At #AccelerateGiving hosted by Ministry Ventures, Danny Wuerffel, Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries in New Orleans, was one of the speakers. I really enjoyed what he had to say. Here are my six takeaways from him:

1) The Bible and the Poor – Danny shared how consistent the Bible tells of God’s heart for the poor. It’s true!

2) Administration and Fundraising – He said that a lot of ministries (nonprofits) struggle from an administrative and fundraising side. He says you must invest in these.

3) Ministry – He said that “Fundraising/Development is not fundraising. It’s ministry.” I have found this to be true as well. I have many opportunities to minister during the fundraising process. Danny said, “I’ve got two ministries,” referring to the local people he is serving and his donors.

4) Thank Well – “The best thing you can do is thank people for their gifts.” This is so important!

5) Win from a Loss – “You learn more when you lose a football game than when you win.” This is good.

6) Who are you? – Danny quoted a mentor of his who would tell him, “God will do way more through who you are than what you do.” Danny encouraged us to invest a lot more in our hearts and souls (who we are becoming) than in our nonprofits/ministries. Powerful!

Thank you to Mr. Danny for taking the time to share with us, and to Ministry Ventures for hosting.

Which of my takeaways connects most with you and your nonprofit, ministry or business? Please share in the comments section or social media.

The quote above comes from “attending” Accelerate Giving. Several posts will be coming out as a result of this conference. Thank you to Ministry Ventures for hosting this event and to the speakers that were involved.