{"id":1134,"date":"2021-03-29T13:26:15","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T13:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marereport.namma.org\/?p=1134"},"modified":"2023-10-04T20:22:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T20:22:59","slug":"fundraising-is-all-about-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mare.renegadedigital.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/29\/fundraising-is-all-about-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Fundraising Is All About Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Rev. J. Loring Carpenter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundraising for seafarers\u2019 ministry was\ndifficult enough before COVID-19. Now, while seafarers drift further from the\npublic eye even as quarantines have made their lives more difficult: cruise\nships still have skeleton crews, but no passengers; seafarers\u2019 shopping on\nshore is done by chaplains; merchant vessels continue to supply the land, but\nthe seafarers on board are seldom allowed to set foot on it. Meanwhile, our\nmissions are already busy serving seafarers and adjusting to change after\nchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for funders, many are seeing their own\nfunds tighten and predicting they cannot support seafarer missions as much in\nthe future. Our usual methods of connecting, like galas, port cruises, award\nbanquets, and even visiting churches, have stopped or been significantly\naltered. Larger centers with development staff have used some of their\nresources to innovate and build effective online events, many of which have\nbeen shared among us. Smaller centers, however, with limited resources and few\nstaff, are often less able to produce the impressive online events. Indeed,\nmany already have their work cut out for them finding funding in the short\nterm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can small seafarer missions maintain\nand improve fundraising? Be encouraged: if many of your ministry\u2019s activities have\nbeen suspended, this \u2018down time\u2019 may be a chance to prepare for re-opening to\nrethink funding. Rethinking things in the short term may pay long-term\ndividends, especially when we still don\u2019t really know what the \u2018new normal\u2019\nwill be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where\nto start<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even without development staff, you can\nbegin now: fundraising is relationship building and sharing stories, and that\ncan occur anytime. Developing a case, stories to invite local individuals,\nbusinesses, and churches to invest in ministry to seafarers can begin now.\nStart developing the \u2018case\u2019 you make and the set of stories you tell to\npotential donors. If you don\u2019t have one already, draw on your experiences in\nyour ministry and what keeps you committed to it; if you already have one,\nthink about how it sounds to the people you address it to. Building\nrelationships with funders doesn\u2019t happen without thoughtful and purposeful\npreparation. Why not start that thinking and preparation now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping business people understand the\nimportance of shipping and the life of those working on the ships is one way to\nbuild the relationships. Without taking that time to find connections, and\nbuild understanding, motivating support will be difficult. Show people how they\nalready<\/em> benefit from seafarers\u2019\nsacrifices. This takes building and telling your story, and it also takes\ngrowing relationships person to person (even if it is behind a mask). Big\nevents are wonderful, but they are only as good as the awareness and engagement\nof the people who attend them. Stories are essential to building awareness, and\ncreating compassionate generosity is crucial if ministries to seafarers are to\ncontinue in smaller locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fundraising doesn\u2019t require professionals;\nit requires people willing to spend time and energy to connect and tell. Why\nnot reach out to local churches to ask for a segment in their live-stream\ngatherings? There are some wonderful videos about seafarers that can open the\ndoor, including ones that NAMMA has produced. You can also make your own. Why\nnot ask local merchants if you can have a display of thanks to seafarers in the\nstore\u2019s lobby for a week or a few days, to reach consumers with the story and\nneed? Our local schools and youth sports teams do it around Christmas and\nValentine\u2019s Day; why can\u2019t we? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key\nConcepts of Fundraising<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now is the time to build a foundation for\nfunding the mission in new and personal ways. As we do, let\u2019s not forget some\nimportant concepts important to fundraising that have weathered the test of\ntime and change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. ASK FOR MONEY!!!<\/em> If you don\u2019t, they won\u2019t. Expect the unexpected: don\u2019t presume you know who will and won\u2019t donate when they hear your story. Not every request will be granted, and some will come from the most surprising people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Seek partnerships before funds. <\/em>Whatever else you might learn about fundraising, your basic principle should be working with the people; not the institutions, foundations, or corporations. If you are making your case to a church or a company, identify the people<\/em> there who are most likely to be receptive. Ask, \u201cHow can I connect with this person as a partner?\u201d By the same token, show them how your ministry\u2019s work is itself about people: tell them about the seafarers and their families, not ships and industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Dedicate thought, time, and energy to building relationships.<\/em> Effective, long-term approaches are not cookie-cutter. Solid relationships of support come from ongoing conversation, sharing, and gratitude. Partnership is a two-way street, so take the same kind of interest in what your potential donor wants to support as you want them to take in your ministry. Learn about who you are going to talk to ahead of time. Make a plan, make a call, make friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Be sure you can respond to the inevitable question: \u201cWhat have you been doing since ports have been shut down?\u201d<\/em> Share stories of your day and continuing ministry and how they are important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Remember who the true Provider is. <\/em>Approach building new relationships with peace in your heart, not panic. You are offering potential donors something good: an opportunity to show compassion that may grow into true fellowship. If God wants this ministry to continue, he will find a way to support it through those who see the value of what we do – not those we hustle into it with salesmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of this requires professionalism, just purposeful effort as you build bridges with people. Even small seafarers\u2019 centers can reach out to build partnerships, one at a time. Every port is unique and full of unique potential stakeholders, so get to know them and how to reach out to them. Why not spend this pandemic time preparing for the time partners can join you in this amazing ministry to seafarers? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bio: <\/strong>The Rev. J. Loring Carpenter was ordained to the ministry in the American Baptist Churches United States in 1972. He served as Executive Director of Seafarers’ Friend, Boston from 2005-2013 and Interim Executive Director of NAMMA from July 2011 to July 2013. He was a Certified Fund Raising Executive from 1998 until his retirement in 2017 and has been Senior Coach\/Consultant at Transforming Strategies since January 2000.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo:<\/strong> Copyright David Rider, used with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rev. J. Loring Carpenter Fundraising for seafarers\u2019 ministry was difficult enough before COVID-19. Now, while seafarers drift further from the public eye even as quarantines have made their lives more difficult: cruise ships still have skeleton crews, but no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[418,371,419,417],"yoast_head":"\nFundraising Is All About Relationships - The MARE Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the integral role of relationship-building in fundraising, especially during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mare.renegadedigital.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/29\/fundraising-is-all-about-relationships\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fundraising Is All About Relationships - The MARE Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about the integral role of relationship-building in fundraising, especially during the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mare.renegadedigital.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/29\/fundraising-is-all-about-relationships\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The MARE Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-29T13:26:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-04T20:22:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mare.renegadedigital.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/seafarer.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"917\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"596\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rev. 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