Ask JoeAnn
From time to time I get questions and I am more than happy to answer them. I have posted my latest question below.
Question: How do I get funds to operate my non-profit organization? How do I raise enough money to remain afloat?
JoeAnn: My answer to that is in the form of a question. Is the question how to raise enough money or could the question be is what I’m trying to accomplish the will of God? You may be thinking, “The will of God: where does it fit in with my having enough money to fund my non-profit?” Or you may have come to the realization that is has everything to do with it.
On a recorded workshop titled “Fundraising Is Not Asking,” I offer very detailed information on the fundraising process and God’s will for one’s life. I firmly believe that what God says about His business He will do. As the word of God so eloquently puts it in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.” When we take care of what belongs to God, He will take care of what belongs to us.
Fundraising is all about living for God, denying self and taking up your cross daily. As God began to unfold His will for my life, I recognized right away there would be no way I could raise the funding to match the vision which God was revealing. From the beginning, the vision was much bigger than me.
The first ministry my husband and I did was from our home; it was the ministry of training up foster children in the love and admonition of the Lord. We served them with our own resources. Just because we had limited resources, the needs of our ministry did not change. These children had great needs from clothing to food and school supplies; whatever the needs were, they were our responsibility to supply. We soon learned that if we were going to be involved in ministry, we had to have the resources to meet all of their needs, but at that time we did not have the necessary resources. At that time, we began to desperately seek God through His Word for wisdom and knowledge to effectively move in this ministry. We knew that we could only succeed in ministry through the power of God working in us and not ourselves.
I began to immerse myself in the Word of God, listen to my pastor, go to workshops and seminars and read many books in order to equip myself with the Godly knowledge needed be effective in ministry. Once I did all these things, the answer came to me. The key to all of my fundraising problems was I had to surrender all to God. If I wasn’t working solely for God, there would be no reason for God to support my efforts.
I radically sought God for His complete will for my life. I was desperate to meet the needs of the people, but I was more desperate about being in the will of God. I soon found out that if my will was God’s will I would have complete freedom in asking and expecting God to supply all the needs of the ministry. The ministry and the people belong to God.
Immersing ourselves in the total will of God is having the confidence that all of our needs are supplied. While there are principles and guidelines we must follow as fundraisers and non-profits, the load is much lighter now that we know the battle is not ours; it is the Lord’s.
Continue to watch this website for the best principles for fundraising. You may also purchase “Fundraising Is Not Asking” please contact Dr. Ballard.