“Never think you need to apologize for asking someone to give to a worthy objective, any more than as though you were giving him an opportunity to participate in high-grade investment. The duty of giving is as much his as the duty of asking is yours.”
– John D. Rockefeller
For some, the word fundraising is a bad or scary word. It holds a weight — as though it could stand between you and the purpose of God, and your call into the nations. But the thing is, fundraising can only hold the power you give it. And you actually have control over whether the power of fundraising is positive or negative.
I want to empower you to control the narrative you give to fundraising. Whether you are fundraising for your next mission trip, your job, a church event, or an entirely new ministry. Take all the feelings you have around the amount of money you need to raise, and filter them through an expectant heart. We expect to see the Lord move. We expect to see the Church rise to the occasion. We expect for conversations about money to glorify God and the work He is doing. We expect God’s will to be done.
There are countless blogs, videos, and other resources full of ideas for fundraising. With bake sales, car washes, selling t-shirts, or raffles – we are not in shortage of creative ideas for fundraising. Here are some good ones from Adventures’ participants…
Fundraising in Full Force
Adopt-a-Box
Jesus, Food, Music, Mission
While we love a good spaghetti dinner or well designed comfort colors shirt, we see the most successful form of fundraising is simple and often completely free.
Invite others into the mission.
Fundraising is Biblical, and not just as a means for your mission. Rather, the act of fundraising is a ministry. It gives others the opportunity to support a need or concern. It gives them an outlet to live out Matthew 6:33 — seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.
The conversation with a supporter can often be saturated with feelings of fear and uncomfortability. There can be several roots to these feelings — misconceptions of worth, lack of vision, or pride can all stand in the way of a productive conversation around fundraising. With this said, a change of perspective is not going to be as simple as saying so. Some work might need to happen first. Working out where the fears are rooted and identifying the lie fueling them is key.
Moving forward, we can begin to change the narrative of our fundraising process and our perspective then has room to shift. Imagine going into a conversation about money being able to immediately break off the awkwardness and instead present a valuable opportunity for someone to invest into the Kingdom of God. This is not about your ability to work or provide, it is not about asking for a sacrifice. When someone gives to your ministry, they are making an investment into the work of God through you and your mission.
Create a list of names. Start making calls and setting up meetings. Get these people in front of you so they not only hear the work God has called you into, but see the passion for that mission in your eyes. Let them feel what you feel as you serve in orphan ministry, or women’s ministry. Let them feel the impact your start-up can make in the world. Invite them into the concern and burden you carry. We are called to carry each other’s burdens — Galatians 6: 2-10.
The money isn’t actually the point at all.
Which might seem like a crazy statement to some, as we are often talking about very large amounts of money. The anxiety surrounding that is completely understandable, but it’s not Biblical. And we like to hang our hat on that which is given to us by God Himself. So if we take the amount of money you need out of the picture, and shift our focus to the mission of God, it starts happening even as we are in the preparation stages.
Where are you at in this process? It might be as simple as a perspective shift, or you may need to get elbow deep into the fears and hesitations. Wherever you are, keep moving forward. You might need to pivot a little along the way, and that’s okay. There is absolutely grace in the process. But please, do not give fundraising the power to hinder your mission.
Adventures in Missions has several great short-term trips open! We have re-focused our trips to places where we can ensure a lasting impact, where we know work for the Kingdom is already happening and will continue long after our 10 day trip. Are you ready to break out of your day to day, and spend 5-10 days supporting Kingdom work around the world? We have both domestic and international trips!
>>Explore all trips here!<<
