At Educational Renaissance, we seek to promote a rebirth of ancient wisdom for the modern era. We believe that education is so much more than getting good grades, receiving admission to prestigious universities, and fulfilling state requirements. To be sure, evaluation is productive, higher education is valuable, and scripture grants government an important role in maintaining an orderly society. But these goals taken individually fall short of beholding the grander purpose of education.
What is this purpose? Education is about coming alongside students made in God’s image and helping them achieve their God-given potential. It begins with the question, “Who is this person that sits before me?” and goes on to probe both the limits and possibilities of her growth. Consequently, education is a branch of applied ethics, grounded in a particular conception of human flourishing, both individually and corporately. Like Kant’s categorical imperatives, we must ask ourselves, “If I were to educate every human person in this way, what sort of world would result?”
Through asking questions like this, we can arrive at a way of educating that is counter-cultural, inspirational, and robustly biblical. This approach will take seriously the image-bearing status of our students and invite them into the good life as defined within a broader biblical framework of human flourishing. As a result, it will prepare the next generation of people like William Wilberforce and Mother Teresa, men and women equipped to lead and ready to serve no matter the cost.
Of course, this sort of quality education comes with a budget. To give students the attention and support they need calls for a sufficient number of well-trained and godly faculty. It is also dependent upon a well-developed curriculum, a safe and reliable facility, and supplies. This all costs money.
Like most non-profits, Christian, classical schools rely on the generosity of donors who believe in the mission to deliver the outcomes of the education. The process of partnering with donors to fund the mission, known as fundraising, can be a touchy subject, both for the giver and receiver. In this blog article, I will explore the relationship between education and fundraising, showing how the vision for education we seek to promote here at Educational Renaissance offers some help guidance for how we can provide for it financially.
Science of Relations, Including Money
Earlier this week, I met with my colleague about an Upper School course we are designing on applied theology. We brainstormed objectives for the course like implementing spiritual disciplines, growing in awareness of personal vocation, mapping out convictions that align with faith and virtue, and developing a biblical worldview on key ethical questions. While we were in the flow of our brainstorm, my colleague wisely suggested that we include a unit on the theology of money. I responded immediately that I thought this was a great idea. We do not often reflect theologically on money–what is and how it can be used to bring glory to God. And yet these are precisely the sort of questions one could explore in an “Applied Theology” course. Press pause on the hypostatic union for a moment; what should we do about bitcoin?
In A Spirituality of Fundraising (Upper Room Books, 2010), Henry Nouwen observes that money is a central reality in our lives, beginning when we are children (28). It is likely that our view of money is influenced by family upbringing more than anything else. Each of us grow up and develop a particular relationship with money just as we do with other facets of the created order.
This relational existence is precisely what prompted Charlotte Mason to ultimately define education as “the science of relations.” She writes,
A child should be brought up to have relations of force with earth and water, should run and ride, swim and skate, lift and carry; should know texture, and work in material; should know by name, and where and how they live at any rate, the things of the earth about him, its birds and beasts and creeping things, its herbs and trees; should be in touch with the literature, art and thought of the past and the present. I do not mean that he should know all these things; but he should feel, when he reads of it in the newspapers, the thrill which stirred the Cretan peasants when the frescoes in the palace of King Minos were disclosed to the labour of their spades. He should feel the thrill, not from mere contiguity, but because he has with the past the relationship of living pulsing thought; and, if blood be thicker than water, thought is more quickening than blood. He must have a living relationship with the present, its historic movement, its science, literature, art, social needs and aspirations. In fact, he must have a wide outlook, intimate relations all round; and force, virtue, must pass out of him, whether of hand, will, or sympathy, wherever he touches.
