Linda Lysakowski’s – Reimagining Philanthropy and Religion

Linda Lysakowski’s – Reimagining Philanthropy and Religion is the upcoming book from Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE that explores the idea that fundraising in religious organizations is not a “dirty word”.

I am tremendously excited about my upcoming book, Reimagining Philanthropy and Religion: Fundraising is Not a Dirty Word. As many of you know, in the United States, religion received the greatest chunk of philanthropic dollars—more than education, health care, and all other nonprofits. I’ve often half-joked about the reason for this being—no one else asks you to donate every week. But seriously, most people give to their house of worship because they have deep-rooted faith, they know their houses of worship do not have options such as government funding (at least not in the United States) or businesses, but rely almost exclusively on their membership to support their operating and capital needs.

I wanted to make sure this book focused on all different types of religious institutions and even faith-based nonprofits. So, I spent months talking to ministers, priests, rabbis, and members of faiths such as Buddhism, Islam, and others. Because one common thing these faith groups share is a need for money to operate their houses of worship and other programs and buildings they may operate such as schools, food pantries, and more. Another thing I found in common is that scriptures from most, if not all religions, point to philanthropy and charity being one of the foundations of their religious beliefs. While this book does not claim to be inclusive of all world religions, I have tried to get a cross section of the needs and fundraising challenges of a wide variety of faiths. In my own way I am hoping this book might also help us to see other commonalities among various faiths. In fact, writing this book has inspired me to develop a plan for another book on basic similarities among religions.

But back to this book. In it, I talk about the challenges of fundraising in religious organizations, and the needs of these organizations for annual, capital, and endowment funding. You will learn how to create a case for support encompassing all these needs. And how to present your needs to your members. We will also talk about how to identify the giving capability and interests of your members. This section also covers the ethics of donor research. I also talk about donors–what prompts them to give, how to motivate them, how to find what aspects of your organization are they most likely to support, and how to steward your donors so they will want to repeat and upgrade their donations over time.

We also get into the tactics for fundraising and explain which are the most successful. We will cover “passing the basket,” online giving, fundraising events, and face-to-face asking. As in other nonprofit organizations, the face-to-face ask is always the most effective way especially for major donors. Now I know you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for all this, I am a faith leader, I have a “flock” to take care of, I have to counsel my people, I have staff to manage, I have to prepare a homily, sermon, and religious services, I have to educate my people about the faith, I need time for prayer and reflection, when do you think I have time for fundraising?” Well, I’ll show you why you need to make time and how to do that.

One of the things most religious leaders have told me in my conversations is that they don’t have the time, and often no training, to do fundraising. So, I devote a section of the book to how to find the time and to set priorities for your fundraising efforts. However, the good news is that the faith leaders don’t have to do this by themselves.

I will talk about how to involve volunteers from your membership in your fundraising activities. This is a critical part of implementing your fundraising plan, which I also cover in this book. A volunteer team has many benefits–in addition to freeing up some of your time, volunteers set the example for their peers. A volunteer talking about why they support your house of worship or faith-based organization, about the need for funds, and asking for their fellow members’ support can be as effective, if not more so, than the leaders making “the pitch.” In the appendices of the book, I will give you sample job descriptions for volunteers, along with sample case statements and gift acceptance polices.

Whether you are the leader of a religious institution, the CEO of a faith-based nonprofit, a volunteer who wants to help with fundraising, or a staff member whose responsibilities include fundraising, this book is designed for you.

And just in case you are wondering what qualifies me to write this book, let me tell you about some of my experience. In my forty years of fundraising, I have worked with various religious faiths to raise money for new buildings, renovations, endowment needs. and annual needs. I have served on Parish Councils, Finance Councils, and Stewardship Councils in my own churches as well, so I know well the role of volunteers, consultants, and leaders of religious institutions, I hope by sharing my knowledge about fundraising with perhaps the people who most hate the thought of talking about money. I want to help you fulfill your role as a religious leader, help you raise the money you need, and most of all, help you spend your time doing the work of spreading your faith and building up your church, synagogue, mosque, temple, and the people you serve. You are so needed in this world and I admire you and your role as a faith leader.

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