The right way to do fundraising

I did fundraising as a single guy for about five years. During this time I learned the following two things:

1. Fundraising as a single guy is hard.
2. I had little clue about the right way to do fundraising.

Then I got married to the girl of my dreams... and we kept on fundraising. This fundraising was especially critical because a couple months before we got married I lost several donors whose total monthly giving was over $1100. See item #2 above. I wasn't exactly sweeping my wife off her feet with my fundraising skills.

So in our pre-kids days we used to do a lot of fundraising together. During this time I learned two more things:

1. Fundraising as a married guy is hard.
2. I still had little clue about the right way to do fundraising.

But here's the odd thing... despite the continually-mounting evidence to the contrary, I continued to act as though I knew the right way to do fundraising!

For example, my method was to share "big picture vision" with donors and potential donors. I told them all about the ministry's mission and core values, where we were heading and then how they could help, etc... you know... the right stuff to share! My wife, however, for reasons I simply could not fathom, would share the detailed day-to-day stuff: where we worked, how many people we ministered to, what their prayer needs were, etc... you know... the other stuff to share! Yeah, I suppose somebody could share that stuff, but, uh, why? (I also wasn't doing so hot at sweeping her off her feet with my stellar listening skills and vast reservoirs of empathy.)

Because of these... differences... going on support appointments together was often difficult.

Writing newsletters was worse.

What was the problem here? Was it that one of us was right and the other wasn't? Consider the words of King Solomon:

The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the LORD weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the LORD,
    and your plans will be established.
The heart of man plans his way,
    but the LORD establishes his steps.
(Proverbs 16:1-3,9 ESV)

Note the repeated emphasis: men's hearts are full of plans and intentions, but God is the one who sovereignly acts. His good purposes are always fulfilled even when my [faulty] purposes are not.

These verses should therefore cause us to learn two more things:

1. From man's perspective, fundraising is always hard. From God's perspective, it's already done.
2. I must choose to believe - to truly believe - that I have little clue how about the right way to do fundraising; only then do I recognize the need to commit my work to the LORD.

In the last few years, I've learned to lean on those truths far more than I used to. This has made fundraising on my own and with my wife far more enjoyable as well as more fruitful. I've learned that it's okay if my wife shares things differently than I do. It's okay if we differ on whether newsletters are one- or two-sided. It's okay if we have ongoing discussions about how to plan fundraising trips. None of those decisions will make or break our fundraising.

It's all okay so long as we commit our plans and our work to the LORD. He is the one who will give the donor's answer.

That's the right way to do fundraising.

I hate the phone

I hate using the phone.

Okay, so hate is too strong a word. But many of you know exactly what I mean. It just seems so impersonal. I'd much rather talk with someone face to face. There are a lot of visual cues you simply can't get using the phone. Besides, most people these days have cell phones, which results in increased call latency, dropped calls and, perhaps worst of all, speakerphone!

Like I said... I hate using the phone.

But maybe you're different. Perhaps you don't mind the phone, but you hate email. Your inbox easily gets out of control, you lose track of emails donors have sent, you worry about being misinterpreted because email lacks tone of voice, etc.

Or maybe you don't like Facebook. It's almost all pictures of babies, political memes and ad-saturated kids' games anyway.

Or it could be that you're fine with all things digital, but writing thank-you notes takes FOR-E-VER. Why can't all your donors simply join Facebook so you can thank them that way?

Now, there's nothing wrong with having preferences about communication methods. Even strong preferences are fine. But we trip up when we're unwilling to lay down those preferences...

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

I hate using the phone, but many of my donors love when I call. I personally enjoy using email, but some of my donors don't. I don't do a whole lot with Facebook, but if I can spend 10 minutes reading over a donor's timeline so I know how to better encourage and pray for them, that's time well spent.

Why should we lay down our preferences like that? Because Jesus loved us even though He didn't have to (and in fact had good reason not to.) He was perfectly happy spending eternity with the Father and Spirit before we came along. When we did arrive on the scene, it wasn't very long before we messed everything up. Yet did Jesus hold back any of His preferences or display any selfishness in His dealings with us? "Though He was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself." (Philippians 2:6-7 ESV)

Be encouraged! Those verses mean that every time you go outside your comfort zone in an email and every time I pick up the phone to call someone, we are modeling Christ to them - whether they know it or not. And even if they don't know it, Jesus does. (Matthew 25:40, Luke 6:35)

I still hate the phone, but I use it to love my donors because Jesus loved me far more.

That's worth a phone call, I think.