Easy Fundraising with Discount Cards

"We just need something that raises a lot of money without having to take possession of boxes of candy or wrapping paper!" is the exclaim of many school administrators. "Something that people don't hate to see coming; maybe it could even be something they like!" continues the conversation.

Enter: the discount, or "value" card. Basically, the card issuer has negotiated discounts at retailers. By using the card, the consumers can save many times the amount they paid for the card, typically $20 to $40 each for the annual fee.

The math is straightforward. The issuer, or broker, gets 50% of the sale price and the school gets the other 50%. So, a school of 200 students sells 2,000 (10 each) with a "clear profit" of $20,000 to $40,000. Nice money, right? What could be easier; plus it helps endear the purchasers to the school because we've done them a "service" by helping them save money on things they were going to buy anyway.

Selling discount cards is not wrong or evil per se. It's what it substitutes for that concerns me. When presented with this opportunity last week, I was reminded that this transactional method will divert us from the relational or stewardship approach that marks our school. We would have to set aside biblical discipleship in order to develop a whole new type of relationship.

Some questions to ask when we find ourselves wrestling with our urgent financial needs:

1. Why do we have these needs at all? Is there a more fundamental issue that should be addressed?
2. Are our needs so urgent and desperate that we must grab the next, nearest, easiest technique? Where does this path lead us?
3. How does this transaction develop generous giving?
4. How does this approach reflect Christ to the community?
5. Is this the best we can do to honor the Lord and to build up a community? If not, will the tyranny of the urgent always prevail?
6. How or why do we expect the Lord to bless these plans?

Nothing is free, except the grace we received on the cross. Everything else has a cost. Please evaluate it before you make the next decision.

When "free" is not free

The Christian schooling movement has many challenges. In this blog, I write about how we have hurt ourselves and our cause by not thinking biblically about the work of fundraising. When we adopt secular methods because "they work" we can miss the calling we have to raise up joyful and generous givers. God is not honored when we reduce our work to just getting funds without regard for the messages we send.

At a higher level, there is another recent challenge to the Christian schooling movement, the advent of classical charter schools. These are public schools that take advantage of the somewhat liberal laws for charter schools and they make an end run around Christian by hiring believers as teachers and use the Bible as "great literature".

In Galatians 6:7 Paul reminds us that God will not be mocked -that doing good is defined by pleasing the Spirit. Patch Blakely, Executive Director of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools exposes the flawed thinking of Christians who think you can have it both ways, classical with some Christian. Read his well-written article, It's Not Classical and Christian http://www.accsedu.org/ and about CCE.

Excellent Christian schooling is neither free or easy, nor should it be. If you believe that your school could use a little assistance, please visit http://www.advancechristianschools.com/ and see if mentoring would help you lead your school more effectively.

Major Donor Fundraising

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

When I began in the wonderful world of development, I learned all kinds of new vocabulary:

Donor: a person who gives some money

Major donor: a person who gives lots of money - more than $1,000 per year?

Gift: money now

Planned Gift: money later - generally after the death of the donor

Development: the act of getting the money

Cultivation: the process of relationship building which results in getting money

Many schools and non-profits have a job called Major Donor Development officer. On its face, the position is straightforward: concentrate time and "development" with the larger donors in order to get the best (financial) return for the effort expended.

Then I was reminded of this story of generosity where Jesus described a major donor in a totally different way. The widow's contribution was proportionately huge.

I don't expect the secular world to understand and follow this teaching, but I do expect us Christians to ask ourselves if we are raising funds in the way that gives glory to Jesus and edifies the donor.

As Christian fundraisers, we must look to the scriptures to guide our work. Of course, it is counter-cultural to give attention to the smaller donors. But, that is the message of the cross: God Himself laid down His perfect life for imperfect beings like us.

What does this truth mean to Christian fundraisers? First, we should start by trying to see the donor as the Lord sees the donor. Can we try to fully appreciate the size of the donation in proportion to what the person has? What if these early and small gifts are the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in his heart to get him excited about the joy of giving? What if these small financial gifts are accompanied by large amounts of prayer and "giving" in other (non-cash) ways? Let's think about how the Lord might be using these "small" gifts to accomplish big things for the Kingdom; we may get a blessing ourselves when we are close to this generosity.

Maybe our "major donors" are not our largest ones after all.