asking for money

I've never been comfortable asking for money.  

Yet, it's a big part of how I spend my time -- it comes with the territory of leading a not-for-profit.

And there are some unique aspects to the registered charity I lead.  

Firstly, the technical reason the organisation exists is for the 'advancement of religion'.  Needless to say, a good portion of the Australian population won't consider this a worthy cause.

Another factor to be considered is the nature of our purpose in the Christian world -- we respond to limitations we have identified in the church.  So, this involves inviting people on the inside to give money toward change on the inside -- change that they possibly haven't yet acknowledged as a priority for them personally.

I imagine that most of our financial partners give with the internal narrative: "I like you guys and I've seen you do some good stuff -- I'm not quite sure about what you're doing next, but I like you -- so here goes!"

And I feel the responsibility of honouring the good-will they're showing, so here are two baseline convictions when inviting people into financial partnership:

1. Bleed the purpose.

People see through lip service.  If I am personally disconnected or unconvinced about the purpose of my 'for-purpose' organisation, eventually that will bear fruit in the response of my financial partners.   

I'm pretty sure I'm in the midst of navigating this experience right now.   After years of innovating a response to a particular problem in how the church engages young people in the Bible story (then a period of burnout through personal circumstances), we have recently broadened the scope of our organisation in recognition of our strength in innovation and stewarding new projects -- alongside our original creative Bible engagement project.  

This recalibration took some time for me to articulate -- which is being reflected as our supporters consider their own place in our re-stated purpose.

Thankfully, I can now confidently say that if you cut me, this is what I bleed.

2. Invite people into a story.   

Now I wouldn't be investing my time in my work of purpose-over-profit unless I desperately believed in it, but desperation has a very brief shelf-life.  I'm learning that my manner of asking generates a corresponding emotion.   

Last minute or dramatised presentations of a problem might be appropriate in some instances, but in my experience they tend to evoke short-term responses out of guilt or burning compassion -- not necessarily wrong (at least the response of compassion!) -- but sustainable financial partnership requires me to desperately avoid desperation. 

My hope is that people feel inspired to be a part of the story we're seeing play out through the work - rather than guilty or duty-bound.  

I've always appreciated the mind-set of 'inviting people to partner'  rather than one of  'asking for money'  -- because it's true -- I'm really not interested in rattling a can, but I love having a tribe around us that is invested in an adventure of faith through their contribution.

Also, if you havn't gathered, I'm in the midst of 'inviting people into a story' at the moment -- and if you'd like to join me in this odyssey, you can donate here (or just reach out if you want to know more!)