Fundraising is Personal

"Wherever you are, be all there; live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." - Jim Elliot

After working with a client for a number of weeks, they finally broke down and asked if I could just do the footwork for them. The bottom line was: they wanted the funds, but didn't really want to fundraise. Could I do the groundwork of entering all the contact information into one of our Tailored Coaching Tools for them? And then, could I contact those people by email and write up a small snippet of their ministry lately?

"It's the calling, and the scheduling, and the setting up of meetings that takes so much time," says the client.

Yes, it does take time. And could I have completed those actions? Well, yes. But, is that what will be the most effective to gain financial partnerships? No, not at all. Not only will me doing the work raise less money for you, but it also doesn't allow for the Lord to work in your heart to have a deeper passion for the work He's called you to do on the field.

If God has called you to this mission, and is going to provide through funding from others, then you need to be willing to walk through that process as part of your mission. "Wherever you are, be all there...." - Jim Elliot

The ultimate lesson: fundraising is not the pre-work before you get to the "real" work on the field. Fundraising is the beginning of the process of your real work, on and off the field, that will allow you to fully complete the calling the Lord has placed on your life. 

Are the Tailored Coaches smart enough and efficient enough to complete those tasks for you? Yes, definitely! Is that the best use of your funds in coaching, and your fundraising process? Definitely not. 

Taking the time to make the investment and connect with people who could potential provide funding for your mission will give you a chance to make a more solid foundation of partners who truly believe in the mission.