Friend, you know you need to fundraise for your ministry. You know you need to reach out to potential supporters, follow up with donors, or finally send that newsletter you’ve been putting off.
But somehow, you keep finding reasons to do something else.
Maybe you’re afraid of rejection. Maybe you’re worried that asking someone for money will make your relationship awkward. Or maybe you’ve been fundraising for a while without seeing the results you hoped for, and you’re just tired of trying.
And the longer you put it off, the harder it feels to start again.
So why do we procrastinate on something we know is important?
I think there’s more going on here than simply lacking motivation. And if you’ve been avoiding fundraising, I want to help you understand what’s keeping you stuck so you can finally start moving forward.
Why Do Ministry Leaders Procrastinate on Fundraising?
Think about the things you tend to procrastinate on.
Usually, there’s something about that task you don’t particularly enjoy or something you’re trying to avoid experiencing.
And fundraising can bring up a lot of uncomfortable feelings.
Maybe you’re worried someone will reject your invitation to give. Maybe you don’t want people to think you’re being pushy. Or perhaps you genuinely don’t know what to say when you reach out to a potential donor.
If you’ve been trying to raise support for a while without much success, it can become even harder to motivate yourself.
Because who wants to keep doing something that doesn’t seem to be working?
But I want you to consider something.
What if some of the things you believe about fundraising are actually what’s keeping you from doing it?
And what if those beliefs aren’t even true?
1. Recognize the Beliefs That Are Holding You Back
Our experiences and feelings have a way of shaping what we believe.
And sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin treating those beliefs as facts.
For example, maybe you’ve caught yourself thinking:
“If I ask someone for money, they’ll think I’m using them.”
“People are already struggling financially. I shouldn’t bother them.”
“If someone wanted to support my ministry, they would offer.”
“I’m going to ruin our friendship if I bring up money.”
“I’ve asked people before and nobody responded. People just aren’t interested in my ministry.”
Do any of those sound familiar?
Here’s what I want you to ask yourself: Are these things actually true?
Take that belief about people offering to support you if they’re interested.
It sounds pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?
But think about how convenient that belief is. If you believe that people who want to give will simply offer, then you never have to experience the awkwardness of asking!
You’ve essentially given yourself permission to avoid fundraising.
Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that asking someone for financial support will ruin your friendship.
Has that actually happened? Or are you assuming how someone will respond?
Sometimes we have one or two uncomfortable experiences, and we allow those experiences to shape how we approach every future donor conversation.
We begin expecting rejection before we’ve even given someone the opportunity to respond.
What Are You Believing About Fundraising?
Here’s an exercise I want you to try.
Grab a piece of paper and write down the thoughts that come up when you think about fundraising.
What makes you hesitate to reach out to someone? What are you afraid might happen?
Once you’ve written those thoughts down, go through them and ask yourself whether they’re actually true.
Are you basing that belief on something you know for certain? Or are you making assumptions about what other people might think?
You might be surprised by what you discover.
And I would encourage you to take those beliefs to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you recognize the lies you’ve been believing and replace them with truth.
Because when you begin changing what you believe about fundraising, you can also begin changing how you approach it.
2. Remember What You’re Actually Offering Donors
When you’re struggling to raise support, it’s really easy to become focused on your own needs.
You need money to fund your ministry. You need people to become monthly supporters. You need to reach your fundraising goal so you can continue doing what God has called you to do.
And suddenly, fundraising becomes all about what you need from other people.
No wonder asking feels uncomfortable!
But I want you to think about fundraising from a completely different perspective.
What are you actually offering your donors?
You’re giving people an opportunity to become part of what God is doing through your ministry.
Think about that for a moment.
Lives are being changed. People are encountering Jesus. God is working in incredible ways through ministries around the world.
And you have the opportunity to invite someone to become part of that work.
That’s an incredible gift!
Think About a Time God Allowed You to Be Part of Something Bigger
Have you ever been part of a mission trip, ministry event, or something else where you got to see God do something amazing?
Maybe your role seemed pretty small in the grand scheme of things.
But you were there. You got to participate in what God was doing, and you walked away thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe I got to be part of that!”
It’s an incredible feeling, isn’t it?
Now think about the people you’re inviting to support your ministry.
You’re giving them an opportunity to experience that same kind of joy.
They get to participate in something meaningful. They get to invest in lives being changed and become part of stories that God is writing.
And that opportunity might never come to them if you don’t extend the invitation.
