In the season four finale, Heather and Andy reflect on the season’s key discussions, including building trust with Mary Valloni, reframing fundraising mindsets through the soundtracks miniseries, and embracing diverse fundraising approaches with Jenilee. They emphasize that fundraising is formative, not just a means to ministry, shaping one’s view of God and self. Heather announces her departure from the podcast due to other commitments but shares her new podcast, "Thanks for Doing That." The hosts encourage listeners to share the enduring content and stay connected to Provisio Fundraising. 

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In the final episode of the church partnerships miniseries, we explore building deeper, non-transactional relationships with churches. We discuss the roles of sending and caring in church support, emphasizing koinonia (biblical fellowship) that integrates financial, emotional, and spiritual partnership. Local churches offer proximity for volunteering and direct ministry involvement, while out-of-area churches provide unique opportunities like mission trips. The three levels of partnership—participate (financial support), engage (personal care), and own (active advocacy)—are outlined, with tips to deepen connections through storytelling, hospitality, and shared mission. 

[1:00-3:00] Role of Churches: Corrie outlines churches’ roles in sending (financial support) and caring (emotional/spiritual support) for missionaries, stressing that partnerships should extend beyond transactions to foster accountability and engagement.

[3:00-08:00] Impactful Stories: Corrie shares how a disciple’s testimony deepened her church’s connection, while Andy recounts a coached missionary’s rapid funding due to a church’s prior investment in her family, highlighting long-term relational impact.

[9:00-14:00] Local vs. Out-of-Area Churches: Local churches enable volunteering and direct ministry involvement due to proximity, but in sensitive areas (e.g., closed countries), partnerships avoid drawing attention to local churches to protect them.

[15:00-20:00] Opportunities and Challenges: Out-of-area churches offer mission trip opportunities but face “out of sight, out of mind” challenges, requiring creative updates. Local churches risk volunteer burnout and may expect missionaries to serve locally.

[35:00-39:00] Koinonia in Partnerships: Corrie explains koinonia as fellowship, partnership, and financial contribution, seen in New Testament examples, urging missionaries to view partnerships as shared missions, not just funding.

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In Episode 55, we stress tailoring presentations to a church’s focus, and using the 5 Ws and H to share a ministry’s vision. Prepare well, secure slots early, and use stories and visuals. Keep financial asks clear, seeking larger support from home churches. Engage post-presentation with a table and follow-ups. Churches may give love offerings, regular gifts, or non-financial support like space. Gratitude and consistent updates foster lasting partnerships, emphasizing preparation and authentic relationships.

[1:00-3:00] Tailoring Communication: Corrie stresses customizing presentations to a church’s schedule and mission focus, whether a brief pitch or longer talk, to resonate with the congregation and highlight the ministry’s alignment with their goals.

[4:00-9:00] Vision vs. Financial Ask: The hosts distinguish between informing congregations about the ministry’s impact and making financial asks, emphasizing vision casting. Corrie suggests securing presentation slots via the pastor or missions committee, ideally a quarter in advance.

[11:00-15:00] Visuals and Storytelling: The hosts highlight the power of visuals (e.g., Bible translation examples) and storytelling to engage audiences, noting that stories increase retention significantly and should be paired with context for impact.

[23:00-30:00] 5 Ws and H Framework: Corrie explains using Who (people served/team), What (activities), When (timeline), Where (location), Why (purpose), and How (methods) to structure clear, compelling presentations, ensuring context before specific stories.

[34:00-39:00] Post-Presentation Engagement: Corrie shares tips for lobby engagement, like setting up a table with ministry materials and signup sheets, using body language to manage conversations, and following up to build relationships.

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Episode 54 emphasizes reframing fundraising as an invitation for churches to join God’s mission, rather than a transactional process. The discussion covers best practices for approaching churches, finding advocates, aligning with like-minded congregations, and maintaining a mindset of prayer and humble confidence. Practical strategies include starting with one’s home church, leveraging personal connections, and ensuring theological and missional alignment with potential partners.

[01:00 - 05:00] Approaching Your Home Church & Timing Considerations

The episode begins by discussing how to approach a home church for partnership. Corrie advises identifying the right contact, such as a missions committee or pastor, and avoiding impromptu pitches in casual settings like church hallways. Timing is critical—setting up a formal meeting allows for better engagement. Andy notes that church leaders juggle many responsibilities, so missionaries should not misinterpret a leader’s busyness as disinterest. Corrie adds that churches outside one’s home congregation may take time to commit, preferring to observe a missionary’s work before partnering.

