Growing Givers' Hearts : Treating Fundraising As A Ministry [Hardcover]

Thomas H. Jeavons (Author), Rebekah Burch Basinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

Here for the first time is a truly spiritual way of looking at fundraising as an opportunity to nurture current and prospective donors and facilitate their growth in faith. Growing Givers' Hearts explores how development staff, executives, and board members from across the theological spectrum can make faith-building opportunities for donors their first priority; act on their confidence in God's abundance; draw from their theological tradition in their approach to fundraising; involve a vital cross-section of staff in planning; and cultivate spiritually mature leadership.

With this innovative approach, Growing Givers' Hearts empowers readers to work in spiritually grounded, deeply creative, and professionally satisfying ways. Fundraisers in any Christian organization will find extraordinary insights in this important guide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Most Christians who raise money say they want to serve, love, and nurture their donors. Finally, here is a book which can turn that desire into reality." (Robert C. Andringa, president, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities)

"Practical and inspirational. A book for organizational leaders and fundraisers of faith-based groups, large and small, as well as for donors and people of faith." (Kara Newell, executive director, American FriAnds Service Committee)

"This is not a how-to-do-it, but rather a why-to-do-it written for (church) leaders...and excellent resource..." (charityvillage.com, 8/01)

From the Inside Flap

For fundraisers who are also Christian, the most vital mission is to grow the giver's heart. Here for the first time is a truly spiritual way of looking at fundraising as an opportunity to nurture current and prospective donors and facilitate their growth in faith. While the traditional focus of the fundraising process tAnds to be utilitarian before it is humane or spiritual, the empowering new model proposed here-fundraising as ministry-puts the humane and the spiritual first. It rests on the idea that relationships with donors should be built upon a desire to encourage their generosity and spiritual growth. This unusual and highly effective approach is rooted in the Gospel vision. It goes beyond respecting our neighbors to loving them.Growing Givers' Hearts is based on the authors' in-depth study of seven successful Christian organizations whose fundraising efforts reveal the dynamic interplay between encouraging spiritual development of donors and raising essential resources. Such organizations share several key characteristics, including their assumption of God's abundant grace, their clear use of theology in the way they approach resource development, their practice of offering donors opportunities to participate in the ministry, and their ability to cultivate spiritually mature leadership.The book explores in detail these essential aspects of fundraising as ministry, giving readers a unique way to reflect on what they can do to make their work more personally satisfying and spiritually rewarding. Growing Givers' Hearts offers exceptional insights not only for development staff, but for executives, board members, and other leaders of Christian organizations across the theological spectrum.Based on a three-year, nationwide study of Christian organizations whose efforts are successful both in raising needed financial or material resources and in encouraging the spiritual development of their donors, this groundbreaking book identifies key charact

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787948292
• ISBN-13: 978-0787948290
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging and inspiring research!, November 1, 2002

By 

Marc "Fundraisingcoach.com" (Waterville, ME, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Growing Givers' Hearts : Treating Fundraising As A Ministry (Hardcover)

Do Christian organizations and development officers fundraise in a way that appeals to motives "at odds with the teachings of their faith"? Are they simply interested in getting a dollar or equally interested in nurturing the spiritual life of donors? These questions are important since, as the authors assert, "Some fundraising appeal or another is quite likely to be the first-and may be the only-contact of the unchurched with Christianity today." Does this fundraising reflect the Gospel?

Jesus warned us, "No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and Money." Growing Givers' Hearts begins be surveying the theology of giving in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, and throughout the history of the Church. This initial section alone is worth the price of the book.

The largest part of Growing Givers' Hearts is based on a three-year study funded by the Lilly Endowment. Jeavons and Basinger explored six organizations that are successful at both raising funds and encouraging the spiritual growth of their donors and identified six "necessary conditions" for such a program. These organizations are: Compassion International, Union Gospel Mission of Seattle, the Catholic Charities of Cleveland, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, San Francisco Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Biola University. The six conditions are the chapter headings for "Part Two" listed below.

The final section moves from the organizational perspective to that of the individual. These chapters are a challenge and an invitation to the ministry of fundraising. Jeavons and Basinger offer specific insights into how the "necessary conditions" flow out of our daily lives.

Written for a decidedly Christian audience, Jeavons and Basinger have tried to be inclusive of the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions and vocabulary. The book is filled with concrete, but not formulaic, suggestions and practices of those that treat fundraising as ministry. These well-placed, compelling examples ground the principles in real life and make the Growing Givers' Hearts approach even more believable.

I highly recommend Growing Givers' Hearts! It a challenge and an encouragement for Christians but would probably be compelling to anyone interested in the spirituality of fundraising.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Fundraising and the Expression of Faith

Part One: What is Christian Fundraising?
1. Creating Resources for God's Work
2. What the Bible Says About Giving and Asking
3. A Brief History of Christian Fundraising

Part Two: Six Essential Characteristics of Fundraising as a Ministry
4. Confidence in God's Abundance
5. A Holistic Perspective on "Kingdom Work"
6. Clarity About Core Theological Beliefs
7. Giving Donors Opportunities for Participation
8. Integrated Organizational Planning
9. Spiritually Mature Leadership

Part Three: The Fundraiser's Ministry
10. Fundraising as a Calling
11. Fundraising as an Invitation to Cooperate with God's Grace

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not How to but Why to do Christian fundraising, November 24, 2000

By 

Patrick Gallagher (Aberdeen, SD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Givers' Hearts : Treating Fundraising As A Ministry (Hardcover)

As someone who is a fundraiser for a Christian organization, I found this to be a refreshing look at fundraising from an explicitly Christian perspective. It doesn't focus very much on fundraising methods, but it reflects on what should be a major goal of Christian fundraising--the continued growth of the faith of a Christian organization's supporters. That is, in the methods they use, Christian fundraisers should seek to expand their givers' faith experience--that's the ultimate goal of stewardship. The book provides numerous examples of how Christian fundraisers have pursued this goal with their donors.

The authors conducted lengthy interviews with staff in several well-regarded and successful Christian organizations, including seminaries and service organizations. The insights from these people are worth the price of the book. In addition, the authors also reviewed some of the history of Christian philanthropy, including St. Paul's exhortations of the earliest Christians.

When fundraisers are easily criticized, this book gave me a real sense of inspiration about what I do.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly text, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Growing Givers' Hearts : Treating Fundraising As A Ministry (Hardcover)

A scholarly text that explores ways to bring Christianity back into fundraising. It is based on a two-year study of 7 Christian organizations (none of them parishes). It is not about the "how to" of fundraising but rather the "what if."
Not as useful for parish work as "Behind the Stained Glass Window" or "Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church."