Can You Answer Five Donor Questions?
Editor’s Note: Today’s post dives deeper into last week’s video entitled: “Is Your Funding Presentation Too Cluttered?”
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When missionaries stumble over questions on funding appointments, they telegraph shallow thinking. Donors pick it up immediately. So do your homework! But don’t automatically add your answers to your presentation. As Roger Hamilton said last week: Declutter!
1. How big is your mission agency?
The question is not about size, but about identity: “Are you a lone wolf in ministry? Are you connected with an established organization?”
Donors feel less hesitant to give when they know you sail in convoy with a legitimate ministry that has some history.
Share specifically the size of your organization—“117 staff in 12 countries” communicates competence, “A bunch of staff around the world” is suspicious. Then briefly tell how your Founder got started. That is compelling.
2. What is your monthly (or annual) budget?
Be careful. Some people (especially church mission committees) have strong opinions about mission-worker’s budgets. Be prepared to give the major breakdowns and to answer: “Why is it so high?” Or…”Why is it so low?”
A helpful line: “I am delighted that the Directors of our agency want field staff to have a generous budget so we can stay in ministry for a lifetime if called.”
3. What exactly are you trying to do?
Quoting your agency’s official “brochure” mission statement produces blank stares. Ask yourself: In my ministry, what main problem am I trying to solve?
Explain the problem, give a statistic if helpful, and tell a story that illustrates how the problem is being solved.
4. Why aren’t you working with a church (or other organizations)?
Don’t cast aspersions on what churches or other ministries do or don’t do. Explain your ministry’s unique role and how the structure best touches lives.
5. What do you do all day?
Don’t take this as an attack! The questioner is trying to put herself in your shoes. As she thinks about you, she must be able to visualize you going about your day or she will not bond with you.
Don’t describe every activity. Instead, take the question-asker with you on a typical week.
Describe an early morning evangelistic Bible study at a nasty coffee shop (What did you eat?)
Tell about staying after to pray with “Joe” about his alcoholic father.
Describe a one-to-one discipling session in the student union about sexual purity.
Share how you grabbed 45 minutes mid-afternoon to finish your prep for the weekly teaching night.
Tell also about your commitment to study-time and family time each week.
But also share a mundane detail, like visiting the university scheduling office to get parking permits and to speak briefly with a skeptical administrator whom you are befriending.
Reminder: Do your homework well so you can answer well. You will be the one who benefits most even if you are never asked these five questions. You will brim with confidence that God’s hand is on you.
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
