Ep. 126 | Are You Waiting on God to Send Donors? The Ministry Fundraising Mistake You Might Be Making

Oct 26

Are you waiting for God to send donors to support your ministry?

Maybe you’ve been praying for financial provision, but nothing seems to be happening. You’ve been trusting God to bring the right people into your life, yet your fundraising hasn’t gained any momentum.

What if waiting on God has actually become an excuse to avoid something that feels really uncomfortable?

And what if God is the one who’s waiting for you to take a step?

Now, I know there are absolutely seasons when God calls us to wait on Him. But I also know, because I’ve been there myself, that sometimes we use waiting on God as an excuse to avoid taking action.

And when it comes to ministry fundraising, that can keep us stuck for a really long time.

Are You Trusting God or Avoiding Fundraising?

I’ve heard this so many times in Christian circles:

“I’m just trusting God.”

“I’m waiting for God to provide.”

“God hasn’t given me a clear next step yet.”

And sometimes, those statements are completely true. But sometimes, if we’re willing to examine our hearts, we might discover that we’re actually avoiding something.

Because fundraising can feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Maybe you hate asking people for money. Maybe you’re afraid of rejection or worried that people will think you’re being manipulative. So instead of putting yourself out there and having those uncomfortable conversations, you retreat to something that feels much safer.

You pray. You wait. You hope God will bring the donors to you.

And while prayer is absolutely essential, I think sometimes God is waiting for us to actually take that first step.

Maybe He’s already given you the direction you need. Or maybe He’s waiting for you to move before revealing the next step.

You already know that faith requires action. But sometimes we need a little reminder to examine whether we’re actually walking in faith or allowing fear to keep us comfortable.

What Is Your Responsibility in Ministry Fundraising?

Before we talk about finding donors, I want you to think about something that could completely change the way you approach fundraising.

What if fundraising is actually an opportunity to give someone a gift?

Think about what you’re inviting people into when you ask them to support your ministry.

You’re inviting them to participate in what God is doing. You’re giving them an opportunity to be part of something that has eternal significance.

That’s an incredible gift!

And when you start looking at fundraising this way, it changes the way you approach potential supporters.

But here’s the thing about offering someone a gift: you have to actually give it to them.

You can’t sit at home holding a gift and expect someone to show up at your door to receive it. You have to take the initiative to offer it.

The same is true with fundraising.

If you want people to participate in your ministry, you have to give them that opportunity. And that requires action on your part.

So how do you actually do that?

1. Identify Who You’re Offering the Gift To

One of the biggest mistakes I see ministry leaders make is assuming that anyone could become a donor.

And technically, that’s true. Anyone could potentially support your ministry.

But that doesn’t mean everyone is going to connect with what you’re doing.

And that’s okay!

Just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to feel passionate about your particular ministry. God has placed different burdens and passions on different people’s hearts.

So instead of trying to reach everyone, I want you to start thinking about the people who would naturally connect with your ministry.

Who actually cares about the problem your ministry is solving?

This is where identifying your ideal donor becomes so important.

Who Is Your Ideal Donor?

Your ideal donor is someone who naturally connects with the mission of your ministry and cares about the problem you’re working to solve.

To identify that person, you need to get specific.

Think about their age, family situation, income, and other demographic details that might be relevant. But even more importantly, think about what matters to them.

What are they passionate about? What concerns keep them up at night? What experiences have shaped the things they care about?

When you begin to understand those things, you can start identifying the people who are much more likely to connect with your ministry.

And here’s something I’ve discovered through coaching ministry leaders: You probably know more about your ideal donor than you realize.

I’ve worked with ministry leaders who were just beginning their fundraising journey and didn’t think they had any idea who their ideal donor might be.

But as we started talking through their ministry and asking some strategic questions, they began to recognize patterns and connections they hadn’t considered before.

You might discover the same thing.

Why Identifying Your Ideal Donor Matters

When you don’t know who you’re trying to reach, your fundraising efforts can become incredibly scattered.

You talk to whoever happens to cross your path. You attend random events. You hope someone will be interested enough to give.

And after a while, that can become exhausting.

