I hope sharing my experience with fundraising encourages someone out there, including my fellow World Racers. My experience is by no means an exact formula for how it’s done. But for anyone struggling with fundraising for missions, this is for you!
Since committing to do the World Race, the most challenging component of preparing for this trip has been the task of FUNDRAISING. As I critically scrolled through the Fundraising Training, at the start of this process, I had almost decided right then and there, “This is ridiculous! I am not going to do it this way! My support letters will be enough. I don’t need to put myself out there like this!” Almost without fail, every great move of God in my life begins with my passionate refusal on the subject of whatever He is asking me to do. As a very goal-oriented individual, my mentality on fundraising was to work myself to the bone, save everything I made, limit all extra spending and fund the whole project myself. But that is not the goal of fundraising I would soon find out…
When I started out saving for this trip, I began taking pride in this process of putting more and more money into my World Race account myself. However, soon worry and fear started to creep in, and I was starting to become a bit less excited to be going on this trip. I had not realized that I had made this more about me by putting most of the weight of the fundraising on myself.
I had to learn this fundamental truth: fundraising is successful when it’s not about you.
Soon I would find that raising money for this trip was a part of what God was asking me to do, and this whole trip was so much more His idea than mine. So in that sense, fundraising is part of my obedience to God. But that also means that the provision comes from Him too.
My dad explained it to me this way: God asks me to plant the seed (inviting people to partner with me), and then He is the Lord of the harvest (the fruit—the provision that comes in!). My role is to keep planting and to keep watering (that means more letters, more follow-up calls and more fundraising events, and of course remembering thank you notes). And then after that, in His timing and in His way, He brings the harvest. It is not my job to worry about what will spring out of the ground or when it should, but to continue being faithful with the seeds He has already given me to plant. Then I just need to trust Him in the process.
That being said, here’s the practical side of it:
It’s a job. Do the math. Break it down into chunks. Then execute the plan! At least weekly calculate how far you have come and how much more money you need to get that green bar all the way full on your blog.
Set goals. Use your faith in specific things. And then once you have that determined, work toward that goal without doubting that God will come through. All the resources come from Him anyways, so be flexible in how things play out. But deep down, stay in faith and keep going towards that goal.
That being said, you will NEVER feel like calling people on the phone and following up on your letters. But this is very effective, because your effort in the phone call proves the value of this ministry. It’s WORTH being uncomfortable and asking for support.
For me personally, I aim to be fully funded by the time I leave for my trip. I want to be 100% focused on ministry—completely present and committed to the people I am with in each country. If God brings the rest of the funds later than expected, I’ve already decided that’s ok. But I am going to work towards my goal unless God changes things.
When fundraising gets challenging, I try to remember why I signed up for the World Race in the first place.
Sometimes I want to shake my fist at God in desperation and exclaim, “This was your idea, God, not mine! You got me here and called me on this trip, now I need you to sustain me and provide!” Pretty soon my attitude starts to change and I take the pressure off myself to see the results I want on my schedule.
In these few months of fundraising, the number one thing I am learning is how to trust God. My relationship with Him has been stretched and strengthened. I can honestly say that I am grateful for the challenge of fundraising, because it has pushed me into more personal reliance on God. Every time I ask in faith, He is always there every step of the way.
