Urban Ministry Blog

Entries in fund development (3)

Wednesday

30Dec2009

Question: How do I find funds for my program?

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 8:53PM

THE QUESTION

My biggest question is how do I identify specific local and national funders that fund my mission which is to eliminate or prevent teen pregnancy. Help with navigating through the process and networking with key funders without spending a great amount on conferences, workshops association dues etc. is another how to question. Is there a directory I should be focusing on that specifically funds teen pregnancy prevention and/or mentoring initiatives.

THE ANSWER

In your area, there may be a Community Foundation that could be helpful in looking at your proposal to see if they could match you up with a potential funder. It is important to have a proposal that addresses as many issues that will practically speak to the challenges facing teen pregnancy. Additionally, it would be advantageous to find a model program (local or national) that you could emulate to help you to get off to a good start. It is very important to know that you will need to present to any potential funder the exact business plan and budget showing how you will accomplish this mission. The greater the details, the greater the chances of attracting a legitimate funder

About James “BO” Middleton

Devoted husband and father, James “BO” Middleton is an accomplished executive, with nearly 20 years of experience in the field of non-profit community development. Directly responsible for over $80 million in faith-based economic & community development, Bo has a wealth of experiences including; low-to-moderate income real estate development, multi-unit residential real estate development for seniors, commercial real estate development, and small business development. Bo has also successfully implemented and obtained major funding for several community based service programs including; Preparatory Academy, Early Childhood Learning Center, Job Training Programs, Job Development Programs, Drug counseling Programs, Small Business Micro-Loan Programs, Youth Scholarship Programs and many others. Bo’s unique skills and experiences make it possible from him to help any faith-based or community organization walk in its purpose and positively impact the communities it serves.

Other Resources

About Urban Awareness USA

Urban Awareness USA, bridges the gap between communities, government and faith-based organizations. Our mission is to strengthen, empower and equip faith-based & community organizations with the necessary tools and resources they need to partner with and receive funding from government agencies and private philanthropist to better serve their communities.

Urban Awareness USA
a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization
www.urbanawarenessusa.org
www.urbanministrytools.org

Travoris Carnes |

What Is The Future of Raising Funds and Stewardship? By Mark Brooks

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 11:01AM

“The rules of engagement has changed. The principles of organizational and interpersonal communication will forever be changed.” Those words were written to me by a friend who had asked a question about what was next after Twitter? To me simply asking that question about a Social Networking site that is still relatively new is telling. There is no question that just in the last couple of years Social Networking has become all the rage and could change the rules of engagement.

While I love Twitter and Facebook it is my contention that we are too quickly jumping on this new band wagon and need a healthy dose of reality. I am not convinced that the rules have been changed as much as those that are embracing Social Media claim. As of yet there is little factual data to confirm a major shift in behavior Certainly from a stewardship stand point the confirmed data to this point is showing that a change has NOT occurred.

Here are some points that I think we should consider before we too quickly embrace new technology as our savior or the future of raising funds.

Social Media is not the first new medium to trumpet new rules of engagement. While it might show my age I can remember the rise of cable television and religious broadcasting. There was a time when those who embraced television saw that medium as a fundamental new way of engaging people. While some ministries did indeed raise significant funds through television few churches ever did. More significantly religious broadcasting has made a minimal impact in terms of evangelism. In the end the return on investment will be judged in my opinion as a poor Kingdom investment.

I base this observation from experience. The last church that I pastored spent thousands of dollars on establishing a cable channel in our town through our denominations network. While our presence in the community was heightened in the end there were few people that I can point to as having been brought into the Kingdom through all the programs and advertising that we did. I bought into the belief that having a media presence would transform our ministry but now must admit that the impact was minimal.

Change in the church comes slowly not quickly. While we are debating what is next after Twitter the church will still stand. Some times I wonder if we truly believe in the sovereignty of God. We are either poor students of history or ignorant of theology. Christ’s church marches on no matter what the current media platform is. While the church does change it changes slowly not swiftly. Some might see that as a negative however the flip side of that is that the Church throws out what is unproductive and adapts to what works. It is still way too early to tell what the impact of Social Media will be.

The few will always give the majority. This has always been the case and will always be the case. In part this is a result of discipleship. While we must continue to encourage the next generation the end result will be that only a few will truly embrace the responsibilities of discipleship. To believe that Social Media will some how be the tool to engage the next generation of donors is to totally miss history and minimalize God.

The key for future fund raising depends not on new tools but the tried and true method of making disciples. I am all for using new tools. However at the end of the day what has sustained the church through time has been solid discipleship not a dependence upon new approaches. If you truly want to make sure your ministry is funded for the future focus on what works, discipleship making.

My fear is that in chasing the newest online tools we will miss what really matters. True discipleship can not occur behind a computer screen or a smart phone any more than it could from your couch watching television. In our rush to embrace what is hip and new we are trading our birth right for a pot of stew.

Tell me, what has been the impact of our chase to be contemporary? Have we truly been reaching the lost better than before? Statistics do not bear out that we are. While some might claim some success the truth is that nationally we are no closer to winning our nation than before we began this contemporary journey. I fear the same will be true as we chase the Twitters of the world.

That’s my view. What is yours?

As the founding partner and president of The Charis Group Mark Brooks brings not only a rich background of ministry experience but also years of successfully helping Christian ministries raise funds for capital projects. His desire to better personalize the engagement that each ministry receives from their stewardship partner led him to begin The Charis Group. With creative outside the box thinking Mark has helped scores of ministries achieve maximum financial and spiritual results. The Charis Group is an Urban Awareness USA strategic partner.

