Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:10-12)

God called Moses to rescue his people from Egypt. Moses had lots of questions, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exod. 3:11). “What will I tell the Israelites?” (Exod. 3:13-17). “What if they don’t believe me?” (Exod. 4:1). God answered each concern and gave Moses three miraculous signs to prove he was on God’s mission. Finally, Moses pulled out his last wimpy excuse and claimed he could not speak. God was not amused and retorted, “Now go; I will help you speak and teach you what to say” (Exod. 3:12).

If God has called you to leadership, like it or not, he also called you to be the number one fundraiser for your ministry. You can make lots of excuses explaining why you don’t have right personality, skill set, or enough time. But the fact remains—major donors want to talk with the boss and the donor buck stops with you. Learn three fundraising truths from Moses.

“Now go”
You can accomplish many fundraising tasks sitting behind your computer screen, but to engage major donors you must go see them face-to-face. Video conferencing is a wonderful fundraising tool that gives you opportunities to invite donors on virtual tours of your ministry or introduce them to team members on the other side of the world. As cool as technology is, it’s no substitute for a warm handshake, enjoying a meal together, and sharing a heart-to-heart conversation.
 
“I will help you speak”
Talking with major donors can be intimidating. These people make important business decisions every day, ask tough questions, and have high expectations. Moses was intimidated by Pharoah, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exod. 6:30). Don’t be unnerved, God can give you courage to approach them.

“I will teach you what to say”
The Lord gave Moses exactly what to say and how to say it. Actually, Pharaoh was the one who was afraid, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh” (Exod. 7:1). A campus evangelist who works with grad students once observed, “These students are brilliant in their fields of study, but they are babes when it comes to Scripture. I used to be intimidated to share Christ, but now I’m confident.” God can teach you what to say to major donors.

Think About This: Interestingly, Stephen preached “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22). Moses claimed he wasn’t eloquent, but that wasn’t true. Perhaps your excuses for not fundraising are also not true.

Response: Father, please forgive me for my reluctance to talk with major donors. Give me courage to go, share what you are accomplishing in our ministry, and ask for their financial support.