A few years ago I had an insight about fundraising that I’ve never written down. It’s probably not a profound thought, and I’m sure many have come to the same conclusion. But it’s still worth recording here as a new insight for some, a reminder to others.
As far as I can tell, the first ever significant capital campaign is described in Exodus 35. Moses told the people to give of their wealth and their talents. The aim was to fund and then build the Tabernacle and all the items that went inside.
What struck me is that the fundraising began AFTER all the great stuff had happened. Moses didn’t show up in Egypt and say, “Let’s raise money for a campaign to leave the country and obtain our freedom.” All the good stuff had to happen first: the miracles before Pharaoh, the fire in the sky, the parting of the sea, and so forth. From what I can tell, there is no mention of any kind of fundraising until after things had settled down and the really outrageous work had already been completed.
That’s quite a contrast to our way of doing things today. We often see an opportunity (ministry or otherwise) and immediately calculate the financial cost. We then began thinking about how to raise that money.
Perhaps because we value money so much, we tend to give it more credibility as a tool than it really deserves. A lot can happen without funding. Sure, money used wisely can leverage opportunities into great ministry. But let’s not overstate it and view it as the missing ingredient that keeps us from achieving great things. We can do a lot without financial resources.
This is something that the missions world is learning faster than others. Operating in the poor regions of the world means finding solutions that are not financially driven. It means leveraging the talents and time of people who share a vision. It means recognizing that financial resources can often create problems that actually keep us from achieving that vision. The money comes with baggage and adds a foreign object into the mix of a poor community, which results in repercussions we often cannot predict.
Ultimately, money is necessary. Moses saw that when he told the Israelites to start giving. But it should come later, not earlier, when launching a new endeavor. First things first — get the good stuff done, then ask for support.