July 2016 – Nonprofit Readers Blog

So you finally get a meeting with that potential mega-donor you’ve been praying about.

You deeply value the many “widow’s mites” you receive and know God blesses even the smallest gift in greater-than-expected measure.

But you also know the middle-class is shrinking and that nonprofits are increasingly dependent upon large gifts. Besides, it is also an important spiritual discipline for the wealthy to do their share.

So you are finally in the big meeting. You brought your materials and are making your presentation. And then, towards the end, you lay on them the killer closer:

“You know, our entire staff is really committed to this great cause. In fact, everyone sees their work as a ministry, and not a job.”

Then you pause for the response

At this point, you probably have lost, or greatly diminished, the potential gift.

I know. I used to use that pitch too. And I truly believed it with all my heart.

But a large donor once told me that ALL heads of ministries , or their development officers, say the same thing.

Ouch.

The donor’s observation begs two heart-wrenching questions: 1) Does this mean all other ministries are lying, and only your staff is really committed? and 2) if the donor doubts your entire staff sees their job as ministry, does he not begin to wonder how much of the rest of your presentation is baloney?

Here’s the rub. Research confirms the sad fact that 80% of your paid staff–yes, even at your worthwhile nonprofit–is merely taking home a paycheck, just doing their job.

And any one of the 80% would jump in a heartbeat if something better came along.

It’s difficult to swallow because we nonprofit leaders are absolutely sold out to our ministries. Otherwise we wouldn’t be there. We DO see it as a ministry, and not a job.

But there is an irresistible impulse within to project our enthusiasm for the ministry on those around us. The nonprofit’s value is so abundantly clear to us, it is almost impossible to imagine that someone else doesn’t “get it.”

Having said that, sure, probably 20% of your staff really does see their work as ministry, like you. The conundrum is you’ll never know for sure who they are. But they know, and God knows.

Never fail to thank God everyday for the 20%–whoever they are–because they are doing 80% of the work that is powerfully driving the mission of the ministry forward.

So what do you tell that mega-donor?

Inspire them with the vision for the ministry. Provide hard evidence for the results you are seeing. Persuade them that so much more could be accomplished if they would partner with you and your staff to advance the mission.

In so doing, you won’t be able to hide your passion from the donor, or whether it is just a job for you.

H. David Schuringa

You’ve heard the expression, “opposites attract.” Well, such a bipolar-sounding idea is urgently needed for great ministry to happen for those in need.

Successful ministry leadership should be directed from two opposite poles or sources. First, we think of the top, with the leader, where decisions “originate,” at least, logically.

This is the “deductive” end of the spectrum from where orders come down for the rest of the organization. Leadership is, after all, responsible for things like vision, goal-setting, implementation and inspiration.

But organizations that are directed exclusively from the top down tend to be one-sided and single-dimensional.

A rigid corporate structure comes to mind. Inspired by Enlightenment philosophers, that begins with the big idea and deduces from that the programs to accomplish the mission and the kind of people it needs to fill the cogs. Those who don’t work out in the cogs are highly dispensable.

They are missing a special ingredient–its exact opposite. Equally important is leadership from the bottom up.

It sounds counter-intuitive at first. But vital information for leaders springs from where the work is actually accomplished, technically referred to as the praxis. Think of pilot programs, unforeseen circumstances, unintended consequences, client responses, unique employee suggestions and talents. This information is also vital for the organization to keep going in the right direction

What a horrendous mistake we can make, for example, by not listening to and learning from the very people we are seeking to help. It happens all the time in prison ministry, mission trips and out-of-touch congregational leadership. When we march in thinking we have the answer for them–we probably don’t, and will cause more harm than good. Their input teaches us so much more than we think we knew.

Technically, this is referred to as “organic” leadership, that flows from the bottom up. Big in post-modernism, it can be a healthy antidote for Enlightenment Rationalism.

But that’s exactly why opposites should attract. Both deductive and inductive directions are vital for ministry leadership. Think of these as a paradox within the tension (spanningsveld) of which is an organization that is alive and headed powerfully in the direction of its North Star.

For a more explicit faith-based explanation of bi-directional ministry, check out this article on “Leadership, Heidelberg-Style.” When you “get” this, you are a long ways down the road of helping a lot of folks who need your ministry, whether they be inmates, developing world poor, or the person in the pew next to you. For here, when opposites attract, a mighty force for good is unleashed.

H. David Schuringa