Articles and Books about Funding and Support Raising
Articles
Raising Support: Right Up There on the Fear Meter with Martyrdom, by Anna McShane (Thrive Connection). Deals with obstacles to raising personal support which many face; addresses today’s dynamics of ministry funding.
Generating Personal Financial Support, by Tim Herbert (Syzygy Missions Support Network). Brief article touches on approaches to trusting God for provision in challenging times.
Support Raising Made Practical, by Rebecca Hickman (The Traveling Team). Practical ABC’s for getting started with your support raising.
Eighteen Barrels and Two Big Crates, by Roger Greenway (Mission Frontiers). Classic article on how and why having too much stuff gets in the way of our witness; the case for living with less on the field.
Student Debt: A Hurdle too High for “Impact” Missionaries, by Ben Sells (Mission Frontiers). Why we can’t afford to let student debt hinder young would-be missionaries, and suggestions for how to avoid it.
Commitment to a Wartime Lifestyle, by Ralph Winter (Mission Frontiers). Makes the case that obedience to the Great Commission has more consistently been poisoned by affluence than by anything else.
Books – Classics
Each of these books addresses the philosophy behind raising funds for ministry as well as providing practical tips.
These books are tried and true and worth re-reading when confidence or creativity fades. You may be able to find in a library or borrow them a friend. All three have been updated in more recent years, though, so look for the newer editions.
Friend Raising: Building a Missionary Support Team that Lasts, by Betty Barnett (YWAM Publishing). A practical and genuine approach to life, ministry, and teamwork in missions.
Funding Your Ministry, by Scott Morton (NavPress). Addresses the obstacles of support raising and gives a biblical path for recruiting and maintaining donor support.
People Raising: A Practical Guide to Raising Funds, by William P. Dillon (Moody Publishers). A highly practical guide that gives tools to move beyond building a donor list to sharing a vision and drawing others into a vital ministry team.
Books – Newer
Getting Sent: A Relational Approach to Support Raising, by Pete Sommer (IVP Books). Down-to-earth handbook affirms that God uses the Christian community to send us into ministry and demystifies the process.
The Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen (Upper Room). Solid and easily understood basis for fundraising explores how both giver and receiver are accountable to the God who owns all things and allows us to manage them.
The God Ask: A Fresh, Biblical Approach to Personal Support Raising, by Steve Shadrach (CMM Press). Book designed to reduce the intimidating of raising support, which the author says isn’t about money or asking people to give, but about looking to God to provide for you.
ViewPoints: Fresh Perspectives on Personal Support Raising, by Steve Shadrach (The BodyBuilders Press). Short, encouraging chapters address support-raising paradigms convictions, attitudes, relationships, strategies, and more.
