As I reflect on my 42 years of fundraising at Garrett -Evangelical Theological Seminary, I am reminded that fundraising for theological education brings special opportunities and special challenges. Unlike fundraising at many secular institutions, I hope we see our task not just as a high and worthy calling, but as a very important ministry. As Henri Nouwen states in his wonderful little book, The Spirituality of Fund-Raising, “Fund-raising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. … When we seek to raise funds we are not saying, ‘Please, could you help us out because lately it’s been hard.’ Rather, we are declaring, ‘We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you – your energy, your prayers, and your money – in this work to which God has called us.’ ’’
This is the special opportunity we have been given – to help people grow in their own spirituality by investing themselves in something bigger than themselves, and in the process discovering the joy of giving and the truth of Jesus’ words that when they do invest themselves in things beyond themselves – in the causes of Christ – they discover life at its deepest, richest level.
Spiritually donors grow and so too can we. Nouwen writes, “Are we willing to be converted from our fear of asking, our anxiety about being rejected or feeling humiliated, our depression when someone says, ‘No, I’m not going to get involved in your project’? When we have gained the freedom to ask without fear, to love fundraising as a form of ministry, then fundraising will be good for our spiritual life” as well.
Yes, this is the gift we have been given– to help our donors grow spiritually, and to grow spiritually ourselves, as we work together to sustain and strengthen the mission of our institutions.
Fundraisers in theological education also face some special challenges. One is that our alums are called to various forms of ministry, and while we hope they are successful, the reality is that most of them are not wildly successful financially. So, unlike many other educational institutions, we cannot depend solely, or even primarily, on our alums for our major support.
In my early years at Garrett-Evangelical, I would often share with the president some of the happy surprises I experienced in my visits: an unexpected gift from a new donor or an increased gift from a long-time donor or a new planned gift commitment. He would always respond by saying, “Another happy surprise!”
Then several years ago I began ending each development report to the board of trustees by sharing a story of a happy surprise and what we could learn from that gift. In doing so, I hoped to teach them a bit about the fundraising process, and help them see that there was a personal story behind each gift. I also hoped that my sharing might inspire one of them to be the next happy surprise!
Trustees began looking forward to these stories. Some would even ask at the beginning of a board meeting, “Do you have a happy surprise to share with us today?” More often than not, the answer was “yes.”
One year on April 13 I was preparing our trustee development committee agenda for the May board meeting and I wondered how I could include a happy surprise on the agenda. None immediately came to mind. Then the phone rang. A woman said she was interested in making a stock gift and wanted to know how to do so. I told her I would be happy to email her the instructions on how to transfer the stock electronically. She said that wouldn’t be possible because she had an actual stock certificate. I hadn’t seen an actual stock certificate in years since almost all stock gifts are transferred electronically. I explained she needed to mail the certificate and an irrevocable stock power form in separate envelopes. She stopped me and said, “I was hoping you would come by and pick up the certificate. I’m sure you must get my way all the time.”
I told her i didn’t get there as often as i would like (it is a 3.5 hour drive), but I was sure I could arrange for that to happen. “Well, can we look at our calendars and find a date this week?” she asked. Two days later, on April 15, I was on my way to her home. Upon arrival, I met a sharp 92-year-old woman named Betty. After getting acquainted, I told her we would need to have a third-party release form signed by a notary. So, off we went.
Next, we needed to go to her bank and have her sign the stock certificate in front of her trust officer who could guarantee her signature. When her trust officer looked up her records, he told her she didn’t actually own 1,116 shares of SBC stock (as the stock certificate indicated) but rather 2,232 shares of AT&T stock. Did she want to give the seminary 1,116 shares or 2,232 shares? There was a long pause – and I fervently prayed. Then she said, “I want to give it all to the seminary – but how can I do so, since the stock certificate is only for 1,116 shares?”
That led to several long-distance phone calls and learning that she could transfer all the shares to the seminary electronically if she filled out forms that could be downloaded. With the trust officer’s assistance, we downloaded the forms and spent the next hour filling them out and getting his signature. Then it was off to the post office. However, it was April 15, so quick was not the operative word at the post office. Nonetheless, we got the forms mailed.
On the way back to her home she mentioned that we would be passing by her health clinic and wondered if we could stop there so she could take care of some business. Of course! We’d already visited the notary, the bank and the post office. Why not the health clinic? As we neared her home at last, she said, “I think this has been a good day for both of us.” I wholeheartedly agreed!
Her gift was valued at $73,000. She used it to establish a gift annuity, with the proceeds earmarked to fund a scholarship. Since the annuity paid 9% for as long as she lived it was indeed a good day for her. Because the seminary got a new scholarship, it was also a very good day for us. And I had a happy surprise to share at the next board meeting!
What can we learn from this happy surprise? Listen to the donor, and let the donor lead the way in the cultivation process. By listening to Betty’s goals and learning about her interests and her sense of urgency, the cultivation process moved very quickly – even if it was a long day!
My years of fundraising have convinced me that there are three keys to successful fundraising. The first is passion. If we are passionate about the mission of our organization, and we share that passion with others, it will be contagious. People are motivated more by emotion than by facts and figures, and when they see the sparkle in our eye and hear the fervor in our voice as we talk enthusiastically about our mission, others will often find themselves getting excited as well and will be motivated to give.
One of the best ways to ensure that we speak with heartfelt passion is to make our own gift before we invite anyone else to give. It doesn’t happen often, but I once had a prospective donor ask me what my own commitment was to the capital campaign that I was inviting him to consider. Gary was a man who was interested in the seminary, but he didn’t have unlimited resources, and he had other charitable interests as well as family obligations. “What are you personally giving to the campaign?” he asked me. I shared with him my commitment. He later told me he was inspired to do more than originally planned when he learned that I was personally invested in a significant way.
