Amy Karjala, Senior Consultant
It’s growing season here in Oregon. From my window, I can see gardens thriving, blackberry brambles creeping back to life, and fields leaning into the sun. This time of year reminds me: new growth is possible, even in places that seemed dormant just weeks ago.
The same can be true in our organizations. Many of us are dreaming bigger, launching new initiatives, and preparing for the next chapter of mission impact. But as hope rises, growth can still stall—especially in fundraising.
It’s a good time to ask yourself: Could your fundraising culture be holding you back?
Your fundraising culture is the way your ministry thinks about, talks about, and invests in fundraising. It’s reflected in your priorities, your tone, and how you celebrate (or ignore) the work of those who raise resources. No matter how well-designed your strategy is, a weak or unhealthy fundraising culture can quietly block your path to growth.
Here are a few common barriers we see:
- Treating fundraising as a “necessary evil.”
How does your team talk about fundraising? Is it framed as joyful, relational, and essential to the mission, or as a distasteful task to endure? When leaders are hesitant to talk about money or see fundraising as separate from ministry or impact, it creates an environment where development work is marginalized and fundraisers feel isolated. - Hiring the wrong person for the current moment.
Do you need someone to build systems from scratch, or someone to deepen relationships and close major gifts? Too often, organizations hire based on what worked in a previous season or at another nonprofit. Fundraising leadership needs to be aligned with both your strategy and your stage of growth.
- Starving the fundraising function.
Does your development team have what they need to succeed? This goes beyond staffing; it includes clean data, compelling messaging, functional tools, and the time and space to build relationships. Under-resourced teams can’t be expected to reach oversized goals. Eventually, the mission will feel the strain.
- Setting goals without input—or realism.
Are your fundraising goals based on your organization’s historical data, actual pipeline, and team capacity? Or are they aspirational targets made in isolation? Stretch goals can be healthy, but only when they’re rooted in reality and developed collaboratively. Otherwise, constant overambition can lead to burnout and missed opportunities.
- And perhaps most importantly: Treating money with a broken theology.
In Christian organizations, unspoken beliefs about money can profoundly shape culture. If money is viewed as impure or fundraising as spiritually suspect, it creates dissonance for staff and donors alike. A healthy theology of giving recognizes fundraising as an invitation—not an imposition—and positions generosity as a reflection of God’s provision and our shared calling.
So how do we establish a healthy fundraising culture? Where do we begin?
Start small. Celebrate a fundraising win across your whole team. A new donor, a major milestone, a matching gift? Share it. Rejoice in it. Fundraising is not a side function—it’s a shared expression of your mission. When your whole team celebrates God’s provision through the generosity of others, culture begins to shift.
Ready for more? Consider reading a short book with your entire team and making time to discuss. Here are two I’d recommend:
- A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri Nouwen: It provides a fantastic foundation for understanding fundraising as an integral part of your ministry.
- The Third Conversion by Scott Rodin: This quick and engaging fictional read will challenge the “conventional” way Christian leaders raise funds. (Note: Scott also happens to be TFG’s Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Consultant.)
Healthy fundraising cultures don’t emerge by accident. They are cultivated—through language, leadership, investment, and faith.
And now is always a good time to grow.
We’ve been privileged to help many organizations be more effective in their fundraising by learning and implementing relational fundraising principles in their work with donors. Want to talk?