When you’re so focused on how uncomfortable you feel asking for support, it’s easy to forget what the invitation could mean to the person receiving it.
So the next time you hesitate to reach out to a potential donor, I want you to think about what you’re offering them.
What could it mean for that person to become part of your ministry?
What kind of impact could they help make?
And how might God use that opportunity in their own life?
When you begin looking at fundraising through your donor’s eyes, asking for support can start to feel very different.
3. Realize What Procrastinating on Fundraising Is Costing You
There’s another reason I want to challenge you to stop putting off fundraising.
Because every time you delay reaching out to potential donors, there’s a cost.
And I’m talking about more than the money you could be raising.
You’re delaying opportunities to build relationships with people who might want to support your ministry.
Think about how donor relationships develop.
Most people don’t become committed supporters after hearing about a ministry for the first time.
They need opportunities to get to know you and understand the work you’re doing. They want to see what their support could accomplish and develop trust in your ministry.
And that takes time.
Maybe someone needs to hear about your ministry several times before they’re ready to give. Maybe they need to have a conversation with you or see a story about the impact you’re making.
Every interaction gives that relationship an opportunity to grow.
But what happens when you keep putting off those conversations?
You’re delaying the entire process.
Donor Relationships Need Consistent Connection
Let’s say you connected with a potential donor a few months ago.
They seemed interested in your ministry, and you had a great conversation.
But you never followed up.
Maybe you weren’t sure what to say, or you were afraid of seeming pushy. So you decided to wait.
And now several months have passed.
That person might still be interested in supporting your ministry, but you’ve missed opportunities to continue developing that relationship.
They haven’t heard about the work you’re doing. They haven’t seen the stories of lives being changed. They haven’t had the opportunity to get more involved.
And when you finally reach out again, you may have to rebuild some of that connection.
That’s why consistency matters so much in fundraising.
Donor relationships develop through ongoing communication. Every newsletter, conversation, and personal update gives supporters another opportunity to connect with your ministry.
And when you disappear for long periods of time, you’re making it harder for those relationships to grow.
So think about what procrastination might already be costing you.
How many potential donors have you been meaning to follow up with?
How many people have expressed interest in your ministry but haven’t heard from you in months?
How many opportunities to connect have you missed because you’ve been avoiding fundraising?
I don’t want you to feel guilty about the past. I want you to recognize that there’s a reason to start taking action now.
What’s One Fundraising Step You Can Take This Week?
If you’ve been avoiding fundraising, I want to challenge you to do one thing this week.
Just one small step that gets you moving again.
Maybe there’s someone you’ve been meaning to follow up with. Send them a message.
Maybe you’ve been wanting to invite a potential supporter to coffee but haven’t worked up the courage. Reach out and schedule that conversation.
Or maybe you’ve been putting off writing your donor newsletter because you have no idea what to say.
Start there.
You could also spend some time looking at your fundraising message. Are you helping donors understand the impact they can make through your ministry? Or has your message become so focused on your own financial needs that you’ve forgotten to invite them into the bigger story?
Whatever you decide to do, choose something specific that you can accomplish in the next few days.
Because fundraising requires consistent relationship-building, and those relationships need your attention.
Stop Putting Off Your Ministry Fundraising
If you’ve been struggling to motivate yourself to fundraise, I hope this has helped you look at things a little differently.
Start by recognizing the beliefs that might be holding you back. Remember the incredible opportunity you’re offering potential supporters. And consider what delaying those donor relationships might be costing you.
You don’t have to wait until you feel completely confident to take the next step.
You can begin with one conversation or one message.
And if it’s been a while since you’ve connected with your supporters, sending a newsletter is a great place to start.
Need Help Writing Your Next Donor Newsletter?
I know how easy it is to sit down to write a newsletter and suddenly have no idea what to say.
You want your supporters to stay connected to your ministry. You want them to understand the impact they’re making. But figuring out how to communicate that in a way that actually connects can feel overwhelming.
That’s why I created my FREE 5-Step Newsletter Guide.
It gives you a simple storytelling structure you can follow every time you write a donor newsletter so you can communicate more confidently and build stronger relationships with your supporters.
👉 Download Your Free 5-Step Newsletter Guide
And if you’re realizing that your fundraising message itself might be part of what’s holding you back, I’d love to help you work through that.
In a one-on-one fundraising coaching session, we can look at how you’re communicating your ministry’s story and develop a clearer message that helps potential donors understand the role they can play.
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