This post is from Jacob, an alumni Racer who also worked as a Mobillizer for the WR:
“Someone on a squad I was mobilizing asked me what my most successful fundraiser had been. I had to think for a minute…..
It turns out I’ve never actually done a fundraiser. But I had one particularly successful event leading up to my original World Race experience in 2008.
I put together a list of folks that I was pretty sure would be interested in supporting my efforts with the World Race. I invited them to an evening at my parents’ house. I didn’t sell anything. I just asked them to join me for an evening so I could share about what I was going to be doing with the World Race. I let them know I’d be talking about fundraising and made sure they knew there’d be a time for Q&A.
I had recently come out of a dark season in my life and identified greatly with the biblical story of Jacob. Particularly I liked Genesis 28:16: “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord was in this place and I was not aware of it'”. I came up with a Bible study that followed the story of Jacob in Genesis. I created little cards that would guide people through the study.
When the guests arrived for the event, I instructed them each to take a card and they visited four tables which each had a prompt based on an element of Jacob’s story. I wanted them to remember a time in their life when they doubted whether God was present, only to have him show up in a miraculous way – just as I had felt God did in my life leading up to the Race.
After folks made their way around my parents’ patio, examining the story of Jacob in the Bible and making notes about their own experience, I gathered them together. I asked them about what they found at the stations and shared my story. My story, of course, led into the World Race. I shared with them how I felt the World Race was the next step in my walk with Jesus. I let them ask questions about the Race and answered them as best as I could at the time.
I had everything at the event that they would need to make a donation. I had envelopes and Support Cards. I had my laptop open to my blog.
About 15 or so people were there that night. Many of them are still connected to my ministry today.
I think what worked well for me in this event is that it was an opportunity for people to hear more about why I was doing the Race. I brought them into my story. They weren’t just giving me their money, they were helping me to take the next step in my faith journey.”
Here are the key take aways from Jacob’s story:
- He personally invited specific people.
- He made the experience personal and relational.
- He shared his story and his heart.
- He invited them to be a part of the journey.
- He established relationships with people.
