From the former President of the Society of Friars Minor, India, fr. Babu Jose ofm
It’s very common that People wish to follow their dreams and hope and pray for a better life all the time; however the idea that dreams are unattainable is a perception that is also equally common. In this context it takes courage to have a new frame of mind and to be the bridge that carries dreams in to reality. In my view Manovsis is right there to just do that as it is envisaged to Bridge the Gap between Dreams and Reality in response to signs of the time.
I say it takes courage because those who have bridged the gap between dream and reality are those who took the road less travelled and succeeded. They thought up something and went after it. Such inventiveness always starts with freedom. And freedom here is in terms of the ability to choose the road less travelled without feeling tied down. Ultimately we are what we think, so why not think of the best way to start. And the best way to start is to start with that kind of Freedom. In my view Manovsis has assured this as well.
The first step to making something happen—especially something as grand as envisaged by Manovsis is to wake up and to find the inner motivation to start this journey. When we make the desires and dreams of others’ need, we are already on the path of building lasting relationships.
Don’t worry about where the path will take you. Don’t worry about failing. Worry about what happens if you don’t start the journey. So the most courageous action you can take is to keep moving forward.
That’s where we are to consider – how to move forward ….Raising the funds is fundamental.
Fund raising basically is proclaiming what we believe and visualize in such a way that we offer other people the opportunity to participate with us and our vision and mission. Fund raising is just the opposite of begging – Fund raising is a form of declaration that we have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting potential others to invest. We invite because we are confident about our vision and mission and our invitation is clear and worthy of another’s trust. So shall we be.
Identifying organizations that can and will support our mission and vision is like planting trees by the stream of water, which will yield their fruit in due season and their leaves, do not wither. (Psalm 1.3)
We must be able to pass on our confidence in our vision and mission by letting the Donor/ investor know that we know how to work with money and how to make money grow. This inspires confidence in investors that their investment will be well utilized and it will bear fruit. That we are in a position to ask for money standing up and not bowing down, the question is not how to get the money, the question is about our relationship with the money. The concept is to encourage the investor to realize that he or she won’t become poorer but richer by investing with you.
Those who give money and those who need money meet on the common ground of a grand vision and the common good. That our fund raising is for community building – aimed at creating new and lasting relationships and giving opportunity for others to invest and be joyful and grateful just as we will be.
fr. Babu Jose ofm, is a friar and prolific writer. he has held number of offices in his tenure, as president and provincial of the ofms in india 2009-2016, former president of FACO and currently the Secretary of JPIC