But when you understand who your ideal donor is, you can become much more intentional.

You might realize that a particular church pastor would be a great person to connect with. Or maybe there’s a specific group or event where people who care about your ministry’s mission are already gathering.

Now you have a clearer idea of where to focus your efforts.

And because you’re connecting with people who already care about the problem your ministry addresses, those conversations have a greater opportunity to turn into meaningful partnerships.

2. Create Opportunities to Connect With Potential Donors

Once you know who you’re trying to reach, you have to actually go connect with them.

This is where fundraising can start feeling uncomfortable again, because it requires you to put yourself out there.

But remember, you’re offering someone an opportunity to participate in what God is doing.

And they can’t participate in an opportunity they don’t know exists.

So you have to start looking for ways to have those conversations.

Maybe that means inviting someone to coffee and sharing what God is doing through your ministry. Maybe you host a dinner with a few potential supporters. Or maybe you have five minutes after church to start a conversation with someone who might be interested in your mission.

There are so many different ways to create opportunities for connection.

But you have to actually look for them.

And sometimes, you have to ask for them.

I know that asking can feel uncomfortable, especially when you’ve struggled with fundraising for a long time. But I want you to remember that you have something valuable to offer.

You’re inviting someone to be part of something that could have an eternal impact.

So start reaching out. Look for opportunities to connect with people who care about your ministry. And begin having those conversations.

You might be surprised by what happens when you stop waiting for potential donors to find you.

3. Do Your Part and Trust God With the Results

Now, this is where I think ministry fundraising can become so much less stressful.

Because once you understand what your responsibility actually is, you can begin letting go of so much of the pressure you’ve been carrying.

So let’s talk about your responsibility.

Your job in fundraising is to give people the opportunity to participate in what God is doing.

That’s what you’re responsible for.

You identify the people who might connect with your ministry. You create opportunities to build relationships with them. And you invite them to participate.

But what happens after you extend that invitation?

That’s where you have to release control.

The person you’re talking to gets to decide whether they want to participate. They can choose to support your ministry, or they can choose not to.

And you have to be okay with that.

You can’t control someone’s response. You can’t control how much they decide to give.

And ultimately, you have to trust God with the financial provision.

You trust Him to work in people’s hearts and to provide what your ministry needs in His timing.

Stop Carrying the Weight of Every Donor’s Response

I think this is where so many ministry leaders get discouraged.

You have a fundraising conversation, and someone says no. Or maybe they seem interested but never follow through.

And suddenly, you start questioning yourself.

Maybe I’m terrible at fundraising.

Maybe people don’t care about my ministry.

Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.

But someone’s response to your invitation doesn’t determine your worth as a missionary or ministry leader.

And it doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing a bad job fundraising.

You can faithfully give someone the opportunity to participate in your ministry, and they can still decide not to give.

That’s their choice.

Your responsibility is to faithfully extend the invitation while trusting God with what happens afterward.

Of course, that also means being willing to examine whether you’re actually doing your part.

Because if you’ve been sitting back waiting for donors to show up, hoping that God will somehow bring financial support without you having to initiate those conversations, then maybe it’s time to make a change.

Maybe fear has been keeping you from taking action.

And maybe the next step is simply to start offering people the opportunity to participate in what God is doing.

What If You Don’t Know What to Say to Potential Donors?

Now, maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, I understand that I need to take action. But I don’t even know who my ideal donor is. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to say!”

I get it.

And this is something I see all the time when coaching ministry leaders.

Sometimes the reason your fundraising feels so difficult is that your message isn’t connecting with the people you’re trying to reach.

Maybe you’re sharing too much information, and people get lost in the details. Maybe you’re using language that makes perfect sense to you but doesn’t resonate with someone who’s unfamiliar with your ministry.

Or maybe you haven’t really thought about what matters most to the person you’re talking to.

And when that happens, people can walk away from a conversation without really understanding why your ministry matters or why they should be involved.

That’s why getting clarity on your fundraising message is so important.

When you understand your ideal donor and know how to communicate your ministry’s mission in a way that connects with them, those conversations can become so much more natural.

And that’s exactly what I help ministry leaders do through one-on-one coaching.