As coaches we listen to our clients to better understand their mindsets coming into fundraising. We ask powerful questions that often uncovers hidden expectations and motives. This can lead to discoveries that are critical to their fundraising success.

If mission agencies are going to move past a traditional funding model, and re-align themselves for efficiency and growth, they must do it while maintaining the current communication and fundraising efforts. We literally have to discover how to re-build the plane while flying it. We can effectively take advantage of the best of both levels of leadership by implementing our holistic partnership model according to the smallest strategic unit (SSU).

A healthy ministry requires an interdependent relationship between leadership of the organization, the impact goal, and partners. As you can see, this interdependency creates a triangle with all three ingredients working together to create synergy and build momentum.

Today, veteran missionaries are actively looking for new ways to find younger partners of the millennial generation. If you find yourself relating to this, don’t stress. Here are four tips to help you connect with a potential younger donor base.

Have you ever told your friend about your mission and had them respond with a glassy-eyed stare? If so, then here are some suggestions to help you know how to use clearer language.

Have you ever had a potential donor avoid you? We know that the feeling is not sweet at all. When it comes to establishing a relationship with donors, think of it like a pendulum, where building a relationship is on one side, and asking for money is on the other. Which side weighs the heaviest?

Sometimes we forget that every moment can be productive, but a quick self assessment can help us make progress in even the smallest of ways. Yes, fundraising does require your time and attention, but small things can be done in productive 10 minute windows as well.

I have a client who has been raising funds for a month, and four times the same series of events has happened to him. This particular client does international ministry work, something that can be seen as unfamiliar and risky territory.

In our experience, knowing what you need, how you need it, and directly asking for it in any culture is the most effective approach. The more important part about all of that is to be clear. In an indirect culture you can be clear about what you are looking for, but you may not ask for a person to make a decision right then and there.

Fundraising is like building a home. It’s not done over night, and it requires a plethora of things to be done correctly and admirably. To really get the job done, you need the right tools to change your vision into a project brought to fruition!

The stories we tell are powerful because they help the listener understand a new perspective with their heart and soul. The three specific stories also answer 3 important questions.

The most important thing about a gift is building a relationship with the person who gave the gift or will give a gift. Get to know the individual and do not neglect their interests.

Giving history is a great indicator for identifying major donors. If someone has given you at least $500 in the past, they could potentially give again and give more. Making the leap from $500 to $1,000 is likely not a huge jump for most major donors

If you are raising more than $30-$40k per year, we recommend you have some level of major giving. In general, this is someone who has the capacity to give a single gift of $1,000 or more

The main reason ministries often ask partners to increase their giving would be because their expenses have gone up or overall giving has decreased. But those reasons are likely not the reasons that would motivate donors to give substantially.

Studies have shown, time and time again, that the earlier you acquire a second gift, the higher the total giving of a donor will be over the lifetime of their partnership with your ministry. So how do you get the second gift?

If asking for funding is difficult for you, then stop asking for yourself. Instead, ask for the child you are helping learn English in India. Ask for the the little girl who is trapped in human trafficking in Cambodia. Ask for the family without clean water in Africa.