If we are passionate about the mission of our organization and we share that passion with others, it will be contagious.
What can we learn from this? Actions speak louder than words. If we make our own stretching gift before we invite others to make theirs, we will be able to speak with passion, enthusiasm, and integrity. We will be able to say, “Will you join me in supporting our mission?” Little carries more weight than an enthusiastic personal testimony.
The second key to successful fundraising is persistence. We must persist in telling our story again and again to anyone and everyone willing to learn more about our mission. And we must persist in getting in front of people who we believe have the ability to become our partners in a significant way. Most major gifts are rarely received on the first (or even second or third) visit, so we must persist and continue to nurture those relationships.
Sharon is a good example. Her pastor thought she would be interested in learning more about the seminary. I called her and found her to be both pleasant and open to a visit. However, she was busy and suggested I call back in a month to schedule an appointment. I did so, and once again the timing was not right for her. She asked me to call her back a little later.
Finally, after more than a year of trying to schedule a visit, we found a time that worked for both of us. I drove the three hours to Sharon’s home and had a delightful visit, where I learned about her family, the family business, her church involvements, and her appreciation for several of our graduates, including her pastor. I shared the seminary’s campaign case statement and told Sharon we were looking for people like her to become our partners. She and her husband were beginning to discuss their estate plans. She wanted to get to know us better. When I invited her to campus, she was immediately open to the idea. She said she would be driving through Chicago in a few weeks. If that didn’t work out, she would find another time.
Then the real test of persistence began. Despite repeated invitations, it did not work out for her for five more years! I was able to visit her in her home a few more times in those intervening years, and each time she expressed interest in a campus visit. When Sharon came to campus, she participated in a chapel service, met some faculty, and had lunch with several students.
Shortly thereafter we received a note from her saying, “Thank you for a wonderful and inspirational day. I am so happy I finally was able to see the campus and experience some of the enthusiasm existing there. I appreciate your efforts in making my visit a very special day.” And not too long after that, we received notification that she had included the seminary in her estate plans for $100,000. What can we learn from this happy surprise? Persistence pays!
The third key to successful fundraising is patience. While passion and persistence are essential, what is equally important is to practice patience because gifts are made on the donor’s time schedule, not ours.
Ernie taught me patience. He was the lead donor in our $35 million capital campaign. When that goal was reached three years later, the trustees raised the goal to $60 million. Ernie stepped forward with another lead gift. When the $60 million goal was surpassed three years later, the trustees raised the goal – this time to $100 million – to address some unmet needs and new opportunities.
So naturally Ernie was the first person I went to visit. I told him that the board of trustees had voted unanimously to increase the campaign goal to $100 million and that the board chair had asked me to share with Ernie our hopes that he would help set the pace. I walked him through the new case statement. I told him he was the only donor I knew who had the capability of being our lead donor.
I have a plaque in my office. … It says, “fundraising is not really about money, it’s about people.” It reminds me where I need to focus my attention.
Ernie said that this had been the worst year for his business in more than 25 years, and he was not able to make an additional commitment. He suggested that we keep in touch and said that perhaps next year would be different. He then looked me in the eye and said, “Let’s just say I will give you a definite maybe.” I told him a “definite maybe” was much better than a “definite no.” I thanked him for what he had already done and told him we were extremely grateful for his generosity. He said he was glad he could do it and said, “I won’t forget the seminary.” Each year, for the next six years, I visited him and asked him if he was ready to turn his “definite maybe” into a “definite yes.” Each time his answer was no. Then he would smile and say, “Don’t give up hope.”
By the seventh year we were no longer looking for a pacesetting gift, but a gift to complete the campaign. So I asked him if he would consider a major gift to put the campaign over the top. To my happy surprise, he said he would consider it! A few weeks later I received a phone call with the good news that a gift intention form was in the mail!
What can we learn from this happy surprise? This gift required passion, persistence, and a lot of patience. But it was well worth the wait, as Ernie became the lead donor in our $100 million campaign and put the campaign over the top. So persist in telling your organization’s story with passion – and then practice patience!
I have a plaque in my office to remind me of my most important learning. It says: “Fundraising is not really about money, it’s about people.” It reminds me where I need to focus my attention. In fundraising our primary attention should be given to relationships.
I often tell fundraisers that our job is to grow oak trees, not tomato plants. We are not trying to grow something that lasts only a short period of time. Rather, we are seeking to grow something enduring. We are seeking to build long-term relationships rather than seeking a quick gift.
When fundraisers focus on building long-term relationships, amazing things happen. We see donors in their fullness, with many different gifts, including perhaps the gift of financial resources. We see them as our partners, collaborating with us on projects that will give them, and us, great joy. We see them not just as donors but as friends – friendships that are built on mutual trust and respect. And more often than not, it is when these long-term relationships are nurtured that happy surprises result. It’s as simple – and as challenging – as that.
Those are some of my learnings from 42 years of fundraising. I’ve mentioned happy surprises several times. This is not a phrase I choose lightly. Rather, for me it is a theological statement. I firmly believe that if we do our work well, God rewards our efforts with happy surprises!
And what is the work we are called to do? It is to plant seeds (seeds of awareness about our organization’s mission) and then to cultivate, nurture, and at the appropriate time harvest those seeds that mature.
We never know for sure which seeds will sprout and produce gifts. We simply know that if we are faithful in our work, the Word is our promise, and we can rest in the knowledge that God will cause some seeds to grow and bring forth grain. These are our happy surprises – and they never fail to delight because they remind us that God is always at work in our midst.
