I placed a call to a donor who attends a suburban church here in the Chicago area. He had been a key advocate and I needed his help. I explained the reason for my call and the need I had for him to gather some important information as we needed to work with his church. He listened intently and quickly replied, "Perfect timing! We have a key meeting tomorrow and I will plan to be there, get the information you need and report back to you."

I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard people on the other end of the line say those same words, "perfect timing." To me that is simply another demonstration of the Lord and his perfect timing. Go minister this week, knowing that without your knowledge, He is working behind the scenes.

As missionaries with Inner City Impact, we are confronted with many of those things that you would associate with an inner city setting. We have been burned out of our first facility and so much more.

Recently one of our missionaries pulled up in front of the Inner City Impact headquarters, locked her car and went to the Laundromat right next door. She was only gone for five minutes. When she returned, her car window had been broken and her bag with her computer was taken. All of this took place in broad daylight on a busy thoroughfare. She stood in amazement and as staff discovered her loss they all consoled and prayed for her.

You might quickly catalogue this as a problem, but yet it was an opportunity. Friends and supporters through email could quickly be made aware of her need and be given the chance to pray and give. I have seen so many times when the Lord has used this to be a multiplier.

When fund raising as a couple, look at it as a team effort.  To be honest with you, my secret weapon is my wife, Sandy. Donors and prospects love her. Even when it comes to her presence at a People Raising conference, months and even years later, people are still asking about her. I am one of those who definitely married up. She is very personable, friendly and outgoing, easy to talk to, with a genuine interest in the people with whom she is conversing.   There are times when it is easier for me to go solo to a church meeting or dinner, but I have learned the contribution she plays is invaluable. If you are married you might find that your spouse can provide invaluable ways to advance your ministry.

Recently I met a couple for the very first time. We had dinner with them and another couple. It was a great way to be introduced and get to know them. My next step was to stay in contact by phone. I had both his cell and home phone numbers.  I really wanted to talk with him to conduct business, and calling his cell phone would certainly be convenient. But I wanted to be intentional and I felt the need to pull his wife more into the process. With that in mind, (even though it was more convenient to call his cell), I very intentionally called their home.  This gave me the opportunity to talk to her as well as conduct business with him. Be intentional in your phone calls as you go about your People Raising.

As I work with those raising funds, I often hear the frustration of having to play phone tag. All of us know that scenario much too well. In some cases, it is like trying to aim at a moving target. To help bring sanity to that whole process, I would very intentionally set up phone appointments with people. Work through both of your schedules and simply come to an agreed date and time. This should help to cut down on the all too familiar, dragged-out phone tag.

I love the internet. It is a great tool. For example, instead of producing a fancy brochure to explain my ministry, a project, or the organization I am serving, I can literally have all that information with pictures, and so much more, on the internet.

After I connect with prospects and donors by phone or email, I follow up my conversation with an email and a link where many of their questions can be answered.

Do use the internet to your advantage.  It will pay big dividends.

All of us as fund raisers need more contacts. More people we can put our vision in front of. More people to pray and give.

Obviously existing donors are the ones to turn to and ask if they would serve as advocates. My advice: keep your request simple. Yes, we would love to have a donor recite a long, massive list of contacts but I am afraid they can become overwhelmed.

Keep your request simple. Why not ask for the names of 10 key people who could be introduced to your ministry.

When it comes to married couples, many times I find myself spending more time with the husband as I raise funds. It could be time spent over a business lunch or a visit to his offices. But we need to view the husband and wife as a team supporting us. That being the case, you need to learn as much as you can about the wife. To begin with, you need to know such basic things as her name.

Recently I placed a call to a donor's home. In their case, many times the call is picked up by a voice answering machine. But this time it was the wife who answered. I am so glad I remembered her name. It gave me a great opportunity to talk with her. I thanked her for their gift and gave a brief update on our ministry.