stewardship

Who Makes It Rain?

by The Timothy Group
August 23, 2020

I have never once caused it to rain in my nearly 40 years of stewardship practice here at TTG. I know who sends the rain and it is not me. However I do know what to do with the rain once God sends it. I have been in the irrigation business all these years. I also admit to an occasional attempt at โ€œcloud seeding.” Yes, I’m trying to help God out a bit! This reveals the need to pause and ask myself the following question.

BHAQ (Big Harry Audacious Question):

DOES GOD REALLY NEED US TO ACCOMPLISH HIS TASKS HERE ON EARTH?

Capital Campaigns, Major Donors, Stewardship

A Pleasant Million Dollar Surprise

by The Timothy Group
April 4, 2014

Recently, I was privileged to conduct Pre-Campaign Study interviews on behalf of a client. Essentially, these interviews are one-on-one meetings with their key stakeholders. This capital campaign would be the single largest fundraising effort ever entered into by this organization – the total needs exceeding $5 million. When we conduct these interviews, we ask the stakeholders several questions to gather their perception of the need. These are confidential conversations. We end each interview by asking if they would consider supporting the campaign as described and to estimate what their three-year giving level might look like. These are not pledge commitments, but they do help us to evaluate what the total dollars might project to.

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