Sweat and fear
A spiritual and practical guide to fundraising
by Mieke Vandersall
The first time I had to ask someone for money I thought I was going to die.
I told myself I had nothing to fear. As an executive director of a religious nonprofit for almost a decade, I raised money all the time. This prospective donor, moreover, knew and respected our work. In fact, he had even asked me to ask him to give. What could be easier? And yet, there I was, riding the elevator up to his office, palms and underarms sweating, visibly shaking, and just wanting it to be over. I was convinced that he would be angry with me for the request.
Of course, not only was he not angry, he was grateful for my invitation.
It was at that moment that I knew, deep down, that I had some serious work to do, some unlearning and some relearning, both emotionally and theologically. I also was going to need some practical skills that no one ever taught me in seminary. And so I began. I began to learn that, as Henri Nouwen says: “We must not let ourselves be tricked into thinking that fundraising is only a secular activity. As a form of ministry, fundraising is as spiritual as giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, or feeding the hungry.”
Since then I have realized that unlocking our preconceived notions of money—how we get it, how much we have, how we spend it, how much we need to save—can unleash our capacity as Christ’s disciples.
It’s no coincidence, though, that so many Christians feel anxious or guilty when talking about money. I recently led a workshop where we asked the participants how their congregations treat money. The answers were telling: “As little as possible.” “Once a year for two weeks.” “Silently.” “As bad. Money is bad, so give it away and back to the church.”
Clearly I wasn’t the only person with work to do. We all have work to do.
Bob Sheldon, interim pastor of Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, offers great biblical, theological, and practical reflection in his online packet called “Annual Campaigns That Really Work.” He notes that one of every seven verses in the first three Gospels and one-third of their parables are about money. Roughly 15 percent of everything Jesus says in the first three Gospels, therefore, is about money, twice as much as prayer and faith combined.
It appears that Jesus wants us not only to talk about money but also to use it for good—for bringing forth the kingdom of God, a reign that values equality and fairness, a reign that looks very different from the current world in which we live.
Below are some spiritual practices that I believe are critical to fundraising—and disciple-making—success.
1. Talk about money—and not just during stewardship “season.” Talk about money all year long. The Bible is full of stories, parables, and theological fodder. Make money the subject of Bible studies, sermons, educational forums, leadership development, and session trainings.
2. Lead. Through their own giving and all the ways they talk about money, leaders set the tone for the rest of the congregation. Congregational leadership should meet with individual members to thank them for their gifts and to articulate the specific impact and use of their gifts. Do this throughout the year; this is a yearlong discipline.
3. Research. As a fundraising consultant, the first thing I do with a new congregation is interview a diverse cross-section to find out the current challenges to giving. I interview the fans and the naysayers. I make sure to tell everyone that, while the collective results will be shared, the interview is confidential and their responses anonymous. I then identify themes and present those to the leadership. This process uncovers barriers and assets to fundraising, whether real or perceived, all of which must be addressed for fundraising to be successful.
4. Remember that we are competing with every other nonprofit, including the symphony, the food pantry, and the domestic violence shelter, all of which do good work. Just because someone is a member doesn’t mean that she will give her largest gift to the church.
“There is not a single major denomination that does not encourage tithing by its membership,” says J. Clif Christopher in The Church Money Manual. “Strong statements are in place from Catholics to Pentecostals. Yet we see that far less than 10 percent of the church members in America practice this level of generosity. In mainline denominations the number of tithers is closer to 2 percent.” We are no longer in a world where we can depend on gifts magically appearing to support the church.
It is our job first to address the needs of our communities, then to communicate the power of how we are addressing those needs, and finally to ask people for money to continue and grow our work.
5. Learn from the experts. There are many secular nonprofit best practices we can learn from, such as regularly thanking donors, creating clear and concise materials that communicate the impact of our mission, providing clear and easy steps for online giving, and asking for contributions for particular projects.
6. Testify. In our tradition, we know the power of testimony. There are countless opportunities throughout the church year for people to testify to the impact of your community. Consider including a time for testimony in your regular worship service, inviting members and visitors to share how the church has made a difference in their lives and brought them closer to Christ. Ask organizations you fund and assist to share their stories as minutes for mission or brief articles in your newsletter and special mailings. During Lent, listen to each other and your dreams for resurrected life. In other words, talk. Talk about what God has done through you, and talk about all the resources needed to continue or grow that ministry. We are not talking about lights and roofs; we are talking about real lives that need lights and roofs to survive and thrive.
After overcoming the fear that my initial donor would be angry with me, I began to see opportunities for fundraising everywhere. I realized that when I could get out of my own head and speak proudly about our work, inviting a dynamic relationship of support, the opportunities were endless. My prayers began to be answered. Indeed, not long before I took that anxious elevator ride, I had been brought to my knees in prayer, asking—begging—God to help me figure out what to do, how to support our ministry, how to alleviate the fear of not making payroll, how to fund some desperately needed staff. In that prayer God came to me as a voice outside of myself: “You need to ask.”
Thus began my journey of learning to ask, of realizing that the only thing standing between God’s call on my heart and the resources needed to make that calling a reality was myself. It takes time to delve into the rich spiritual practice of fundraising, but for the sake of the transformational presence of Jesus Christ here on earth, it was worth it.
So, go forward, my sweaty-palmed friends, and ask. You might be surprised by how much you receive.
Mieke Vandersall is a consultant with Wingo Inc., a fundraising and development firm in New York City. She specializes in working with religious nonprofits and congregations.
