Do You Take Your Budget Seriously?
(a hidden roadblock in funding)
© The Navigators. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Use Without Permission.
When I ask mission-workers about their organizational budget, I get these responses:
“My monthly budget? Hmmm….
“I don’t know how much it is.”
“It doesn’t matter how much. I’ll never raise it anyway.”
“It’s ‘just a number’ the national office needs to demonstrate corporate oversight.”
“It’s way too high, we can get by on less.”
If you don’t know your exact monthly budget, how do you create a fundraising plan? How do you know if you are succeeding? One missionary friend reached 100% but didn’t realize it until a year later!
If you don’t know where the finish line is, you can become lethargic in fundraising. And chasing an unknown budget can exhaust you emotionally. Or, you might give up on full funding altogether.
After years of mentoring mission-workers, I can say this:
“Don’t be guilty of sloppy thinking.”
Don’t be guilty of sloppy thinking. Take your budget seriously!
Start here:
Find the exact amount. Ask your Headquarters to confirm your monthly budget. You might need to be insistent to find it.
If your organization doesn’t have an official budget for you, create one yourself and ask your supervisor to critique and approve it. It is not merely a formality. Making it official will give you confidence.
Pray over your monthly budget every day. The Lord’s prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11) Bring your exact budget to the Lord daily. Be specific.
Make a decision to raise it all. Merely “making progress” in your funding is not the goal! Don’t stop until you reach 100%. If your budget seems “too high,” confer with your supervisor. If you are married, “too high” is likely not your spouse’s opinion!
Your organization gives you this budget based on their experience. Trust them and raise the entire amount.
Years ago, a pioneer Navigator mission-worker, the late Fernando Gonzales from Argentina, said this about his monthly budget, “It is my ‘HOLY NUMBER!’”
Thank you, Fernando!
Will you accept your monthly budget as your HOLY NUMBER?
