Do you personally try to fix a stubborn printer? Do you personally stamp every newsletter envelope? Are you the only one capable of securing a meeting room or recording expenses?

After being named National Director, Alphonse quickly realized that he needed unrestricted cash to help his staff with emergencies and to seize ministry opportunities. The General Fund was crucial for ministry health.

So, we reviewed the list of general fund donors name by name for the past five years. Didn’t take long!

Early on I never thought about how the missionaries who discipled me were funded. I assumed their international headquarters sent money every month. But when I became the leader, I was a shocked—it costs money to do ministry!

Q & A with Sess Serge, National Director Navigators Cote d’ Ivoire

Okike Offia sent a forthright appeal letter to 100 people on the Nigerian National Mailing List. Many National Directors consider this too “pushy” and are uncomfortable to say anything except to provide “How to Give” information…

I hear ministry-leaders say: “I don’t worry about the funding of conventional-income staff… they fund their own ministries.”

How Would Your Staff Answer? 

I use to say intellectual, but I changed my mind after writing national direct mail appeals. I quickly learned that intellect and logic alone do not inspire givers nearly as much as logic plus emotion. People make giving decisions with their hearts.

Even Moses' tabernacle givers were those with "stirred hearts."

And everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord's contribution (Exodus 35:21-22)

Leaders, you do a dis-service to the staff you lead when you don’t talk about fundraising. Perhaps you are well funded, and perhaps you execute wise fundraising plans. But your followers are not well funded, and they feel guilty if they even think about taking time to do fundraising.