Spirituality of Fund-Raising
Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission…. As a form of ministry, fund-raising is as spiritual as giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, or feeding the hungry… Whether people respond to our fundraising appeal with a “Yes,” a “No,” or a “Maybe” is less important than the knowledge that we all are gathered as one on the holy ground of God’s generous disposition toward us.
Henri Nouwen, The Spirtuality of Fund-Raising
For those of us in the fund-raising profession could there ever be a stronger statement of affirmation for our work and ministry? In the above statement, Henri gently nurtures us to see fund-raising for what “at its best” it can be……namely a profession that is embedded in the art of inviting people to join into partnership (and into community) to, in some way, “make the world” (or a portion of it) a better place through our financial gifts. Source
Henri Nouwen’s lecture The Spirituality of Fund-Raising has since been transcribed into a small booklet given the same title. As the fundraising profession has matured and become more legitimate in the eyes of Christian ministries, Nouwen’s lecture in particular has gained popularity. It my assumption that this lecture has inspired many later works that have acknowledge fundraising as a ministry.
To begin with, I appreciate that Nouwen describes fundraising as a ministry. Unfortunately, the word fundraising gets a bum rap in many Christian circles and I suppose its roots are found in places like Christopher Sealey’s book who wrote…Fundraising creates an environment of commercialism in the church… God does not sanction fundraising… It kills the church’s stewardship program… Fundraising angers the Holy Spirit; it causes Him to flee from the congregation.
Quite frankly, whether its fundraising or anything else, if we can attach the word “program” to, then can and sell it to another congregation, I am certain it displeases God.
Nouwen begins by acknowledging the awkward and unsettling nature of fundraising. He describes the first-time fundraiser’s experience as awkward embarrassed, and uneasy. Undoubtedly fitting words for those of us who are not yet accustom to asking for money. However, Nouwen quotes a confident fundraiser who insists that fundraising should feel very different; I ask for money standing up, not bowing down, because I believe in what I am about. I believe that I have something important to offer.
Nouwen outlines his discussion according to several topics; two of which resonated well with own experience in fundraising. He begins by digging deep into the question of where we find our security. Is our security in money or in God? Nouwen insists:
… you cannot put your security in God and money. You have to make a choice. And all those questions I asked you were simply to ask yourself whether you are somewhere, perhaps; still putting your security in money because Jesus says put your security in God. You have to make a choice – where you want to belong, to the world or to God. Your trust, your basic trust, Jesus says, has to be in God. And as long as your trust is in money, you cannot be a true member of the Kingdom.
If you totally put your security in God, you can ask for as much money as your want. If your security is in God, then you are free to ask for money. When you are free from money, you can ask for it. The reason that we have such a hard time asking for money is precisely because it is a taboo subject. And it is a taboo subject because our own little securities are connected with it, and so we are not free.
It is quite amazing what Nouwen is suggesting here. When we find our security in Christ, we released from the burden of having to find our security in earthly things. As fundraisers, we can be assured that our success is not in the goal, or the amount of money we raise, but rather our success is in Christ. Interesting thought: imagine having this sort of conversation the next time a board member hesitates to join you on a major gift call.
The second question Nouwen raises concerns our attitude toward the rich. He suggests that preference is given to the poor and in doing so we create a sort of prejudice against the rich. Nouwen explains:
Many rich people are very lonely. Many rich people suffer a lot from feelings of rejection or of being used, or of depression. And they all need a lot of attention and a lot of care. Just like the poor. Because they are as poor as the poor. And I want you to hear this, because so often I have come in touch with people who are totally in the prison of thinking “The only thing people see in me is money. So wherever I go, I am the rich aunt or the rich friend or the rich person, and I have these houses and these horses and these properties, and so I stay in my little circle, because as soon as I get out of it, people are there and say, He’s rich!”
I have certainly observed this lonliness in the hearts of those who give so generously. As the organization diligently raises millions of dollars for a capital campaign, we have overlooked the loneliness of those who have so much. In our efforts to serve the unfortunate poor, we have neglected an opportunity to be a blessing to the unfortunate rich. The community would assume the wealthy few have everything they need and yet they may be the loneliest and neediest of them all. Nouwen quotes a woman he once met; Wherever I go, I never feel that people love me for who I really am. And I am so afraid that I am loved only because of my money.
Nouwen ends his lecture with words of encouragement that seem so fitting for a conclusion: Fund raising then is a very rich and beautiful activity. It is an integral part of our ministry. In fund raising we discover that we are all poor and that we are all rich, and in ministering to each other – each from the riches that he or she possesses – we work together to build the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of the poor.
Additional Links
http://newbooksmell.blogspot.com/2009/04/spirituality-and-fund-raising.html
http://www.donorpowerblog.com/donor_power_blog/2006/03/the_spiritualit.html
http://staffmonkey.net/blog/files/the-spirituality-of-fundraising.html
Start a Conversation
In order to encourage readers to participate in the conversation, I periodically ask questions regarding generosity, money, personal finance, and Christian stewardship, etc. I use each response to develop content for the site and my resource library. Assuming volume is not out of control, readers can expect a response from me within 48-hours. Please check out the latest questions here… Start a Conversation
