“Dear Lord, save us from fundraising…”
A prayer prayed by many women and men leaders in faith-based communities for millennia, or at least as long as leaky church roofs and golf tournaments have been part of modern history.
Learning at the feet of great faith-based fundraisers and working at charities that intersect with a faith community myself, I hope these four lessons that have helped me, can help others who find themselves asking on behalf of their Almighty:
Keep the faith. We inspire with the awesome power of prayer, the ministry of music and imagine a new way of being human through scripture, but fundraising is often ghettoized to the mechanics of this temporal world. Some religious leaders feel it’s not polite to speak about money publicly and yet there is always someone in the lobby selling fruitcakes, tickets to events and bake sales.
Giving often remains locked in a transactional cycle and relationships are never formed. The ask loses power when you take God out of it. Many secular charities have learned to focus on the “why” of giving and speak more often about their vision for a better world than about “how” to give. Faith-based organizations that connect fundraising asks with their spiritual missions strengthen the case for support. The smart congregational leader brings the people of the pews insight on how funds are used, what the needs of the institution are and yes, teaches them how to give sacrificially according to their spiritual belief. “Fundraising campaigns” become about building on an existing experience of faith community. Partnership rather than simply about “raising funds”. Don’t take “tithing” for granted, keep teaching how to be a faithful, joyful giver!
Study the language and success of others. When I was first training as a fundraiser in a faith-based organization, I sat at the feet of wise peers at the Salvation Army, Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church through the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Learning from leaders of other denominations gave me a real leg-up and such hope when discovering their seamless integration of the language, belief and action of expressing faith with the fundraising activities of an organization. Many of us focus too much on the differences in our faith communities but in the realm of fundraising, the concept of stewardship and Christ’s basic message of love is common ground so don’t overlook the powerful resources available on this strategic spiritual topic.
Peers have power! Years ago I was given a tiny book that would affect me deeply – “The Spirituality of Fundraising” collected from the words of the great theologian Henri J.M. Nouwen produced by the Henri Nouwen Society. Other fundraisers have shared that this one book helped them come to terms with their work as a fundraiser as a vocation instead of just a job. It’s used as a resource for to inspire and activate peers, charity executives and boards across Canada. Nationally teams like the CCCC and the Mennonite Foundation of Canada and Advisors with Purpose have an incredible wealth of experience fundraising in the world of faith.
Pay attention to the secular world. Recently joining the board of the Ontario Prayer Breakfast and in my work with CanadaHelps serving thousands of churches and faith-based charities across Canada it is exciting to see the progress that can be made when the strengths of secular charities are incorporated into fundraising programs of faith. Strategies like: donor research, gift recognition, online integration and major gifts are new to the language of faith communities. People may sit in the pew on Sunday but the other 6 days of the week they are bombarded by smart, sophisticated appeals from other charities. If progress is to be made in fundraising for faith, the strategy of the secular should be studied and incorporated.
This article represents just one facet of the faith community: Christian giving, There is a world of faith diversity out there to learn from. Worthy of mention is the investment AFP is making in the Inclusive Giving fellowship program as well as the Canadian Aboriginal Philanthropy leaders like Indspire and the Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.
As we head to our various places of worship this weekend let’s pray not just for more donations but also for donors, leaders and fundraisers to think of giving as a conversation with God instead of just an offering.
Authors note: I’d like to acknowledge fellow faith fundraiser Christina Attard for her collaboration on this article and share a thoughtful online presentation she uses in her work to teach the spirituality of fundraising within the Christian tradition.
Paul Nazareth is VP Community Engagement with CanadaHelps.org, Canada’s leading charity that brings together charities, donors and advisors as they give online. He has worked with faith based charities like Scarboro Missions and the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. Paul is Chair of the Humber College Postgraduate Fundraising Program Advisory Committee, teaches fundraising with Georgian College and is a national instructor with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners. Find him on Linkedin or @UinvitedU on Twitter.
