Dr. Hector Cruz, CFRE, Consultant
Key Insights:
- Fundraising doesn’t have to feel like a burden—it can be a meaningful extension of your ministry.
- Relational fundraising shifts the focus from “raising money” to inviting people into what God is doing.
- With the right framework, fundraising becomes clearer, more confident, and more sustainable. It produces both spiritual and financial fruit.
There’s a moment that happens in almost every fundraising training session I host.
It’s not when we introduce a new framework. It’s not when we walk through strategy or explain donor segmentation. It happens when someone in the room pauses, looks up, and says something like:
“Ok… I’m starting to see how fundraising can actually feel like ministry.”
That moment is what we often call the lightbulb moment.
For many Christian nonprofit leaders, fundraising has long felt like a necessary burden, something required to sustain the mission but disconnected from the ministry itself. Staff members feel uncomfortable asking for support while leaders worry about appearing transactional.
But when the right perspective begins to take root, something shifts. Fundraising stops feeling like pressure and begins to feel more like partnership.
When the Conversation Changes
I remember one training session I had with a leadership team preparing for a major initiative. They had an inspiring mission, a strong vision for the future, and passionate staff. But their fundraising had always felt uncertain.
These leaders were committed to the work, but when it came to engaging donors, they often found themselves asking questions like:
- Are we asking too often?
- Are we saying the right things?
- What if donors feel pressured?
Like many organizations, they had attended fundraising conferences and read helpful books. But translating those ideas into daily practice was still difficult.
During the training, we spent time walking through the relational principles behind the Taking Donors Seriously® (TDS) system. At its heart, it’s based on a simple assumption: fundraising works best when it is rooted in genuine relationships and a shared commitment to mission.
Donors are not outsiders to the ministry; they are partners in it. That perspective alone often changes the tone of the entire conversation.
By the end of the training, this team had shifted its focus. Instead of asking, “How do we raise money?” they began asking, “How do we invite people into the mission God has entrusted to us?”
Moving From Principles to Practice
I’ve found that many nonprofit leaders, especially in Christian ministries, already believe in relational fundraising. But very few have been shown how to translate this belief into their fundraising work.
They value relationships deeply and want donors to feel connected to the mission. But knowing how to implement those values into a clear system and sustainable strategy takes intentional learning and support.
In our fundraising training, we explore practical frameworks like how to develop a compelling case for support, how to engage leadership in fundraising, how to thoughtfully prioritize donor relationships, and how to build a strategic annual plan.
These frameworks aren’t designed to make fundraising more complicated. In fact, they do the opposite: they bring clarity. They help leaders move from reacting to fundraising needs to intentionally seeking ways to deepen relationships.
A Strategy That Works
As organizations implement these principles, over time, they often begin to see tangible results:
- Donors feel more connected to the mission.
- Leaders and board members engage more confidently.
- Fundraising becomes more sustainable and less stressful.
We’ve seen this happen in hundreds of organizations. In fact, ministries implementing the TDSⓇ system have collectively raised more than $1.2 billion in support for their missions.
That’s where I’ve seen training play such an important role. When leaders have a framework to guide their work, the uncertainty begins to fade. They gain confidence in communicating their mission, engaging donors thoughtfully, and inviting people into meaningful partnership.
Fundraising becomes less about guessing and more about stewarding relationships well.
And perhaps most importantly, leaders rediscover that generosity itself is part of God’s work through the Church and the broader Christian community.
One nonprofit leader recently shared how this shift impacted her organization during a capital campaign. When asked what had been most helpful about the training, she responded:
“Honestly, the best part of the training was having a trainer who was friendly and accessible. TDSⓇ was able to adapt to our unique nonprofit needs and was able to produce fruit so quickly. All of the models and frameworks were the foundation of our capital campaign’s success. I have recommended TDSⓇ to other nonprofits that we have connected with; it was a cornerstone to our mission becoming a reality.”
What stands out in stories like this isn’t just the success of a campaign. It’s the clarity leaders experience when fundraising finally aligns with their values and calling.
Fundraising can be relational.
It can be strategic.
And it can align beautifully with the mission God has given your organization.
Dr. Hector Cruz, CFRE, is a consultant with deep experience in fundraising, higher education, and nonprofit leadership. He has led donor engagement, development teams, and capital campaigns at both university and international nonprofit levels. Hector holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Evangel University and brings a strategic, relational approach to helping mission-driven organizations 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?