IT’S NOT
ABOUT THE
MONEY
HOW TO TAP INTO GOD-GIVEN GENORSITY
TERRY T. MUNDAY
Foreword by John C. Maxwell
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© Copyright 2009 Terry T. Munday
eBook ISBN: 9780983272908
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®),
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version.
Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
PART 1: DESTIGMATIZING THE DIRTY WORD
PART 3: FUNDRAISING GETS PERSONAL
PART 4: GOD IS INTO MORE THAN WORDS
Every year I receive countless requests from fundraisers in need of donations. Amid them all, Terry Munday’s initial request has stood out to me with his passion to maintain a worthy cause. Since that first meeting, I have worked with Terry on projects, and with each one, his understanding of fundraising’s is evident to both his organization as well as contribution to God’s plan for us. Now, Terry provides a refreshing look at the nexus of Christianity, giving, and business in It’s Not About The Money. His expertise and sense of mission allow him to paint a true picture of fundraising and what it can really mean to God’s vision for the world. Forget about going door-to-door — fundraising is so much better!
—David Green, founder and owner of Hobby Lobby
Terry Munday has been my pupil of sorts for many years. I have taken pride in encouraging him and watching his passion for fundraising mature. And as his fervor has grown, so has Indiana Wesleyan University. I’m thankful to have been involved in his work, whether it was telling him that I was always there for him if he needed guidance, or offering up my golf course year after year for his fundraising golf tournament. Like all of Terry’s donors and supporters, the small things we do, the selfless acts of kindness that we express out of God’s love for others, those are the things that make a difference to organizations in need as well as to God. That message rings clear in It’s Not About The Money. Whether you are a Christian fundraiser or a potential donor for a not-for-profit, Terry’s insight from two decades working as a fundraiser is rich in the humility, faith, and tenacity needed to make both your giving and receiving manifestations of God’s love for us all.
—Larry Maxwell, President and Chairman of the Board, Century Funds, Inc.
A good fundraiser is invaluable. I know so from experience. With my Doctor Memory learning project for children I’ve sought out Terry Munday’s counsel and support on numerous occasions, always to receive the inspiration and revitalization needed to bring my work to more of those in need. Terry’s knowledge and experience would be of great benefit to any fundraising project or organization. Moreover, having pitched in on Terry’s fundraising projects with Indiana Wesleyan University, I’ve seen the benefits of getting involved in the worthy causes of others. Whether speaking at churches, seminars, or golf tournaments for IWU, the joy of being part of something greater than yourself is the ultimate reward. And now, with his It’s Not About the Money, we can all be part of that something.
—Jerry Lucas, Former New York Knicks National Champion, NCAA Champion at Ohio State University, and U.S Olympic Basketball Team Gold Medalist
When I signed on to work at Indiana Wesleyan University, I had little notion of what was to come or of the kind of people I would meet. But the expectations I had have been surpassed by the wonderful people I have met and worked with over the past two decades. Their spirit and support have inspired me to press on when times were difficult and when I felt ineffective at the university.
I want to thank the university staff, especially those with whom I worked most closely, for their diligent work on our projects over the last 20 years. It is their dedication that has made Indiana Wesleyan so successful. In many ways, they have covered me and made me work better than I was capable of doing and made me more successful than I deserve.
I also want to thank K. Aleisha Fetters for her assistance in writing and organizing the manuscript. Her help with this book was invaluable. Alan Miller, a friend and colleague at IWU, provided editing skills as well. Without the help of these individuals this book would not have been possible.
On the other side of the equation for success, I owe great gratitude to those who have tolerated my requests for donations over the years – and have continued loving me despite my persistence. And now I thank them for allowing me to share their personal stories in this book. I pray that these stories will bring to you a greater understanding of Christian fundraising and, perhaps, even of God’s mission for your life.
What’s more, when I agreed to take the job at IWU, my wife and children had even less of an understanding of what their futures would hold. They trusted in me, however, and I will always appreciate that. They have stuck by me, enduring my long nights at the office, on the road, or taking time to be with donors at the expense of not being home with them. Through time, the value of their patience has become more apparent to me.
Now that I have seven wonderful grandchildren, and more time to visit with them, I see the moments I did not spend with my children. I fear that they envy the time their children have with me, the time they didn’t get from me.
It seems common that those who work to fulfill their obligations to their occupations so often sacrifice the obligations they have to their families. How sad it is that we neglect those who are most dear to us. I have long rationalized that since I was serving God through my work, my absence from home was justified. I know now this is not true.
God forgave me, and God forgives others. Help us, God, always to live according to your vision.
How do you ask people for money day in and day out — and still believe in generosity?
How do you motivate and inspire today’s society to give freely of itself for the sake of others?
All fundraisers have asked themselves this at some point during their careers. Terry Munday, former vice president for advancement at Indiana Wesleyan University, is no exception. When he took the position at the small, Christian university, having no fundraising experience, he was overwhelmed with the task before him and his new advancement team: turning a struggling campus into the largest member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
But they did it. And his It’s Not About the Money tells how you can do it, too — in your churches, schools, not-for-profits — and wherever else your life may lead you.
Terry’s book stands apart from past writings on giving. Until now, such books were limited to the perspective of donors. But Terry has experienced giving from the other side — the side that’s making the requests, soliciting donors, and most importantly, seeking God’s plan through fundraising. Terry gives every fundraiser — from the Salvation Army bell ringer to the C.E.O. of The Red Cross — the tools to match passion and find success.
In It’s Not About the Money, Terry guides his readers through his experiences to reveal the true nature of this misunderstood profession — the vision, perseverance, friendships, and generosity. He tells of his personal trials and successes, and the lessons that he took away from both to become a better fundraiser. They will help you grow, too.