[05:00 - 10:00] Leveraging Personal Connections & Finding Advocates

The conversation shifts to approaching churches beyond one’s home congregation by leveraging personal connections, such as friends, neighbors, or community members involved in other churches. Corrie suggests identifying individuals with a heart for missions who can act as advocates. Andy references Steve Shadrach’s advice to personally ask church leaders for support to build stronger relationships. The group discusses the value of seeking advice from influential church members, which can foster investment and open doors to broader church support.

[10:00 - 16:00] The Role of Advocates and Managing Relationships

This segment emphasizes the importance of advocates within churches. Effective advocates are passionate about the missionary’s ministry, well-connected, and proactive in facilitating events or introductions. Corrie shares her experience of relying on advocates to organize speaking engagements and events, reducing logistical burdens. The group discusses the need for clear communication and a formal “ask” for advocacy, similar to a support request, and suggests maintaining a core team or advocate manager to streamline communication with multiple churches.

[16:00 - 22:00] Approaching Churches Without Connections & Building Long-Term Relationships

The discussion addresses “cold approaches” to churches with no prior connections, which are less effective but sometimes necessary. Corrie recommends identifying smaller churches, which may be more receptive due to fewer missionary requests. She advises attending church events, delivering a brief elevator pitch, and requesting a formal meeting. Andy suggests that some denominations expect missionaries to visit multiple churches, a process called deputation. Corrie shares an example of a church that began supporting her financially after two years of consistent communication, highlighting the value of long-term relationship-building.

[26:00 - 39:00] Ensuring Alignment & Practical Mindsets

The final segment focuses on ensuring theological and missional alignment with churches to avoid mismatched partnerships. Corrie suggests researchi

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Episode 53 explores biblical foundations for church partnerships in missionary fundraising. Examining Old and New Testament examples, they highlight how God provides through the collective—Israel and the church—supporting Levites, temple workers, and missionaries like Paul. The episode emphasizes mutual provision, spiritual formation, and the unity of the Body of Christ, encouraging missionaries to embrace church partnerships and churches to support sent workers for God’s glory.

0:05 - 5:00 | Old Testament: Levites and Collective Provision
Heather introduces the episode, focusing on God’s provision through the collective. Corrie explains how the Levites, landless per God’s design, were supported by Israel’s tithes for their service at the Tent of Meeting, thriving and tithing themselves. Andy notes the mutual worship and provision, forming a triangular relationship benefiting both parties.

5:01 - 12:04 | Old Testament: Temple Workers and Modern Parallels
Corrie discusses 2 Kings 12, where King Joash’s temple repair fund supported laborers (carpenters, masons) alongside priests, with funds used honestly. Heather and Andy draw parallels to modern pastors (priests) and missionaries (laborers), emphasizing how financial support frees both to focus on ministry without competing.

12:05 - 31:36 | New Testament: Church Support for Missionaries
Corrie highlights the Philippian church’s repeated support for Paul (Philippians 4:15-20), framing gifts as a “fragrant offering” yielding spiritual fruit. Andy reads the passage, noting mutual provision and glory to God. Other examples include Corinth, Galatia, and Rome supporting Jerusalem’s famine-stricken church, showcasing cross-cultural generosity and Paul’s defense of gospel-driven support (1 Corinthians 9).

31:37 - 46:39 | Formation, Barriers, and Encouragement
Andy and Corrie discuss how partnerships build faith and interdependence, countering control and fostering ownership. Barriers include time-intensive church processes and fears of rejection or heroic expectations. They encourage transparency, referencing Matthew 10:40-42, 3 John 5-8, and Luke 8:1-3, urging missionaries to invite churches into the harvest and churches to support sent workers for God’s glory.

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Episode 52 launches a series on church partnerships, emphasizing their relevance for missionaries. Guest host Corrie McKee, a global worker and author of a forthcoming church partnership curriculum, joins Heather and Andy to discuss stable financial support, networking, and spiritual growth through church collaborations. Sharing personal stories, they highlight how partnerships inspire generosity and plant seeds for future missionaries. 

0:05 - 3:14 | Series and Curriculum Intro
Heather frames fundraising as personal formation; Andy introduces the church partnership series. Corrie McKee shares how her experience with 12 churches inspired a curriculum to guide missionaries.

4:12 - 15:23 | Benefits and Spiritual Impact
Corrie emphasizes churches’ stable, substantial financial support. Andy and Heather highlight networking and spiritual formation, inspiring congregations and future missionaries. Churches focus on long-term care, complementing sending organizations’ training, per Corrie’s “three-legged stool” analogy.

