Fundraising—The Unfamiliar Path!
“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known; along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth…”
From the time God called you to ministry, how have your thoughts about fundraising changed?
Early on I never thought about how the missionaries who discipled me were funded. I assumed their international headquarters sent money every month.
But when I became the leader, I was a shocked—it costs money to do ministry!
I was complaining about it until a friend told me, “With complaint, people run away from you.” He advised me to read the scripture, to pray and embrace my funding challenge with joy. I called it the unfamiliar path.
With the help of mentors and leaders I learned to mobilize resources for ministry.
Is asking for ministry the same as begging?
Asking for support is not begging, it is evangelism. Inviting people to support your ministry gives them a unique opportunity to join what God is doing. You are inviting them to invest in God’s kingdom where they get a return.
Is it begging when a company is looking for finances to invest? The Bible tells us that even the one who gives a glass of water to a prophet will receive a reward (Matthew 10:42).
How do you deal with fears in funding?
Asking for support is not begging, it is evangelism
Fundraising is like evangelism; we often fear, but fear should not control us. Our conviction that we are called to ministry should be greater than fear. Let us be transformed by the “renewing of the mind” (Romans 12:2).
What role does passion for ministry play in funding?
Without passion we will give up fundraising when we face opposition. When our ministry passion is rooted in the scripture, it becomes easy to share and recruit partners. Your passion for ministry is contagious.
Many mission-workers say, “Face-to-face funding appeals won’t work in my culture.” What has been your experience?
Sometime back my wife, Marie Claire, and I went for a fundraising tour (face to face appeals) with two funding projects. The 1st was my “Alongsider” role as Navigator Francophone Africa leader. The 2nd was a girls’ teenager ministry led by Marie Claire.
100% of those we appealed to gave to the teenager project, but not everyone gave to my Alongsider role. Looking back, I discovered that people give more readily to projects they easily understand. The Teenager Project was easier to visualize than my leadership “Alongsider” role.
I also did several face-to-face funding appeals with three of my staff for their personal support. Well received. Face-to-face appeals work in Francophone!
When you become discouraged about fundraising, what helps you?
I remember days where I wanted to resign, but my ministry vision has been rooted deeply in Jesus Christ. We do our part in asking, but the results belong to God.
Once when Marie Claire and I were struggling financially, someone in my Bible study asked how we were doing financially. Unusual—that never happened before! This person made the decision to support us. It encouraged us that the LORD was leading.
Fundraising is an integrated part of our personal walk with God. Our focus should be on God, not on our success or failure in funding.
What do you do for donor ministry?
Build long term relationships! Donors are not ATM machines! An ATM is not my friend, I only go there when I need money. Donors need encouragement, we should pray for them and keep in touch.
What do you say to Conventional-income Leaders (CIP) who have a regular job to support them; do they still need funding?
I am a CIP and a ministry leader; CIP’s should raise funds for the ministry for which they are in charge. “Back-pocket personal money” is never enough to support a growing ministry. But you must clearly clarify what you are raising money for.
Every leader (gift-income or conventional-income) must learn to articulate clearly what God calls him or her to do and then recruit donors to partner in their vision.
When your staff say, “I am out of contacts. I have no one else to appeal to!” What is your response?
I give him my contacts or ask him to connect with other local leaders for contacts. I am motivated to take staff along for face-to-face appeals to my contacts.
What is a favorite Scripture you turn to in fundraising?
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
In November 2019 I planned a leadership gathering to bring together leaders across French-speaking Africa. But where would I find $18,000 for air tickets!
I prayed with the team and starting a fundraising initiative, but I was under pressure because we were close to the conference date. A miracle came just in time when a donor I had not thought of gave the remaining amount of $16,000!
I kneeled down and worshipped! The “unfamiliar path of fundraising” is becoming more familiar as I see that the Bible has much to say about funding.
Jeremie Agre, The Navigators, Cote D’ Ivoire
Jeremie, with his wife Marie Claire, are known as an “Alongsiders” in Francophone, coming alongside Gospel workers to encourage and empower them in advancing the gospel.
Jeremie is also an ophthalmologist, president of Mobile Eye Care, a humanitarian initiative to serve the blind due to cataracts in rural Ivory Coast.
