Be a Joy Bringer By Ron Haas

Bring Joy to Your Donors

On the subject of joy, perhaps you’ve seen this funny poster,

 Major donor work involves face-to-face visits in people’s homes or offices. We all bring joy to our donors, but is it when we arrive or leave? Are they glad to welcome you or hide behind the curtains, hoping you will think they’re not home? What can you do to make sure you bring joy to your donors? This simple verse shares four key insights.

“May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” – Psalm 119:74

I have put my hope in your word
No matter your mission statement, your ministry exists to be the hands and feet of Jesus. You are providing a quality education and instilling principles from God’s word. You are not just feeding the hungry; you hope your guests will respond to God’s kindness. You are not just caring for physical needs; you are caring for souls. Your ministry partners love you because you have put your hope in the Word and are attempting to do what it says.

May those who fear you
Your commitment to the Bible limits your potential donor pool. Some secular donors may appreciate your temporal work even though they don’t resonate with your eternal work. Should you take money from those who don’t align with your faith? Salvation Army founder William Booth is often quoted as saying, “The problem with tainted money is there t’aint enough.” Yet, recent scandals from high-profile donors are prompting some nonprofit organizations to reconsider their policies.

Rejoice
Generosity stirs the emotions of the giver and the receiver.

“God loves a cheerful giver” – 2 Corinthians 9:7.

You think you’re excited to receive a large gift, but your donors are even more excited to give it. The Macedonians gave a sacrificial gift to Paul so he could share with the poor believers suffering in Jerusalem. Paul was amazed at their generosity,

“In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity” – 2 Corinthians 8:2

When they see me
Face-to-face fundraising is the gold standard strategy for connecting with your ministry partners. Many ministry leaders find it very difficult to visit with their donors. A very successful grandparent was identified in a feasibility study. He loved his grandchildren and had given, but the school’s development director had never visited him. The director said, “If you lined him up in a crowd, I couldn’t identify him.” Unfortunately, the donor had no idea what the development director looked like either.
 
Think About This 

Follow Paul’s example,

“And they praised God because of me” – Galatians 1:24

In your desire to visit your donors, don’t overstay your welcome. A pastor had a reputation for making long hospital calls. He thought spending enormous amounts of time showed how much he cared, but he didn’t understand the law of diminishing returns.
 
Response 

Father, forgive me for not spending quality time with my key donors. Please help me make personal visits a primary strategy for engaging our donors.

Have a Spirit-led Fundraising Week!

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Ron Haas is Vice President for The Timothy Group. For over two decades, Ron has served Timothy Group clients with major donor solicitation, strategic planning, board training, grant writing, annual fund development, and capital campaigns. His book, Ask for a Fish: Bold, Faith-Based Fundraising (Ron Haas, 2013), guides ministry leaders to “find out where God is hiding money!”

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