While I desperately hope denominational support will rebound, I am not optimistic in the near term. Current political and economic trends suggest any recovery, if realized, will be modest, and some governing officials have already signaled their desire to collect more revenues by eliminating the opportunity to itemize charitable contributions.
Even if we were blessed with modest growth in Cooperative Program receipts, support would still fall substantially short of the levels needed to undergird a seminary dedicated to exalting Christ by equipping students well, in part, because CP receipts have not kept pace with inflationary growth since 1990.
Current economic realities are pushing seminaries to think differently about finances. Gone, and likely never to return, are the days when denominational support provides 70+ percent of a seminary's budget. But, we must not passively accept a "new normal" where strong, denominationally-supported seminaries become tuition-driven schools that are no longer affordable for many who seek to be thoroughly equipped for the pursuit of God's call.
A better way to address the troubling funding realities before us is found in the purposeful cultivation of a culture which prizes the work of financial development at every level. Organizations facing declining denominational receipts need scores of successful, saved people who will be interested in, involved with, praying for, and advancing their God-given work. The levels of support needed to secure the future affordability and impact of seminaries demands that most of the people who comprise the seminary be meaningfully involved in the process of cultivating the relationships that allow seminaries to flourish regardless of future economic headwinds.
Identifying the scores of men and women who will stand with us in fulfilling our missions demands the purposeful involvement of virtually everyone in the organization. Financial development is not merely an office; it is a way of life for anyone who has the privilege of serving in an organization on the front lines of fulfilling the Great Commission. The work of identifying financial partners for the ministries entrusted to us does not belong to one person, one office, or even one division. To be sure, someone must coordinate and lead the charge, but the team is comprised of everyone. In tomorrow's thriving organizations, "financial development" is becoming a way of life for everyone who takes part in fulfilling the mission.
Financial development must saturate the cultures of denominationally-supported institutions because gospel-centered organizations understand the dreams and plans that God gives in the pursuit of His mission almost always require financial support. Financial development is not fundamentally about money; it is about mission, and the mission belongs to everyone in the organization.
In organizations that understand the fundamental connection between generosity and our passion for God's mission, events, graduations, conferences, speaking engagements, chapel services, luncheons, and new initiatives involve a deliberate consideration of the potential fundraising possibilities, implications, and applications at the outset. Prospective ministry partners are prayerfully sought and winsomely engaged in every venue possible. Donors' advice and strategic engagement is sought by the organization's leadership team in advance of new initiatives. If the needed conviction, passion, and funding are found lacking, the project is delayed, modified, or dropped depending upon the Spirit's leading through the organization's intentional, structured, and early engagement of prospective financial partners.
One of my colleagues formerly worked in the trust department for a large bank. His managing director wrote "everyone is responsible for sales" on dollar bills and handed them to every employee in the division. His desire was to create a particular sort of culture, a culture that valued sales and helped every employee understand they had a role to play and a stake in the work.
If everyone is responsible for sales when mere money is at stake, how much more ought everyone be responsible for knowing the mission and sharing the institution's story within their circle of influence? The organizations that overcome today's financial headwinds without sacrificing their mission at the altar of skyrocketing tuition will be those that create enthusiastic, friend-raising cultures from top to bottom. Successful fundraising requires everyone.
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