How Worthy of Support is a Ministry
that Performs Miracles at a Bargain?
How Much Support Is Your Ministry
Worth?
Grant makers and donors today are looking
to support grassroots social services. And, there are nearly
2,000 faith-friendly foundations that specifically give to
Christian agencies and churches. Together, in 2006, they gave
more than $94 billion to religious programs.
Whether and how much grant makers and
donors will give to your ministry is driven not merely by the
amount of money you ask for, but how a strong a case you present
for it.
Givers are more sophisticated and
selective today. They seek to give where there’s visible
evidence that lives are being changed, dollars are being
stretched, and benefits are being returned to society.
Ministries providing critical social
services are in a unique position to present the kind of
compelling case for support givers look for. That’s because,
beyond traditional programs that seek to fix problems,
ministries fix people so they need never have the same problems
again. As a result, every investment a giver makes in ministry
produces a tremendous return – social and economic gains and
savings that can be stretched over a lifetime.
Chances are, your ministry is one that
performs such miracles at a bargain. But, when you look at the
grant proposals, handouts, website, and other outreach material
for your ministry, is there visible evidence of this unbeatable
value?
Let’s say you have a ministry helping poor
people get jobs. Like other job programs, you present
information that proves the need for jobs and shows the number
of people you’ve placed. However, you can gain a significant
advantage for your ministry over competitors, if you also
present the value of the miracles it uniquely makes possible.
For instance, the life-transforming
spiritual strengthening provided by your ministry likely
produces a higher job-retention rate for participants. This
means greater reductions in society’s unemployment and crime
costs, and higher sales and tax gains for the economy. Sustained
employment also enhances the value and success of other
complementing social services, since employed persons
participate in homebuyer programs, child-care programs,
education programs, etc.
Adding greater value still is the time
contributions of volunteers, church-donated training space, and
other forms of community support. These reduce operating costs,
direct more dollars to service, prove community trust, and
enhance funding eligibility.
No matter what social service your
ministry provides, making a compelling case for support can save
you up to 60% off grant-writing costs. That’s because the
valuable information produced creates most of the “meat” needed
for solid proposals.
FundingMyMinistry.com provides quick,
affordable web-based trainings to help ministries prove their
unique value and spend less money getting more grant and
donations.