School Education, p. 162, bold emphasis mine
I quote this passage in full because it captures so well the relational existence that we are all born into. True knowledge of the world, including money, expands beyond the domain of information. While we can speak abstractly about income and expenses, P&L statements, and cash budgets, these numbers impact us personally when they are ours to manage. Consequently, depending on our upbringing and training, we can view finances as a terrifying enigma, a necessary evil, or a God-given aspect of responsible living. When viewed as the latter, we can approach finances and fundraising just as we do the throne of grace: with confidence in the faithfulness of our gracious and generous God.
Relocating our Source of Security
Effective fundraising begins with a proper view and relationship to money. It also requires a new way of relating to material resources. For most people, money is a chief form of security. This is in large part why fundraising is such a touchy subject. To admit the need for money leaves one feeling exposed. To ask for it even more so.
But it does not have to be. Nouwen writes, “The pressure in our culture to secure our own future and to control our lives as much as possible does not find support in the Bible. Jesus knows our need for security…What is our security base? God or Mammon?” (32). In this chapter, Nouwen clarifies that money holds an important place, but never as the foundation. As believers, we must put our trust in God and constantly through prayer recalibrate our dependence on Him alone.
Can we trust God? Yes, we can! His transcendence and sovereignty know no depths. As the prophet Isaiah writes,
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?
Isaiah 40:12 NIV
Here the prophet underscores the unquantifiable distance between the knowledge and power of God and ourselves. This is an important truth to keep in my mind as we approach fundraising. Our security base cannot be our ability to forecast expenses, increase enrollment, or attract new donors. The only true base of security for believers is God alone.
Viewing Donors as Whole Persons
As Christian, classical educators, we talk often about the fact that we are educating whole persons. Here we are getting at the idea that humans are more than their grade point average, trophy case, or SAT score. They have minds, but they are not merely minds. They have bodies, but they are not merely bodies. They will likely one day join the work force and earn a salary, but this is not their sole purpose of existence. Therefore, we provide students with a liberal (generous), well-rounded education that will prepare them to thrive intellectually, physically, spiritually, and yes, economically.
Likewise, we should approach people with means to support the school as more than the biggest gift they can give. Donors are whole persons with families, interests, challenges, and aspirations. They have spiritual needs just like you and me, and need biblical encouragement. When we begin to view donors as whole persons, we grow more generous ourselves as we look for opportunities to bless and serve them.
It can be tempting to approach donors with a feeling of desperation and even helplessness. We feel the pressure of school expenses adding up and, as a result, fundraising can start to feel like begging. But, again, Nouwen is helpful here. He argues that fundraising is the opposite of begging; it is the invitation to join a compelling mission. He writes,
We are declaring, ‘We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources God has given you–your energy, your prayers, and your money–in this work to which God has called us to do.’
A Spirituality of Fundraising, p. 17
Seen in this way, fundraising is a form of ministry, not begging, in which we play the role of gift-giver even as we ask for monetary gifts to support the mission of educating the next generation.
Conclusion: The Role of Teachers
If you are a teacher reading this article, and you are still reading, well done! I am grateful for your attention. Many teachers are uncomfortable with the idea of fundraising and did not become a teacher to ask people for money. That is fine. But my hope in writing this article is that it will help you remember and appreciate the financial side of your school. I actually believe you will become a stronger faculty member and broader contributor to your school’s culture if you can appreciate this important dimension of your school’s sustainability.
In Journey to Excellence (ACSI, 2017), Ron Klein writes, “While the active fundraising effort of others is important for progress, the faculty’s subtle, indirect culture of gratefulness and appreciation for donors is no less crucial” (98). Teachers, understand that your school is a non-profit and relies on donors. It is very likely that your salary is dependent to some extent on the generosity of donors and therefore the efforts of those charged to raise funds. When appropriate, offer your gratitude to these partners in your school’s mission and prayerfully consider inviting potential new partners to learn more about your school.
Fundraising does not have to be a necessary evil. When we trust the Lord as our ultimate security and believe that our school’s vision is a cause worth getting behind, inviting others to partner together can bring an unexpected amount of joy.
