Being Careful Stewards

Analytics maximize donor dollar impact.

Steve Woodworth

As fundraisers, we sometimes mistakenly think that our job is to raise money, when in reality our job is to carefully steward that which has been entrusted to us by God.

When the money we spend comes in from donations—to be used to advance the kingdom of God—we have a sacred responsibility to invest those donations in ways that produce a good return.

At Masterworks, we often say that analytics should drive strategy. But it's more than that. Thoughtful analytics help us become better stewards of donors' contributions. Many of us are in the position of spending the widow's mite to help generate more ministry impact.

In the face of today's economic realities, ministry leaders must take proactive measures to ensure that all donor contributions are being used efficiently and effectively.

STEVE WOODWORTH is the president of Masterworks. He was formerly vice president of marketing for World Vision.