Lent Is a Season of Accompaniment - Including Your Donors
by Orlando Barros
Chief Development Officer, CCMA
Lent just started.
For campus ministers, this may mean that the pace of ministry changes.
Students may begin asking deeper questions. Some return to Mass after months away. Others show up for the first time. Many are more open, more reflective, and more honest about what they’re carrying.
Lent is a season of accompaniment.
And here’s what I want to propose:
If Lent is a season to accompany students, it is also a season to accompany your donors.
Not because you “need money.”
Not because you’re behind on budget.
Not because you’re running a campaign.
But because relationships are the foundation of mission, and donors are part of your ministry community.
Fundraising Is Not a Separate Job
One of the biggest mistakes campus ministers make (and I say this with deep compassion) is treating fundraising as something separate from ministry.
As if it lives in a different category.
In reality, fundraising is simply ministry extended to the people who make your ministry possible.
Donors are not “outside the mission.”
They are not an inconvenience.
They are not a necessary evil.
They are part of the body.
And Lent is one of the most natural times of year to strengthen those relationships.
Why Lent Is a Unique Opportunity
Our Church gives us a unique opportunity during Lent that is rare in modern life:
a spiritual moment shared by all of us.
Even donors who aren’t deeply engaged in campus ministry are often more reflective during Lent. They are thinking about sacrifice. They are thinking about renewal. They are thinking about their relationship with God and what it means to live generously.
This is a pastoral opportunity for you, beyond any fundraising needs you may have.
Lent invites people to participate deeper in the life of the Church. That includes your campus ministry.
And your donors want to participate in something real and meaningful. They want to participate in exactly the type of work you do.
Three Ways to “Minister to Donors” During Lent
Let’s make this practical.
Here are three simple ways campus ministers can walk with donors during Lent, without being awkward, salesy, or transactional.
1. Offer Prayer.
Send a short note that says:
“As we enter Lent, I just wanted you to know we’re praying for you. If you have any special intentions, I’d love to pray for them.”
This does two things:
It reminds them they are not just a funding source.
It strengthens relationship without pressure.
This alone is donor stewardship.
2. Share One Real Story
Forget sending out a newsletter if it is not written already of any kind of report.
Just one story.
A student. A conversation. A moment of grace.
The kind of story that reminds someone:
“This is why campus ministry matters.”
Donors don’t give to budgets.
They give to transformation, people, and lives changed. You do this every day.
3. Invite Them Into Something Small
Here’s a gentle invitation that works beautifully during Lent:
“Would you consider making a small Lenten gift to support the students we serve?”
It doesn’t need to be complicated.
You can invite them to:
give once during Lent
sponsor a student retreat
support a ministry meal
help cover a resource or event
The key is not the size.
The key is that you are giving them a meaningful way to participate.
A Word for Those Who Feel Behind
If you’re reading this and thinking:
“I didn’t do well fundraising last semester.”
Or:
“I haven’t reached out to donors in months.”
Or:
“I’m not sure what to say.”
Please hear me:
Lent is a season of mercy.
It is a season where we return.
And you can return to your donors too.
You don’t need the perfect system to begin.
You just need the humility to reconnect.
A simple message like:
“I’ve been meaning to reach out and thank you. Lent felt like the right moment.”
is more than enough.
Your Donors Want Relationship.
In my work with CCMA, I’ve spoken to countless donors.
And I can tell you: most donors are not looking for polish.
They’re looking for:
sincerity
gratitude
consistency
connection
and trust
They want to know their gift matters.
They want to feel close to the mission.
They want to believe their generosity is bearing fruit.
And Lent is a beautiful time to remind them.
The Heart of the Season
Lent is a season of accompaniment.
Campus ministers accompany students toward Christ.
And donors, when they are invited into relationship, become part of that accompaniment.
This Lent, I want to encourage you:
Don’t leave your donors on the sidelines.
Invite them to walk with you.
Because relationships are how ministry grows.
And funds are the fruit of relationships.
If you need help, CCMA is here to walk with you… this Lent and throughout the year.
We’re praying for you as the semester continues and as this holy season unfolds.