Today you are going to hear from Alexandra Squyres, who is currently on the field serving as a Squad Leader for I Squad. Before she first did the World Race in July 2010, she worked with another support-based missions organization in the US. When asked about her best fundraiser ever, she said, "I've never done a fundraiser." She shares why below.
Garage Sale Car Wash Threads of Hope Support Dinners Selling your Art Work Breeding Dogs and selling the puppies Selling a Kidney (Illegal, who knew?)
All great ideas BUT I didn’t use any of them.
I worked Stateside with another Christian missions organization before I participated in the World Race in July of 2010. I learned the best way to raise money is to initiate face-to-face contact and to ask people directly to prayerfully consider supporting my work.
In the last three years I have raised over $80,000 toward missions efforts to which the Lord has called me.
This technique works!
Here’s the break down:
I got a list of 200 people, these people ranged from my sister and uncle, to my dentist and my 8th grade history teacher.
I wrote two different letters to send to different people.
The first letter was to TELL the more distant people of my life what I was doing and how much I needed to raise. – These are typically the people that will write you a one-time check
The second letter was an ASK letter:
I sent out this letter to about 75 people. In this letter I not only informed them of what I was doing and how much I needed to raise, but I also said that I would be calling them within two weeks to fill them in a little bit more.
My life was crazy busy with calling people and meeting one-on-one with them.
I now had 75 people to call, and set up a time with them to chat about the WR and what I was going out to do.
During my visits with people I had an outline of what I wanted to share with them.
1. I told them who Adventures is.
2. I told them what the World Race is.
3. I shared my heart and vision for why I wanted to go/felt God calling me.
4. I directly and specifically asked them to prayerfully consider supporting me at $50 or $100 a month.
Was it easy?
NO
Was it uncomfortable at times?
YES
Did it work?
ABSOLUTELY!!!
