Henri J. M. Nouwen - A Spirituality of Fundraising

A Spirituality
of Fundraising

Henri J. M. Nouwen

John S. Mogabgab, Series Editor

THE HENRI NOUWEN SPIRITUALITY SERIES
A Spirituality of Fundraising
Copyright 2010 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust
All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, write Upper Room Books, 1908 Grand Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.

The Upper Room Web site: www.upperroom.org
Henri Nouwen Society web site: www.HenriNouwen.org

This material was originally copublished with the Henri Nouwen Society in 2004 in booklet form.

UPPER ROOM, UPPER ROOM BOOKS, and design logos are trademarks owned by The Upper Room, a ministry of GBOD, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations designated NJB are taken from The New Jerusalem Bible, copyright 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Cover and interior design: Sue Smith and Pearson & Co.
Cover art: Gogh, Vincent van, (1888). The Sower. Erich Lessing /Art Resource, NY
Photo on page 62 by Mary Ellen Kronstein. Used by permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nouwen, Henri J. M.
A spirituality of fundraising / by Henri J. M. Nouwen.
p. cm. (The Henri Nouwen spirituality series)
List of Henri Nouwens works cited P.
ISBN 978-0-8358-1044-9
I. Church fundraising. I. Title.
BV772.5.N68 2011
254'.8dc

222010040997

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

H ENRI NOUWEN sought the center of things. Never content to observe life from the sidelines, his approach to new experiences and relationships was full throttle. He looked at the world with the enthusiastic anticipation of a child, convinced that right in the midst of life he would find the God who loves us without conditions. Helping us recognize this God in the very fabric of our lives was the enduring passion of Henris life and ministry.

The Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series embodies Henris legacy of compassionate engagement with contemporary issues and concerns. Developed through a partnership between the Henri Nouwen Society and Upper Room Ministries, the series offers fresh presentations of themes close to Henris heart. We hope each volume will help you discover that in your daily round God is closer than you think.

S PEAKING ONE DAY to a large audience gathered to hear about fundraising as ministry, Henri Nouwen learned that the booksellers in the lobby had sold all their copies of his latest book. At noon, he set out for the nearest bookstore to purchase more copies for them to have on hand. En route to his car, he was approached by a casually dressed young man who requested money to get home in France. Characteristically, Henri said, Jump into the car and come with me. Tell me about yourself.

As they drove along, the young man explained his unsuccessful attempt to secure a hoped-for position in Canada and his inability to get to his home because of lack of funds. Return ticket in hand, he was leaving that evening for Paris but had no money to get from there to his hometown in the south of France. When Henri had completed his purchase, returned to the conference center, and as they were parting, Henri gave the young man two hundred dollars and asked him to send news upon his safe arrival home.

Later that day, following his lectures and just before leaving, the booksellers in the lobby handed Henri an envelope in gratitude for his kindness to them. Opening the card, Henri found a thank-you note and a check for two hundred dollars!

Generosity begets generosity, especially when generosity is rooted in the rich soil of relatedness. Henri, because of his open and Spirit-filled attitude, always sought points of relatedness with the people he met. Henris generosity with money grew from a larger generosity of self. His desire for authentic relationships stirred this desire in others, so he experienced people as generous with their time, their concern, and also their money.

In many ways, Henri was a rich and generous man with the means and the openness to give. He also needed funds to support his many passionate interests. So he experienced fundraising from both sides, and his vision of it arose from his actual experience of being asked to donate money and of asking others to support his various ministries. Then, with time, his vision extended beyond the personal to the universal.

Like many of us, Henris vision began with the notion of fundraising as a necessary but unpleasant activity to support spiritual things. But his passion for ministry and for living from a spiritual motivation led him further and deeper until he could finally say with conviction, Fundraising is first and foremost a form of ministry.

In this short talk Henri is on fire and passionate about Gods kingdom. He offers all those motivated by the Spirit of God a new set of glasses to see and live their fundraising ministry as integral to their mission: Fundraising is as spiritual as giving a sermon, entering a time of prayer, visiting the sick, or feeding the hungry!

As ministry, fundraising includes proclamation and invitation as well as conversion. Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission. For Henri, the proclamation and invitation involve a challenging call to conversion for fund-raisers and donors alike. Fundraising is always a call to conversion. All are called into a new, more spiritual relationship with their needs and their resources. Henri encourages fundraisers to become more confident and joyful, standing up in their asking without apology. And in this vision they do not profit alone, because donors also participate in a new communion with others while becoming part of a much larger spiritual vision and fruitfulness.

Because of the fruitful relationship between the Henri Nouwen Society and Upper Room Ministries, this project and its passage from idea to reality authenticate the manuscripts spiritual message about ministry, vision, asking, giving, and receiving. I believe and trust that the collective investment of so many people in creating this book will be multiplied many times through its impact on the fundraising vision and practice of countless individuals and organizations.

Sue Mosteller, CSJ
The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust

O N SEPTEMBER 16, 1992, Henri Nouwen spoke to the Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Service Foundation about fundraising. It was an informal address that came from the heart without need of a written manuscript. Happily, the talk was recorded on tape and the transcript lightly edited. From time to time copies of the talk were given to individuals or organizations involved in fundraising ventures. The positive response to the fresh vision of fundraising that Henri was beginning to articulate led Sue Mosteller, Henris literary executrix, to consider ways of distributing the piece more widely.

The manuscript was given as a gift to the fledgling Henri Nouwen Society for its own work in financial development. In April 2003, I was contacted about the possibility of preparing Henris text for publication. The call from the Nouwen Society was inspired by my relationship with Henri. During my doctoral studies at Yale University I served for five years as Henris teaching, research, and editorial assistant. He was my mentor and friend.