Stop Asking for Money!

Posted by admin on Sep 15, 2010 in Blog, Fundraising | 0 comments

I hate asking for money.

How about you?

A similar sign

When I have to ask for money, I feel a lot like the guy who sometimes stands at I-65 and Highway 96. His gray beard hangs down matted with dirt, food particles, and car exhaust. He wears a green fatigue jacket and holds a cardboard sign that says, “Help an enjured (sic) vet. God bless.” Other times, I feel like the shyster created by Eddie Murphy in Trading Places. [IMDB | Amazon] Well, without the sense of humor.

God does have a sense of humor because I’ve spent the bulk of my career working in and with non-profit organizations that must raise money to survive. I became very cynical about the entire process until I had lunch with a missionary friend. He was weeks away from heading out on his great gospel adventure. He was fully supported with emergency funds in reserve.

My friend told me, “When I started the process, I was all about the money. I talked about investment and return. I talked about the features of the ministry. I dazzled them with a flashy presentation. I didn’t get the results. Things changed when I read this verse. This passage of scripture turned my support raising process around.

For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.Philippians 4:16–17 NIV (emphasis mine)

When you raise money in your church or for your non-profit, you are not begging for money or soliciting a donation. Instead, you are asking your listener, “May I make a deposit into your account?” That account is safer than a Swiss numbered account or a Cayman Islands’ bank. It is said that whoever sows generously will also reap generously. When someone clicks online, makes a phone call, or fills out an commitment card, texts to give, or drops an envelope in an offering place, she is indeed fueling hope and help to your cause. And in God’s miraculous economy, He is making a deposit in her account.

So, stop asking for money and start asking your constituents if it’s okay for you to give them a gift. When they give, everyone benefits.