None of Our Business

One of the challenges Christian charities face in making the changes I'm suggesting if we are to reverse benevolent oppression is overcoming our aversion to behaving like the best of the for profit businesses. While the most successful charities are very mindful of business best practices and embrace the idea of generating revenue, there are many that don't.

The natural question that arises for me is this: If my ministry is wholly dependent on donor dollars and I have no concept of what it takes to generate an income how can I then teach others how to stop relying on donor dollars?

This is a conundrum that must be dealt with. I have a friend who is a second career pastor. His first career was as an officer in the Navy. Recently his church bought a printing company that they intend to run as a for profit business that will support the ministry of the church. The church I attended in Colorado runs a restaurant and that's what the public sees. Often people are surprised when someone over lunch tells them they are sitting in a church. If we are to bring sustainability to the world, then we must practice sustainability here at home. It's time that every non-profit (churches included) considered for profit ventures to generate revenue for their mission.

For several years I headed a non-profit corporation and did all the usual things one does to raise money. I had meetings with potential donors, both one-on-one and in groups. We hosted an annual dinner, an annual golf outing and ran capital campaigns. On regular occasions potential large donors who were successful business people would withhold their gifts because they didn't trust the leadership of the ministry. Being in leadership I found that offensive, but they explained that it was hard to trust a ministry run by a church worker. Traditionally church workers lack the skill set to run a business. They don't manage all the various aspects of business well and, subsequently, donor dollars are often used ineffectively. Looking back on that, and having been involved in some charities run by church workers I confess that today I wholeheartedly agree with their perspective.

If we are to succeed in making the transition to sustainable partnerships we must engage the business community. We must employ the best of the best practices that make businesses successful. We must put ministers in their proper place guiding the ministry aspects of our work but, except in rare cases, we must not allow them to run the business of the charity. There's much more to be said about this, but this is enough to digest for now!