Ep. 104 | Comparing Your Ministry to Others? 3 Ways It’s Hurting Your Fundraising
Have you ever seen another missionary or ministry leader raising support really fast and wondered, What are they doing that I’m not?
Maybe their ministry is similar to yours. Maybe they started fundraising after you did. And somehow, they seem to be raising support faster.
Before long, you’re questioning your own fundraising. Are you doing something wrong? Are they just better at this? Why isn’t this working for you?
Comparison can steal your joy pretty quickly. But when it comes to fundraising, it can also start affecting your confidence and the way you communicate with donors.
So how do you stop comparison from getting in the way of your fundraising?
1. Stop Measuring Your Ministry Against Someone Else’s Journey
It’s tempting to look at another ministry and use their results as a measuring stick. Especially when their ministry looks similar to yours.
Maybe you see a brand-new missionary raising support quickly and think, Seriously? I’ve been doing this for years. Why has it been so much harder for me?
But you don’t know their whole story.
Every missionary and ministry has different relationships, seasons, and starting points. There’s so much happening behind the scenes that you simply don’t know. Trying to figure out exactly why someone else is getting different results usually doesn’t give you a very accurate picture.
Comparison gets even harder when you’re close to the person. Maybe you’re friends. You’re watching their ministry grow while you’re struggling to get people to respond. That can be really hard.
But their fundraising results still aren’t a good way to measure how you’re doing.
You need a different measuring stick.
2. Pay Attention to How Comparison Changes Your Communication
Comparison doesn’t stay inside your head for very long. Eventually, it starts showing up in the way you fundraise.
You see someone else succeeding and start thinking, Maybe I’m not as good at fundraising. Maybe I don’t communicate as well. Maybe I’m not as likable or gifted as they are.
Slowly, your confidence starts taking a hit.
Now you’re second-guessing every email you send. You think of someone who could be a great potential supporter, but you hesitate to reach out because you’ve already decided they probably won’t be interested.
You’re deciding for people before you’ve even given them the opportunity to say yes.
Comparison can also make you start copying what another ministry is doing. They’re showing up on a certain platform, so maybe you need to be there too. They communicate a certain way, so you start changing your style. Something seems to be working for them, so you assume you need to do it too.
Before long, you can spend a lot of energy following someone else’s strategy instead of paying attention to where God is leading your ministry.
And all of that started because you looked at someone else’s results and decided they must know something you don’t.
3. Measure Faithful Action Instead of Fundraising Results
If someone else’s results aren’t a healthy measuring stick, what should you measure?
Start with what you can actually control.
You can’t control how many people decide to support your ministry or how much someone decides to give. But you can control whether you consistently show up and communicate with people.
You can work on making your fundraising message clearer. You can make direct invitations instead of leaving people confused about the next step. You can follow up with someone even when you’re nervous about bothering them.
Those are things you can measure.
Maybe you’re in a season where hardly anyone is saying yes. You’ve been reaching out and communicating, and fundraising still feels painfully slow.
But you kept showing up.
You kept communicating with your supporters. You kept working on your message and giving people opportunities to become part of what God is doing through your ministry.
That is worth celebrating.
Instead of only asking, How much money did I raise? start paying attention to the faithful actions you’re taking along the way.
Your Labor Is Not in Vain
There’s a verse that has been encouraging me lately because I know how frustrating it can feel when you’re putting in a lot of effort and not seeing the results you expected.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says:
“Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
I actually wrote this verse down on a card and underlined one part:
Your labor is not in vain.
Because sometimes it really feels like it is.
You’ve been communicating with people for months. You’ve been reaching out and trying to raise support. You’ve been doing the work, but you’re still not seeing much happen.
Keep being steadfast in the work God has given you.
Your fundraising journey may take longer than you expected. It may look completely different from the missionary next to you. You can keep focusing on what God has given you to do and trust Him with the outcome.
What Can You Celebrate Today?
Think about the last thing you did in your fundraising even though you weren’t sure it would make a difference.
Maybe you finally sent that newsletter you had been putting off. Maybe you followed up with someone who hadn’t responded. Maybe you made an ask even though you were nervous about how they would respond.
Celebrate the fact that you showed up.
Because comparison isn’t going to make you a better fundraiser. Staying focused on your mission and consistently doing the work God has given you will help you build confidence over time.
And your labor is not in vain.
Need Help Making Your Fundraising Message Clearer?
Sometimes you’re showing up consistently, but you still have that nagging question: Am I actually communicating this clearly?
That’s something I love helping ministry leaders work through.
In a Fundraising Message Coaching Session, we can look at the way you’re currently communicating with donors, identify areas where your message may be unclear, and help you gain clarity around how to communicate your ministry more effectively.
And right now, you have a chance to get one for free.
I’m celebrating the 100th episode of the Story-Driven Fundraising Podcast by giving away a FREE Fundraising Message Coaching Session to three winners.
The giveaway closes today, so enter now at:
I can’t wait to help you with your fundraising message.
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