16:18 - 26:02 | Stories and Challenges
Corrie describes partnerships with 12 churches via creative efforts; Andy discusses the difference between mega-church and smaller church support. Challenges include navigating large churches, building relationships, and aligning with church visions while addressing accountability.

27:31 - 34:19 | Committee Insights and Series Preview
Corrie outlines her church’s support programs and notes biases in support. Heather previews series topics: biblical partnerships, communication, and sustaining relationships. Andy highlights the curriculum, closing with the church’s role in God’s mission.

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In this  recap episode, Heather Winchell and Andy Brennan revisit their conversation with veteran fundraiser Ekren Miller. Discover why fundraising is an invitation—not begging—and how to cultivate donors through his “Four Pillars” framework: Qualification, Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship. Hear creative cultivation ideas (from yard work to babysitting!), learn how to handle “no” with resilience, and uncover why fundraising shapes who you become. Tune in and walk away with concrete strategies to build lasting donor relationships.

Key Takeaways

• Fundraising Is Invitation: Embrace generosity as relationship, not transaction. ​
• Four‑Pillar Framework: Qualify → Cultivate → Solicit → Steward. ​
• Creative Cultivation: Offer your time & talents to deepen donor trust. ​
• “Go Until No”: Persist until you hear an explicit refusal. ​
• Mindset Shift: View “no” as circumstance, and lean on discipline over emotion. 

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In Episode 51, we ask Dr. Ekren Miller, a major gifts fundraiser, to explore the fundraising principles applicable to personal ministry support. Ekren shares his journey from raising small gifts for overseas work to securing large donations for a university, emphasizing relationship-building, confident asking, and donor stewardship. The episode unpacks four fundraising pillars—qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—and offers practical tips for overcoming fear, crafting effective asks, and fostering lasting donor relationships, all while framing fundraising as a meaningful, spiritual act of inviting others into a shared mission.

0:00 - 6:00 | Introduction and Ekren’s Fundraising Journey
Heather and Andy introduce the episode, focusing on applying major gift principles to personal fundraising. Ekren shares his evolution from raising $1,200 for short-term work to securing $25,000+ gifts, highlighting how early experiences built skills for his professional role.

6:01 - 23:00 | Reframing Fundraising as Investment and Relationship
Ekren explains why fundraising feels like asking for money but is an invitation to invest in a meaningful mission. He emphasizes sharing passion authentically to build relationships, drawing on Henry Nouwen’s idea of asking with dignity. Fundraising is spiritual, reflecting God’s design for giving, and requires confidence and professionalism, even for smaller asks.

23:01 - 48:00 | Fundraising Pillars: Qualification and Cultivation
Ekren outlines four pillars: qualification (identifying donors with affinity), cultivation (building trust through genuine engagement), solicitation, and stewardship. He advises casting a wide net but moving on after three unresponsive touches, focusing on cultivating those with interest. 

48:01 - 1:19:00 | Solicitation, Stewardship, and Perseverance
For solicitation, Ekren stresses clear, specific asks (what, why, how much, how long) and letting donors respond first. Stewardship involves consistent gratitude (calls, notes, gifts) to maintain trust, avoiding transactional approaches. He encourages perseverance, discipline, and finding mentors or partners to stay accountable. He notes how generosity surprised him and affirms that funds are available with the right approach.

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Fundraising can be exhausting—but what if it’s more than just a tough season? What if the way your brain works actually impacts how you navigate support raising? In this episode, we sit down with certified neurodiverse coach and veteran cross-cultural worker Jenilee Goodwin to talk about how conditions like ADHD, autism, and sensory processing differences shape the fundraising experience.

From communication overload to executive function challenges to unexpected strengths, Jenilee helps us see how neurodivergent individuals can thrive in ministry—with the right support. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, support someone who is, or are shaping organizational policies, this conversation is packed with grace, insight, and practical ideas for a more inclusive approach to support-based ministry.

🔑 Key Takeaways 

• We explore how ADHD, autism, and other brain-based differences can impact the entire fundraising process—from social cues to email overwhelm.
• We learn that burnout is common when individuals feel like they’re “failing,” but coaching and reframing can unlock their strengths.
• We’re reminded that fewer donors might actually be a better fit for neurodivergent workers—and it’s okay to do things differently.
• We challenge the archetype of a missionary and celebrate creative, customized paths to the field.
• We discover that good support starts with awareness, acceptance, and a willingness to jostle traditional models.

🔗 Resources

• Jenilee’s site: jenileerachel.com
• Global Trellis Neurodiversity Week (for orgs/team leaders)

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