Fundraising on Furloughs

By on April 3, 2018   /   Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

It is an honor to be invited to contribute to the SRS newsletter on the topic of fundraising while on furloughs. My wife Jody and I have served with Wycliffe Bible Translators for 26 years, so we have deep experience with the topic. My current job with Wycliffe is as a Partnership Development Coach. I coach new Wycliffe members whose first job is to reach 100% budget funding by building a partnership team. I also coach established career Wycliffe members (EMs) on furlough required to increase their budgets to 100% to return to the field. The Wycliffe members I have […]

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Stop Hinting, Just Ask

By on February 6, 2018   /   Appointments and Asking   /   3 Comments

Just ask! In a world where hints, subtle suggestions and passive aggressiveness are becoming common language, we need to develop the skill and courage to make direct asks when building a partnership team. Our unwillingness or inability to make direct asks can communicate more about us than we know. Hinting communicates an internal fear. A direct ask communicates an established faith. Sure, asking people to join your partnership team can be scary, but where does that fear come from? Is that fear worth surrendering to? Often it is rooted in a fear of being rejected. This is not the mindset […]

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Raising Support from 1000 Miles Away

By on January 2, 2018   /   Strategy and Planning   /   3 Comments

For many of us, support raising is enough of a challenge in and of itself. Often, adding the obstacles of raising additional funds from the field just compounds the challenge. Now imagine you serve overseas, far from your primary support base, and the task can seem almost insurmountable. Believe me, I know. I serve 8000 miles away from my main support base! How can we most effectively maintain full support funding while serving on a faraway international assignment? First, develop good support raising habits so that you don’t find yourself in a big bind while on international assignment. Are your […]

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Strategically Seeking Referrals

By on November 7, 2017   /   Contacts and Referrals   /   1 Comment

In the support raising world, a referral is much more than just contact information. There is depth to it, as someone trusts you and your ministry vision enough to purposely encourage contact between you and their friends, associates, etc. They also understand that you have a goal of inviting that person to join your prayer and financial support team. If you think about it, that is a lot of trust! When seeking referrals, I’ve experienced several different types of reactions: Some wouldn’t help at all – I’ve heard a few variations of “I’m never comfortable sharing other people’s information, not […]

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Getting a Head Start on Year-End Giving

By on October 3, 2017   /   Appointments and Asking   /   Leave a comment

Twenty-five to thirty percent of all donations occur at the end of the year. Did you hear that?! During November and December people give over and above. This is true for your ministry partners too. Since they are already invested in you and your ministry, it is highly likely they would prefer to give to you — where their hearts already are. There are a lot of tips, tricks, and strategies to an effective Year-End Ask (YEA). This does not mean you are turning a beautiful response to God’s calling into a mathematical formula. The goal of effective communication is […]

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Turning Verbal Commitments into Actual Gifts- It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward!

By on June 2, 2017   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles   /   Leave a comment

How do I best follow-up with someone who has said  they will give… but hasn’t started giving yet? My guess is you’ve probably faced this question more than once, seeing this is the dilemma I’m asked about most often as a coach. The 2nd question I get the most? “How do I keep follow-up from being awkward?” Follow-up can consist of reconnecting with those who are verbally committed, but who need time to pray/consider after an appointment, or for some reason haven’t started their giving yet. I agree, it can feel awkward to try to re-connect with them to get […]

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Success is a Planned Event: 5 Crucial Steps in Preparation to be Fully Funded

By on March 7, 2017   /   Preparation and Tools   /   8 Comments

Juma Ikangaa is a long distance runner from Tanzania who won the 1989 New York City Marathon in record time. After the victory, Juma shared, “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” Planning and preparation are crucial to winning marathons—and getting fully funded! As a national trainer for Support Raising Solutions (SRS) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), I’ve seen firsthand the struggles that can take place when Christian workers fail to prepare properly. To help you be successful in the raising of your support, let me share my top five steps to effective preparation. […]

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OVERCOME MAJOR OBSTACLES TO GET FULLY FUNDED

By on June 6, 2016   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles   /   11 Comments

In my time as a support coach, I have yet to see a ministry worker not make it to the field because they were unable to raise their budget. I’ve seen people not go to the field because they got engaged, accepted a different job, or had medical issues—but it has yet to be money that has kept someone from going to the ministry they felt called to. That being said, I’ve seen numerous ministers scared that they were never going to get to the magical 100% mark. Some just freeze up, unable to move forward because of obstacles and fears. So let‘s talk about the obstacles and fears we face when […]

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SIX PILLARS TO AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

By on January 7, 2016   /   Communication and Relationships, Preparation and Tools   /   11 Comments

First, securing personal time with each person or couple you want to invite onto your support team is critical. After securing the time and place, the priority becomes preparing for that appointment. Here are six pillars that will serve as the basis for making the most effective presentation possible. Read, enjoy, apply! Prayer Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” Prayer is a powerful weapon that we must use when entering support raising. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not […]

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GETTING STARTED IN SUPPORT RAISING

By on September 1, 2015   /   Preparation and Tools   /   6 Comments

No matter what the endeavor—whether it is a DIY project at home, planning an event at church, a new job responsibility at work, or something as fun and inviting as going on vacation—it always seems like getting started is the most difficult part of the equation. This idea holds true with beginning the process of developing your team of ministry partners who will stand with you and help support the ministry to which God has called you through their generosity.  To help make the process a little less overwhelming and a bit more manageable, here are some basic steps that […]

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Support Raising Solutions
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