Local Fundraising

LOCAL FUNDRAISING

Thought Leadership from Collaborate 1

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Collaborate A FORUM FOR GLOBAL LEADERS

CAFO Collaborate workshops initiate conversations about effective care for orphans and vulnerable children within local church and NGO networks around the world.

These workshops generate ideas to: • creatively share information • involve more churches and individuals, • equip local churches for more effective care of vulnerable children in their communities In an August 2021 Virtual Collaborate DISCUSS session, over 40 global leaders from 20 nations brainstormed about local fundraising in their cultural contexts.

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ABOUT LOCAL FUNDRAISING If you’re part of a church, an NGO, or another movement caring for vulnerable children, funding is required to serve your mission well. Whether you consider fundraising a necessary task you approach with fear or a joyful calling you approach with excitement, there are a series of steps and details that you must undertake to fund your missions. In this session on local fundraising, we learned how to take the focus off of ourselves and look to our Heavenly Father to provide and take the lead.

Drawing from Hagar’s story in Genesis 21:14-19, Kehinde Ojo and Michael Mitchell led a discussion on how to discover the “wells of generosity” God’s placed in our communities to provide for the needs of our ministries.

You may view Kehinde and Michael’s LEARN session here. (The session begins at 3:53 after some housekeeping items).

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COLLABORATE OUTCOMES Global leaders were divided by world region for the purpose of this discussion. Given the unique nature of each world region and the indigenous cultures native to each region, the feedback from regions varied. Each group was tasked with the following question: What 5 beliefs or practices do you need to embrace to allow God to take the lead in discovering “wells of generosity” in your community?

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REGIONAL STRATEGIES Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America 1. God is our provider, Jehovah Jireh. Leaders need to ask and believe that He is with us. We can be generous with what He gives because He is our provider and we can trust Him. 2. Networks should plan well but also walk in submission to His will. Planning is important but planning should be directed by God and leaders should be open to redirection and then move into what God has shown.

3. The church is meant to be a core part of the story. Inviting people to give their time and their skills can and should be part of fundraising.

4. We can embrace boldness in where God has placed us and in who He is.

5. God is going before us and loves our communities more than we could ever imagine. As networks, we can rest in His love.

Latin America 1. Leaders must recognize that the work is Christ’s. If we remove ourselves from the center, it is not because of us but through us that the ministry glorifies God. The provision is for the glory of God. 2. Resting and finding the wells of provision go hand to hand. If leaders trust the Lord and know He will provide, we can rest in Him and our eyes can be open to His provision.

3. When there is a purpose, a clear mission on how the people’s generous support is going to be used, it is easier for people to give. We need to have a clear vision and be able to share it well.

4. Ask God for help, pray, read our Bibles, and listen to what God is telling us (not what we want to hear). He wants to provide. He will provide, but He wants to open our eyes, and many times we don’t allow it.

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Eastern & Southern Africa 1. Trust in God and that He’s able to do more than we think and plan. Trust Him for direction through prayer.

2. Go out to meet the people and communicate the vision. Teach and equip teach others in order for them to know why we are in their community.

3. Establish and build support systems through networking with other stakeholders 4. Listen to stakeholders.

5. Create an inclusive culture so that organizations don’t have to rely fully on foreign support.

Western and Central Africa 1. As Africans we must change our mindsets and begin to look inwards.

2. Embrace in-kind gifts, time, and talents as well as monetary gifts.

3. We must properly communicate to partners about what their support will be used for.

4. Networks must build trust with donors through proper financial accountability in our organizations.

5. Trust in God to provide for our needs.

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cafo.org/global

This document was created in collaboration with: CAFO Development and Discipleship Initiative © 2022 Christian Alliance for Orphans 10