VanderWyden Church Financial Development Consultants, Inc. is happy to announce
the publication of a new booklet, "10 Fundamentals of Fund-Raising." It provides
insights that can enhance your church’s fund-raising efforts. As the world
economy continues to struggle to overcome the Great Recession of 2008 many
individuals are in great need, and many churches are struggling to survive. At
the same time, the services of churches are even more essential to help to meet
the needs of the many individuals who are suffering due to the economy.
In our over 35 years of serving in this field we have found that there is seldom
a shortage of money, but rather there is a shortage of faith in God's abundant
providing, a lack of guidance to help people deal with their money, and a
scarcity of creativity in how to inspire individuals to want to be generous. We
have also found that giving truly does benefit the giver. When we enable
individuals to make a significant difference in the world through their giving,
we enable them to grow in their sense of self-worth, to find peace about how
they deal with money in their lives, and to find the “Joy of Generosity.”
Excerpted here are three small sections from the booklet. They hopefully
communicate the essence of our "fund-raising through faith-raising" approach
with a few key pointers. We also hope they will spark your interest enough to
contact us for the entire booklet. We will be happy to send it to you, free of
charge, upon request. Experience shows that when churches implement all 10 of
these principles into their fund-raising efforts, they “Wyden their Horizons”
when it comes to both fundraising and faith. Your members will be inspired to
make significant increases in their giving, growing in their faith in God’s
abundant providing, finding peace of mind about the place of money in their
lives, and being uplifted as well as enlivened in their spirits. Happy giving!
Key Excerpts from "10 Fundamentals of Fund-Raising to Increase Giving to
Churches in Tough Financial Times" – Contact Us today
and we will send you the entire booklet.
1. Believe Funds are Available to Meet Your Church’s Needs
Money is tight at this time. Therefore, there is more competition among churches and non-profit organizations for the funds that are available. But this doesn't necessarily mean that there are not sufficient funds to support your church’s vital services and programs. It does mean, however, that your church needs to be more intentional about how you raise those funds. This is not a time to be complacent, saying, "Oh well, we'll just have to go without because all churches are struggling during these times." Doing without required staffing and programming leads to neglecting those in your congregation and communities who need your services and ministries. Consequently your members give less because their needs are not being provided for, or they choose to give to other causes that are more effective. Many churches operate with a “Myth of Scarcity” mentality.
4. Dramatize the Need
People don't tend to "bank" money in their church. We like to keep control of “our” money and give when there is a real, urgent need.
8. Use Pictures
Pictures can be powerful resources to inspire your members to see how their
giving makes a real difference in the world. “A good picture is truly worth a
thousand words.” Photographs of individuals who are in need, in fund-raising
terms can be literally worth “thousands of dollars" if they enable your members
to see, feel, and understand the needs that your church meets.
To receive the entire booklet, free of charge, Contact Us
today! We look forward to hearing from you.
Bill VanderWyden
Rev. P. William VanderWyden CFRE
President, VanderWyden Consultants, Inc.