When you begin to make the transition from traditional transactional fundraising to Transformational Giving, you’ll very quickly run into bad news: All of today’s fundraising databases are transactional.
But here’s the good news: All of today’s fundraising databases can easily be adapted for Transformational Giving. The key is (1) changing the data you track to match the data God tracks, and (2) changing the purpose for your database to match God’s purposes
Here’s Part I in an eight-part series I’ll be posting over the next few weeks on Databases in Transformational Giving.
The Reverend Dr. Eric Foley is CEO and Co-Founder, with his wife Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, supporting the work of persecuted Christians in North Korea and around the world and spreading their discipleship practices worldwide. He is the former International Ambassador for the International Christian Association, the global fellowship of Voice of the Martyrs sister ministries. Pastor Foley is a much sought after speaker, analyst, and project consultant on the North Korean underground church, North Korean defectors, and underground church discipleship. He and Dr. Foley oversee a far-flung staff across Asia that is working to help North Koreans and Christians everywhere grow to fullness in Christ. He earned the Doctor of Management at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio.
Good to hear from you, Nigel–we have several NGO friends in South Africa that we connect with regularly. Looking forward to seeing your new website.
None of the popular database products was built with TG in mind, and not many are terribly useful for it (though each is beginning to add a feature or two here and there that doesn’t hurt).
Excel certainly works fine, though I recommend the use of some kind of a narrative Wiki that you co-develop individually with each champion so that together you can chronicle their goals and growth in Christ related to the cause. Even Word can work for that purpose.
Hi Eric, just seen your reply (almost 2 years later) …my bad… I did not come back to check if you had replied. 2 years on and I still constantly think of the principles here and in your book. Much of our work is being driven by them … we dream of starting a movement, rather than just building a great organization… It certainly is a longer route, but I believe it will be more sustainable in the long term. Thanks again for this website and your book!
Nigel Branken
PS. We did only recently launch our website at http://www.transforming.org.za? I have put up a statement about getting involved as a precursor to people giving financially (http://transforming.org.za/getting-involved/). I would love your advice/ thoughts of what you think of the statement.
PPS. Thanks again for all the inspiring you do!
Good to hear from you, Nigel! I always trust the Holy Spirit to bring us all back together whenever the time is right. I read your inspiration statement and commend you for it. It’s really well done. The one part I might suggest revising just a bit is the very last part. Rather than saying, “If, however, you feel you specifically want to sow into what we are doing,” why not say something more like, “If as you pray you sense that making a gift through Hillbrow is the next step in a deepening journey of involvement, we praise God for that and are happy to facilitate through the link below. When you give, you can count on a call back from us for one of those conversations I mentioned above…”
Thanks Eric, I really appreciate the feedback and would love to meet you one day. May the Lord richly bless all you are doing! You really are an inspiration!
Do the Word 
Hi
Can you tell me if there is any software that has been developed for a transformational giving database or whether you are just using MS Excel?
Just got your book in the post yesterday… loving the principles
Nigel Branken
Good to hear from you, Nigel–we have several NGO friends in South Africa that we connect with regularly. Looking forward to seeing your new website.
None of the popular database products was built with TG in mind, and not many are terribly useful for it (though each is beginning to add a feature or two here and there that doesn’t hurt).
Excel certainly works fine, though I recommend the use of some kind of a narrative Wiki that you co-develop individually with each champion so that together you can chronicle their goals and growth in Christ related to the cause. Even Word can work for that purpose.
Hi Eric, just seen your reply (almost 2 years later) …my bad… I did not come back to check if you had replied. 2 years on and I still constantly think of the principles here and in your book. Much of our work is being driven by them … we dream of starting a movement, rather than just building a great organization… It certainly is a longer route, but I believe it will be more sustainable in the long term. Thanks again for this website and your book!
Nigel Branken
PS. We did only recently launch our website at http://www.transforming.org.za? I have put up a statement about getting involved as a precursor to people giving financially (http://transforming.org.za/getting-involved/). I would love your advice/ thoughts of what you think of the statement.
PPS. Thanks again for all the inspiring you do!
Good to hear from you, Nigel! I always trust the Holy Spirit to bring us all back together whenever the time is right. I read your inspiration statement and commend you for it. It’s really well done. The one part I might suggest revising just a bit is the very last part. Rather than saying, “If, however, you feel you specifically want to sow into what we are doing,” why not say something more like, “If as you pray you sense that making a gift through Hillbrow is the next step in a deepening journey of involvement, we praise God for that and are happy to facilitate through the link below. When you give, you can count on a call back from us for one of those conversations I mentioned above…”
Stay in touch!
Eric
Thanks Eric, I really appreciate the feedback and would love to meet you one day. May the Lord richly bless all you are doing! You really are an inspiration!
Thanks for the kind words, Nigel. Do stay in touch.