If you talk to the Fundraiser, it can sometimes seem like he’s trying to raise money for himself. The truth is, the Fundraiser is standing in the gap between those in need and those who have the ability to help to those in need. The Fundraiser can be your very best friend because he can filter and sort through opportunities that you may never know of unless he tells you. It doesn’t mean everything the Fundraiser tells you is something you want to get into. As a matter of fact, the role of the Fundraiser is to understand you and how God has worked in your family’s life so that he can bring the right needs that will help you fulfill your purpose and allow God to use you as give to others.
Fundraisers are often under pressure. A good pressure is the pressure they have because they care so much about the cause and know how great the need is so they fight really hard to raise funding needed. Sometimes, they are under pressure from their workplace, the ministry, or the nonprofit they are working for. Often Fundraisers get certain goals for the year and they are expected to meet those goals. That can be a problem because it can eclipse the real reason they were raising the money and the focus is on achieving a goal rather than solving a problem.
The real job of the Fundraiser is to solve a problem. What is the problem: lack of drinking water, lack of medical care, working with troubled kids, or the local church? All of those problems need an advocate. The Fundraiser connects those that are not able to meet and build relationships to those who have the funding to help them. In fact, like Paul the Apostle said in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 8, “it is a joy to give.” The Fundraiser should be somebody who is coming to bring joy to you and your family and help you enjoy giving, whether it is a little or a lot. If the Donor and the Fundraiser could see each other in this light, they would make a great team that would inspire those on the ground doing the work. These two jobs couple together to make the world a better place.
The donors I talk to want to give their money away. They want to give to great causes, great people, and great needs. The problem is they don’t know what to give to and who to give it to. They cannot get on a plane and visit ministries locally or internationally because they have to earn the money that makes them valuable to those who need it. The Fundraiser should be a connector, an encourager, and a blessing to all he deals with. I love talking to a passionate, caring, genuine person who wants to raise funds for great causes.
So whether you’re raising money or giving money away, remember the wonderful promise of Jesus who said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” You and I are on the giving side of this world‘s biggest struggles. Let’s enjoy working together with those that are raising the funds and doing the work. God is so gracious and we want to extend His grace to more and more people.