Casting a Vision
On Tuesday, November 27th Where Have All the Donors Gone? a one-day workshop for fundraising leaders in not-for-profit Christian organizations was presented by the Tyndale Leadership Centre.
Cliff Cline, President and CEO of IdeaPraxy presented on the key components that fundraising executives need to look at. He emphasized that all Christian charities exist to “carry out the great commission” although “we might shape it up in different ways and different specialities.” Susan Campbell who was attending the workshop stated that her biggest learning from the day was the reminder of “the Christian ‘why’ … and to never shy away from it and keep that as the base for what we are doing.”
Lorie Hartshorn, CEO of Better Today Consulting presented on the importance of casting a vision for each organization and building a case for support. She stated that it is important for organizations to “steward our resources well and…spend time on the smaller group that really is passionate about you and serve them well.” Mike Greenfield another attendee said, “My biggest takeaway is the case for support and really building that so everyone has a clear picture of exactly why we need to ask.”
David Hutchinson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Group Inc. spoke about the need for qualified fundraising professionals within the Christian charitable sector. “I think the thing that is lacking most is a general understanding of what it is to be a professional fundraiser within the Christian context.” He shared how training and secession plans are a requirement that many Christian charities need to be focusing on. This point particularly stood out to Vreny Matthis who noted “our staff is between 55 and 65 and we have to look at secession planning.”
The event brought together more than 35 fundraising professionals from a variety of Christian organizations to strengthen their skills. Many in attendance saw this workshop as a beginning for a more formalized training for Christian fundraising professionals in the future.