This post concludes the series on fundraising even though I’m sure I’ve got a lot to learn and will continue to learn as things proceed ahead.  I’ll shortly post one more summary post of all of the posts from this series.

But first, some final thoughts on fundraising:

Be Organized
I’ve hit on this throughout in talking about preparation and planning, but this is more general than that.  Be organized in how you manage your supplies (contacts, letters, envelopes, postage, fundraising booklets, thank-you cards, etc), be organized when you “do” fundraising (set aside a dedicated block of time to make phone calls, create your initiating letters, write thank-yous, etc), and be organized in how you handle monthly supporters.

Work Hard
In case you still think this is easy, expect to put 2-3 hours per week in to it, minimum and then add in all of the time for meetings on top of that.  This time is spent managing contacts, creating booklets, making phone calls, writing initiating letters, hand-writing thank-yous, meeting, following up, going to the post office, printing booklets, trips to Kinko’s, printing and stuffing envelopes for monthly givers, keeping track of giving vs. commitments, tracking your status, etc.  Fundraising is work so expect it to be work and if you’re not organized, expect it to take twice as much time.

Expect it to Cost
You’re going to have some upfront costs that you need to account for.  Before funds start rolling in, you’re likely going to have to put forth some cash of your own for fundraising booklets, envelopes, postage, etc.  A good color booklet, folded and stapled costs some money.  Factor this in.  Go get a quote from a printer.  Budget yourself at least a few hundred bucks on the front end to get things rolling.

Be Persistent
In case you’re not with reality, what you’re doing is a heck of a lot more important to you than it is to the people you’re asking to support you.  Practically that means that the information you give them gets tossed in a pile with the rest of their bills and is soon forgotten about; conversations you have fade quickly from memory.  Follow-up calls are essential.  Many times, it’s going to be difficult to get a hold of a person and when you do, they’ll need some more time to think and pray about supporting you.  Stick with it, be persistent and stay on top of it.

Don’t Take It Personally
Some people aren’t going to support you.  Some will have good reasons and want to share them with you.  Some won’t have good reasons and won’t want to share them with you.  No one is obligated to give you a reason for anything.  The people that God plans to use for this purpose will be used for this purpose.

Be Upfront and Straight-Forward
Don’t beat around the bush when you talk with people.  God has called you to a mission and if you are fully convinced of the calling, get out there and ask people straight-away to support you.  Don’t coward around the hard question when you meet with them, don’t tip-toe around the straight-forward when you follow-up.  Show them respect and let them know with confidence that God has called you on this mission and that you are fulfilling that calling, in part, by doing the hard work of raising support for that mission.

Pray, Trust, Grow
Fundraising involves a lot of the same skills that it takes to build a core team.  You’ve got to network with people, cast vision, and convince them of the mission that God has called you to.  If church planting and fundraising don’t drive you to your knees, nothing will.  What you’re embarking on requires a ton of trust and that trust comes through prayer.  Approach this time as a huge time of growth and expect it to be challenging, expect it to be hard, but expect to come out the other end closer to God.