Ethical fundraising, a garden story
Remember the game 20 Questions? I received a list of 20 fundraising questions last week, in preparation for a webinar called Don't be afraid: Asking for Three Loaves of Bread, based on Luke 11. It’s hosted by the InTrust center for Theological Schools.
I thrive on questions and interruptions, but 20 questions is too much for an hour, even if I ditch my slide deck. Let’s look at just one question: what is my definition of ethical fundraising?
Fundraising: Joyful and Holy Work
Fundraising is the joyful and holy task of telling people about the garden and inviting them to water it. What garden? Generosity as a garden links to four short blog posts on generosity. Fundraising means cultivating the spiritual discipline of giving, in the setting/garden where God has planted us.
The person asking the question comes from a theological school. What type of garden is that?
Theological Schools - a Plant Nursery of Christian thinkers
All of us are stewards of what God has entrusted to our care. Theological schools are stewards of Christian thought, or better yet, stewards of Christian thinkers. It’s a garden of diverse plants in a climate that’s changing. A theological school isn’t just a garden, it’s a plant nursery cultivating plants that will find roots in many places. A theological school blesses the church and builds up the body of Christ.
What is ethical?
Fundraising can only be ethical if the institution stewarding the funds is ethical:
Is the school representing itself honestly?
Does it treat staff and students justly?
Does it seek to honour God and to love people?
I’m assuming the answers are yes. Then the fundraiser (and others - generosity is a group project!) can tell stories about the garden and invite people to water it, trusting that God will provide a harvest. An ethical fundraising institution wouldn’t push the fundraiser to force growth out of season, or flood the garden instead of providing steady water in season.
Daily bread prayers and fundraising
Christians pray for their daily bread, adding their prayers to those of farmers who need rain to grow the wheat. A farmer might have a pond to get through dry spells, but they can’t save up enough water for years. Not coincidentally, I find farmers to be good pray-ers. They rely on God.
Fundraisers sometimes get pressure to store up water, not a cistern to carry the garden through the dry season, but a huge tank to provide water for years. I worry about the message this sends to people with little watering cans who care about the garden too. Isaiah 58:11 talks about a well-watered garden and I envision lots of people doing the watering. And lots of people praying for rain.
Farmers, fundraisers, all of us, rely on God’s grace each day.
All God’s stuff
“It’s all God’s stuff,” one donor told me. Being a good steward isn’t a question only for fundraisers, it’s a discipleship question for all.
Water for gardens and money for sharing both come from God. We thank God for what we receive and we respond in grateful obedience to what God has given us to share. Thanks be to God for gifts received and gifts shared.