French Toast Delight

Each week I write this Breakthru Guide as a small act of devotion: to join with givers, to honor this great vocation, and to stand with the brave souls who keep showing up everyday and extending invitations.

💖Please share with your friends who are on the frontlines raising funds for amazing causes💖

Welcome to the newcomers!

This is the final installment of the INSPIRED series - “D is for Delight” - and I’m honored to close it with a guest reflection from Jon DeLange. See previous posts in the series here.

Delight is one of those words that can sound soft - until you’ve carried pressure. Sat with people in hard seasons. Learned to slow down enough to really see the human in front of you. Then, delight stops being an idea… and starts becoming a posture.

Jon and I know each other primarily through LinkedIn. His writing consistently reflects lived experience, depth, and a reverence for the people at the center of this work. He also serves with Summit Ministries, an organization I deeply respect and have had the chance to support in the past.

Jon’s reflection here is a gift. He reminds us that delight doesn’t require perfect conditions, big wins, or ideal timing. Sometimes it shows up as French toast. As laughter. As a gift offered with humility and love.

As you read, I encourage you to slow down. Let this land in your body, not just your head. Avoid the temptation to rush toward action. Rather, remember why this work matters at all.

* * * *

Greetings friends of J.Paul - great to join you this week to wrap up the INSPIRED series with the theme of Delight!

A while back, I stayed with a giver who had recently sold their Florida home and moved back to the Midwest.

We weren’t in a campaign.

It wasn’t a giving “season.”

Just a stop in town among other visits 

I found out they’d made the move to be near their adult child—recently widowed—and help with their four grandkids. It was a hard season. Medical bills. Tight quarters. Life turned upside down.

They welcomed my wife and me into their modest condo like royalty.

We ate pizza at the local spot.

He told stories about volunteering for the ministry back in the day.

We laughed about small-town quirks.

They served us homemade French toast casserole in the morning.

Just before we left, he came through the garage, pressed a check into my hand, and said quietly, “I wish I could give more.”

It was 40x less than their largest past gift.

And I’ll never forget it.

This Work Is Sacred

We talk a lot in fundraising about “lift,” “optimization,” “segmentation,” and all the strategies that, yes, matter.

But that visit reminded me:
Development is part of the mission.

Because when we enter someone’s story… not just their CRM entry… we embody something deeper.

We affirm their eternal worth.

We reflect the Imago Dei in them (and in us) by how we listen, receive, and honor whatever they bring to the table.

‍Where Delight Lives‍

Delight doesn’t always come in windfall gifts or boardroom celebrations.

It lives in:

• The French toast casserole made by someone who still wants to be part of the mission.
• The moment you realize you are ministering or being ministered to by the giver.
• The drives around town where stories flow and hearts open.
• The whisper of, “I wish I could give more,” from someone who already gave everything that mattered.

Delight lives in the recognition that we’re not just stewarding dollars.

We’re stewarding people.

Our givers are not projects.

They’re not pipelines.

They’re people. Image-bearers of God.

And every moment we truly see them… Every time we step into their world with gentleness, humility, and delight…

We’re participating in sacred work.

If these words land in your heart, hold onto them.

Write them down.

Speak them over your team.

Revisit them when your day feels all logistics and pressure.

And if joy feels far off right now, don’t hurry after it.

Just receive the next human moment as a gift.

This work is sacred.

So is this giver.

So are you. 

And the delight of that truth?

That’s what we carry into this week.

* * * *

Jon, thank you.

Thank you for reminding us that this work is not measured only in outcomes. Thank you for honoring the humanity of givers. Thank you for naming the quiet moments where delight actually lives.

To everyone reading, I want to offer a gentle invitation as we close this series.

Notice where delight has shown up for you recently.
A conversation that lingered.
A story that stayed with you.
A giver who trusted you with something tender.

If this season feels heavy, don’t force joy. Let Jon’s words give you permission to receive it - not chase it.

May you carry that truth into the week ahead - with gentleness, with patience, and just enough delight to keep going.

* * * * * * * * * *

‍If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

* Major Gift Fundraising MRI Scan - A story-based self-assessment that helps you name your instincts, clarify your posture, and grow with intention. Takes less than 20 minutes and gives you a custom coaching summary based on your responses.

* JappaFry Writer - A freely available AI tool that draws from over 175 pages of original teaching, storytelling, frameworks, and strategy from my 30 year career in major gift fundraising.

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,