Other Resources

About Urban Awareness USA

Urban Awareness USA, bridges the gap between communities, government and faith-based organizations. Our mission is to strengthen, empower and equip faith-based & community organizations with the necessary tools and resources they need to partner with and receive funding from government agencies and private philanthropist to better serve their communities.

Urban Awareness USA
a 501c3 Nonprofit Organization
www.urbanawarenessusa.org
www.urbanministrytools.org

Travoris Carnes |

Stewardship Myths: What you don’t know can and will hurt you! by Mark Brooks

Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 6:24AM

I have just finished my new book, “Stewardship Myths: How to Avoid Losing Time, Momentum and Money.” It should be in print by no later than December. I have been fascinated about urban legends and myths for sometime. Rumors like Madalyn Murray O’hare working to get Christian broadcasters off the air, the Proctor and Gamble myth and others have spread with little basis to the truth. This book sets out to dispel rumors and church legends that seemingly no one thinks to check facts about.

The church today has its own set of myths and urban legends that I call church legends. What is interesting about many of these myths and church legends is the fact that often we can not tell the truth from the distortion. Some myths have been repeated as fact for so long that hearing a different perspective is often rejected. Many times some element of the myth or legend is correct but the application is wrong. In fact most myths and legends have the ring of truth to them or at least some sibilance of truth. Partially containing some truth does not however make them true.

So myths happen. Why should you care or be interested? The danger is that myths, half truths and church legends left unchecked can harm your ministry. It is the premise of this book that incorrect data from myths, half truths and church legends leads leaders and ministries to faulty conclusions. Faulty conclusions lead to inaccurate and ineffective actions. This often results in loss of momentum, loss of time and ultimately loss of funding.

The saying, what you don’t know can’t hurt you is wrong. What you don’t know most certainly will hurt you. Falling prey to urban legend and church myths can and will keep you from seeing the ultimate best in your ministry.

You can not afford to have your vision derailed. You can not afford to let any of these myths and church legends cost you valuable dollars in donations. Armed with the wisdom of this book you can avoid those pitfalls. Until the book comes out how can you separate fact from fiction? How can you protect yourself from making a mistake in judgment based upon something that turns out to be false? Here are some steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you and your ministry.

Be a holy skeptic. The Apostle John wrote that believers should test the spirits. While that might be stretching the exact meaning of the text it none the less carries the same principle for our purposes. In the same way you need to test what you hear. Don’t just assume that the facts given to you are the facts. Become a holy skeptic. As the leader of your ministry you need to take it upon yourself to make sure that the data you have is accurate. While it might take more time it could save you not only thousands of dollars but also momentum in your ministry.

As you exercise your role of holy skeptic learn to ask probing questions. Too few people ask probing questions and simply take on the surface what they are told. That kind of naivety can cost you time and money. If someone is not interested in answering your questions that in and of itself should tell you something.

Fact check. With the proliferation of the internet it is now easier than ever to check whether a statement is factual or not. During the 2008 Presidential Election there were various organizations that daily fact checked statements made by both candidates. Voters could if they wanted to find out the truth. Most people don’t take the time to do that. Politicians know that and continue to tell half truths to gain momentum and votes.

Unfortunately in the Christian marketing world you will find many who in an attempt to get your business and your money will make all kinds of claims. Don’t take the salesman’s word for it. Salesmen, even those that were former ministers, always tell you what they think you want to hear. They tell you the best case scenario hoping you won’t ask too many questions. The goal of all salesmen is to get you to sign the contract. Your goal should be to protect your ministry and the dollars your donors have entrusted to your ministry.

Ask others. Ask for references. Ask friends in the ministry what their experience has been with a specific company. If something sounds too good to be true check it out. Asking for references is a good way to get at the real truth.

I would say this is especially true in my industry. I hate to admit it but there are so many wild claims that firm’s make that churches never check up on. Don’t be snookered by slick sales techniques. Always check references. I would go one step further. Ask the reference who else they might recommend that you talk with. Typically companies will only give you good references to talk to. While that is instructive you will want to probe a bit deeper. Ask if they had a friend that used the same company. Ask if you can talk to others at the church such as other staff members or lay leaders. The work you do on the front end can save you a lot of heart ache on the back side of a campaign. When you are getting ready to invest thousands of dollars in bringing on a partner isn’t it worth checking out?

Trust in the Lord. The very first Bible verse that I learned after becoming a Christian was Proverbs 3:5,6. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” While it might sound mystical that is good advice when weighing whether or not some “truth” is accurate or not or applicable to you and your ministry.

That verse has served me well since the day I first memorized it. I believe that it will serve you well in your ministry. My prayer for you is that you and your ministry will not fall prey to the urban legends and church legends that sometimes spread like wild fire. Like a wild fire the path they can leave behind is one of destruction. In the times we live in we can not afford to have our paths burned. May God grant you wisdom and discernment as you seek to serve Him and His Kingdom work.

As the leader of free in the stewardship industry, free manuals, free advice, free columns and free books you can get a signed copy by responding to this post. Simply send us an email and we will send you a copy as soon as they come from the printer. I don’t want you to be hurt by what you don’t know. Our desire is to help you achieve the dreams God has given you!

Mark Brooks
Founder and President
The Charis Group