Are You Tired of Lack of Funding in Your Nonprofit?

Lack of funding keeps many nonprofit leaders stuck - what is ONE key component to overcoming the lack of funding?

Early in my nonprofit journey I avoided the title of fundraiser at all costs. Lack of experience and knowledge brought up extreme fear in me. Not wanting to take responsibility for all that was at stake…the food, shelter, medical care, and the full lives of 24-36 girls and babies in Kenya…brought a terrifying overwhelm to me and left me in tears many times.

Can you relate? Are you fearful of the funding? Are you letting overwhelm stop you from getting started or going to the next level in your nonprofit?

Through my now 14-year journey God has revealed so much. He has brought joy and peace to my fundraising. You could say - He brought the FUN back to FUNDING!

Throughout July we will share FUNDRAISING BASICS. Getting back to or starting the basics will build and grow a “set it and forget type” funding system for your nonprofit. So you can stay focused on the real work of the ministry and make FUNDING a part of that ministry work.

Are you ready for that? Let’s get started…

Star Pillar #1. Prayer

We call it prayer, but really it's a relationship. As we pursue our personal relationship with Christ, He will lead and guide us into ALL that we need in our life and in the life of our nonprofit.

As a lawyer by trade this was the hardest concept for me to accept. I thought I had to work harder and longer. I needed to be constantly before people with more fundraisers and constantly asking. Though I was terrified to make the ask and also did a ton of work with very little results. I didn’t know any other way.

After several years of working this way I finally STOPPED with all the constant “Carrie” and worldly ideas of what I need to do and being CONSTANTLY busy.

He led me to use the time I would have used planning and hosting fundraisers to seek Him to ask Him what the best next steps in vision and funding were.

THERE IS NO WAY THIS WILL WORK

Honestly it felt like a HUGE waste of time and didn’t look like it would be pulling in any money. I sat on the couch or at my desk in silence and wrote down what He said. First He revealed more clarity around the vision and what He wanted this to look like.

And as much of a miracle as the manna was to the Isrealites the money started flowing with ease and grace. Once I had the vision clarity from Him and began to put my trust in Him, not my ways or the worlds ways things fell into place. He revealed specific ways to share that message. He opened doors to places to share the massage. He revealed specific people to reveal it to.

As I did what He said, remarkably, He answered by bringing all the money and people needed. My part - TRUST HIM. As we do this miraculous results are happening!

BACK IN THE CYCLE AGAIN…

The last few months, I have been in a similar cycle of busy-ness. With lots of transition in our family: daughter getting married, daughter moving out, son moving out and finishing internship, a cross-country move soon for my husband and I, parents selling a house, at the same time as large next steps in our nonprofit work. Busyness and Carrie’s best laid plans were taking over.

Last week on a powerful prayer call God brought us to the verse in Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

A reminder that fear, bitterness, jealousy, busyness, or anything else will not give us all we desire. Seeking, loving, and trusting Him fully will. We seek, love, and trust Him by following His commandments and ways (Deut. 6:6).

MIRACULOUS RESULTS:

The result of doing this is HUGE! I never noticed it before, in His perfect timing (when mindsets, systems and the team are ready) Deuteronomy 6:10-11 kicks in and that is MIRACULOUS. As we seek Him, He will provide:

…a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant….

Do you see how this can bring the FUN back to FUNDING? As we seek Him and ask Him…He will provide the results. We need to seek Him. He will provide a transfer of people, funds or whatever it is that is needed. We don’t do the “building” He does.

Our job? Seek Him and not the results. He will provide the result as we seek Him, He promises to!

Where do you need to take action in this step today?

Categories: : funding, nonprofit funding, nonprofit fundraising