–Jan McDonaldAs the CEO of a faith-based, non-profit, much of my job is to ensure adequate funding. We don’t have a development director to help with that at Life Options. I used to detest fundraising. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe wholeheartedly in our mission. I was, and am still totally sold out to the fact that a life-affirming option is always possible in an unexpected pregnancy. I was just afraid of rejection. That was pretty much the bottom line. I didn’t want to hear the word “no.” That phone receiver weighed 500 pounds every time I would try to pick it up to make a call. How could I count on my board members to help develop funding when I couldn’t do it myself? How could I ask walkers to find sponsors for the Walk for Life? Actually, fear of rejection hindered me in other parts of my life, as well.
There is a story in the Bible that really changed my thinking about fundraising and about “asking” in general.
The Lord wanted the Israelites to make a tabernacle so He could live among the people. The Lord told Moses in Ex. 25:2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me and offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.” God gives Moses the instructions for the tabernacle in the following chapters.
There’s the Golden Calf incident before they return to building the tabernacle. After this fiasco in Exodus 32, (you’ll have to read the story yourself,) God recommits His desire to live among His people and the tabernacle building commences.
God instructs Moses to ask the people to give an offering in Exodus 35:2.
In Exodus 35:5, Moses instructs everyone who is willing to bring an offering. Verses 21 and 22, read “All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought an offering to the Lord…Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing, and gave jewelry.” They gave tons of other stuff, as well. There are a couple more verses (26, 29, Ex.36:2) which describe the people that gave as willing. In fact, it tells us in Exodus 36:5 the people were brought more than enough for doing the work the Lord told them to do and Moses had to restrain them from giving. WOW, they received so many supplies that Moses had to stop them from giving.
I read through all that and asked myself this question. Who or what stirred the peoples’ hearts and spirits to give? Who or what made them willing?
Let me submit to you that God moved their hearts to give. God made the people willing. He could provide everything for every project that He wants or needs Himself, but He likes to use people. God tells us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Don’t we see that in our own lives? Doesn’t it feel great to fill a need for someone else?
Also, I think that God’s mission, to live among His people, moved the peoples’ hearts and spirits to give, just like our mission inspires people to give to us.
God could provide all the funding for our missions and ministries that we need, but we have to ask. There are so many generous and willing people out there, but if they don’t know what we need, they won’t give. And they won’t give unless we ask them, unless we invite them to participate in what God is doing.
If God moves the hearts and the spirits of the people to give, then it’s not about me. It’s not about what I say, or how good of a “closer” I am when asking for gifts. If God moves the hearts of the people to give, they will. If God doesn’t, they won’t. The people who don’t give, and there aren’t many that don’t, aren’t rejecting me. They aren’t giving because God has not moved their hearts. Maybe it’s not the right timing for them to give. Maybe God has put a different mission or ministry on their heart. One more time, let me say that it’s not about me.
I am totally okay with the people telling God “no.” I ask for what we need or want and I am not attached to the outcome, because the outcome is not up to me. It’s up to God. If I truly believe that it is God Who runs my life, and I do, it’s God deal to do the providing. That’s what He does.
Let me tell you about an “ask” for funding for an ultrasound some years ago. I always write down what I am going to say, because it makes me more comfortable. I then called a development guru to see if he thought it was effective. I read him the script and he liked it. I then asked him if he would like to give toward this ultrasound machine…he said, “yes.” Yippee!!
I then made a list of others that I wanted to call. I picked the person who I knew would be the most difficult and critical. Joe (not his real name) isn’t not mean, just very frugal and skeptical. Sweating bullets, I shared the purpose of my call. Joe’s response, “Funny you should call and I’m glad you did. We didn’t know you needed an ultrasound. We’re headed to the accountant today to see how much we’re going to give this year. Can I call you in two days?”
“That would be fabulous! Thank you so much,” I told him gratefully.
Just about the time I’m getting ready to happy dance in my office, this man said, “Oh by the way, you’ll get a much better response if you don’t read your script.”
I’m telling you, you don’t have to be good. You just have to ask. God does the rest of the work. We did get that ultrasound–God funded all of it.
If you have any questions or want to hear more great stories about fundraising, feel free to call. I always love to share how amazing God is at providing for our needs.
Gratefully typed,
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
(still CEO of Life Options)
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