Anyone who has seen the budgets of any church or ministry sees the myriad expenses. If bills and salaries are not paid, churches and ministries sadly close their doors. Money matters.
So why is fundraising often treated like a bad word?
Fundraising is meant for those of us who are passionate about ministry and are looking for ways to gather support. Let’s talk about the joys (yes, joys!) of fundraising and some ideas on how to get started.
But before we discuss the joys, let’s talk about the fear. Many people cite fear as the number one reason why they don’t engage in fundraising. Fear of rejection. Fear of a fundraising campaign failing. Fear of even talking about money.
I won’t deny that these fears are very real. However, if we focus on the fear we can be paralyzed from taking action. Let’s focus on why we fundraise. Let’s focus on the good work that is enabled through fundraising. Fundraising provides resources to change lives.
We have a living example of this at Evangel Hall Mission, where I have worked as a resource developer for the past seven years. Here we serve more than 60,000 meals annually to people who otherwise would go hungry, house more than 130 people who otherwise would be homeless, and provide dental services to people who otherwise would suffer excruciating pain, just to name a few activities in our mission.
All this is possible through fundraising. Fundraising pays for staff salaries to provide the services, pays the mortgage and utilities to keep the building open and functioning, and pays many other bills.
Fundraising enables good work to happen. It provides the resources necessary to fuel the critical work done by front-line workers in ministry.
So how do you go about fundraising as a beginner or on a shoestring budget? Below are a few thoughts that can apply to campaigns with large and small goals. These are thoughts, not rules—think about them and adapt them to your own ministry. I do not have a PhD in fundraising but simply some experience in a ministry about which I am passionate.
This is by no means intended as a thesis on fundraising. It is merely a starting point to share some ideas. On that note, I leave you with this thought: Yes, being a fundraiser can be much work, but it is a work of great joy. You are raising funds to benefit the men, women, and children whose lives will be touched through your ministry. You are finding a unique way to be a blessing to others. That is a joyous and privileged role to play!