It’s Not About the Money will change the way you approach charity. Each page will bring you that much closer to fulfilling the mission God has for you and your organization.
—John C. Maxwell Founder of INJOY Group
Best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Leadership Gold
We plan our lives. But God planned them long ago. If we know what’s best for us, we let Him take the lead. That’s if we listen — but most of the time that takes some nudging. At least that’s true for me.
After spending more than 18 years in the public school circuit serving as a teacher, coach, principal, assistant superintendent, and finally as a superintendent, I was comfortable with my life. I was one of the youngest people to have been named as superintendent of a public school system in Indiana and now I was superintendent of Blackford County Schools, a county school corporation of 2,900 students and 350 faculty and staff members nestled in East Central Indiana. In addition, I was also serving as president of the East Central Indiana Study Council with Ball State University. I was quickly becoming successful at fulfilling my dreams. Despite long hours, I enjoyed the personal touches my career offered me. I had seen children enter the school system and leave as adults. I knew their families. They knew mine.
My wife, Linda, and our four children, Lynn, Shelli, Doug, and Mike, were well provided for by my wages, which allowed Linda to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. We were something of an Ozzie and Harriet-styled family. And we were happy. For every reason I felt I was in the exact spot God had chosen for my life.
I felt secure — at least until I received a call in June of 1987 from Dr. James Barnes, the President of Indiana Wesleyan University, who asked me to come visit his campus to discuss a job opening at the university. I wasn’t familiar with Barnes, but I was with his school. I had graduated there 18 years earlier after transferring from The Ohio State University.
The 1,000-student Wesleyan institution in Marion, Indiana, had a $6 million annual budget with a $500,000 annual deficit. Dr. Barnes knew the university could not survive if that trend continued. He needed someone who could reach out to the larger community to raise funds for the feeble institution.
He wanted me to consider joining this tottering university as the vice president for advancement. My assignment would be to assist in turning around the school’s budget, replacing the red ink with gifts that would help the small school not only survive but thrive.
In return for my services he was prepared to offer an annual salary of $30,000, half of what I currently was making as superintendent with the Blackford County School Corporation.
When I left Indiana Wesleyan after my visit, I told Dr. Barnes that I would pray before I made my decision. That was the Christian thing to do. But, in all honesty, I already knew what my answer would be. The salary offer made me yearn for the teacher negotiations, parent meetings, and bus driver disputes that I once hated about my current job. Fundraising: That was near the top of my list of worst jobs I could imagine. My thoughts went back to a hot summer night in 1956. I was eight years old, sitting in a church camp meeting in the middle of a cornfield in Northern Ohio, where I was raised. Even though our family had faithfully attended these meetings for as long as I could remember, and we knew what was about to happen, the plea for money during the service always scared me.
A minister would take to the podium and ask for $1,000. Anyone who was willing to donate the sum would be instructed to stand. The minister then moved through smaller increments, eventually stopping the session by asking everyone who had not yet donated to stand and give $1. Was that what fundraising really was? I asked myself. Is that what Dr. Barnes expected me to do for half of my current salary?
Of course, I knew that God provides for those who seek His will. I learned that as a child, after returning home from those annual camp meetings. I would watch in fear as my dad emptied out his wallet, and I wondered where my four younger siblings and I were going to get money to buy milk for our cereal during the coming week.
Inevitably Dad, who owned a roofing company, would get an unexpected call the next week offering him a nice roofing job. Dad never failed to give God the credit for those phone calls.
A week later I did the Christian thing: I called Dr. Barnes and told him I hadn’t been able to pray through the decision. I hung up the phone and continued on with my life. The next four months were chaotic, yet incredibly fruitful. Negotiations at Blackford County Schools had finally replaced a past teacher strike with a three-year teacher contract that demonstrated the school’s new trust. A three-year contract was very rare in the Blackford County School Corporation.
Then the phone rang in my office. “You have a phone call from Dr. Barnes on line one,” echoed the voice of my secretary. Not again, I thought. Yes, again. Dr. Barnes told me he was being persistent as president of Indiana Wesleyan University, and that the position he offered me four months earlier was still available. The reason seemed clear enough to me.
He asked if I would be willing to return to campus once more and spend an entire day speaking with faculty members, administrators, and anyone I thought could help me reach a final decision on the position. “If you decide after the visit that the position is not the right one for you, I will never bother you again,” Dr. Barnes said.
I agreed to the visit.
During my visit professors told me of great opportunities to serve students while faculty and administrators spoke about how blessed they were to work with young people. Now keep in mind, these were people who weren’t sure where the next paycheck was coming from! Or if one was coming at all.
I began to realize that the position was greater than me. I knew that I would need the guidance of a higher power if I were to wrestle with all of my doubts about what the future held for me (not to mention wrestling with my ego).
For nearly a month I immersed myself in prayer. I spent sleepless nights tossing and turning in bed. I would wake up, my nightshirt saturated with perspiration, thinking about my two possible realities: the big house, new car, nice clothes… or my family eating lots of spaghetti and living in substandard housing.
God’s clarity finally came in the soft voice of my wife: “Maybe we ought to think about what God wants of our lives rather than what we want,” Linda said. She said she could get a job to help out with my reduction in income, knowing it would take her away from the home and children she had always held as her life’s calling. Thanks for the dagger, I thought. Her words went right through my heart. I knew God was directing me to take the job. And I knew I needed to follow His instruction.
After much discussion, the Blackford County School Board accepted my resignation at the end of 1987. The peace I felt was staggering. I began my work at Indiana Wesleyan University in January, 1988.
For the past 18 years as vice president for advancement at IWU, I have seen the once struggling university grow into a booming campus with a $50 million endowment — and no debt.