Hello friends!
I just got back from a week-long backpacking trip in the High Sierras and today I am going to relate the fundraising process to backpacking. If you have never experienced backpacking or camping, that is a-okay! I will be your guide along the way.
Imagine this: You and eight of your friends and family members are going to hike through the Sierra Nevadas (a mountain range located on the west coast of the U.S.). The plan is to start on the east side of the Sierras and hike 65 miles to the west side over the course of seven days. Along the way, there will be a lot of elevation gain and loss. On the last day of your trip, you will summit Mt. Whitney which is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. It is going to be a hard and long adventure, but it will be so worth it!!! The same goes for the fundraising process. So, what do you need to do?
First order of business: Training
If you want to be able to hike multiple miles a day and climb steep mountains, you have to train. For me, this looked like running and working out for months before the trip so that my muscles would be strong and I would have endurance. GoCorps did a good job of training us for fundraising. We read The God Ask by Steve Shadrach, filled out many worksheets, and attended a week-long training in Minnesota. In Minnesota, we practiced giving our presentation, making “the ask”, and making phone calls. It was hard and I was pushed far beyond my comfort zone, but it ultimately prepared me for the season to come.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Now that you are physically and mentally ready for the trip, you need to set a plan! What is the length of the trip? What trail are you going to take? What equipment will you need? How many miles will you go each day? What is a realistic and sustainable pace? GoCorps laid out a clear 12-week plan with overall goals and weekly goals. Careful tracking and planning allowed me to pace myself and measure my progress. I also had a fundraising coach who held me accountable and provided pointers along the way.
One of the most important things I have learned when it comes to planning is to hold plans loosely and accept that plans will change! Holding tightly to plans lessens the room for God to move and work. In fact, plans can become idols if you are placing more trust in your plans than in God. INCLUDE GOD IN YOUR PLANS AND TRUST THAT HE IS GOOD. There is so much grace and freedom that comes with being flexible and holding plans loosely.
IT’S GO TIME
This is what you have prepared for. You sling your 40lb pack that contains everything you will need on your back and hit the trail. Step by step, you are making your way. Every now and then, you will need to stop to consult the map, but overall you have a good sense of where you are heading. When it comes to fundraising, hitting the trail can look like getting in the car to go to your appointments, making phone calls, or sending emails. The important thing is that you keep moving forward--appointment by appointment and call by call. Every now and then, you will need to consult your fundraising coach or friends for advice. The ultimate ‘map/guide’ we have is the Bible and it will give us clear direction. I recommend you “pack this [the Bible] at the top of your pack” for easy access.
Take breaks
Taking breaks on the trail will help you recover and continue on in strength. If you do not rest, you will get worn out and exhausted. Hear me say this: you are not weak for needing to take a break. Sometimes all it takes is a quick rest and a handful of trail mix to help you power on. When it comes to fundraising, it is important to establish rhythms of rest. You cannot work 24/7 without burning out. At the beginning of fundraising, I had to force myself to rest by limiting my work hours and setting aside a day for Sabbath. I loathed resting because there was always more work to be done. What I have learned through rest is that I cannot do it all (gasp...deep thought, Liv). God is working with me and on my behalf even when I am not working. Resting honors God and acknowledges His power and provision.
God is working with me and on my behalf even when I am not working. Resting honors God and acknowledges His power and provision.
Peaks, Valleys, & Views
Along the way, you will encounter many different types of terrain. There will be steep mountains that you climb up, valleys that you drop into, and views unlike anything you have seen before. There will be lush meadows full of life and gushing water. There will also be areas riddled by drought and fire. The grand views can take your breath away, and the smallest details can captivate you. In it all, Creator God is evident! The landscape of fundraising is ever changing. There are parts that are uphill and hard, and there are parts that seem to plummet beyond our limits. There are grand displays of God’s provision (a $4,000 donation) and little blessings (a crayon drawing donated by a kid), that all point to God’s goodness and character. Sometimes all you can do is stand in awe of what God has done. In each part, there is beauty and it would be a shame to miss it.
Storms will come...but so will the sun
When hiking, it can sometimes rain on you for hours. What do you do? Sometimes you hike through the chilling wind and rain, hoping to reach your destination as soon as possible. Sometimes, you seek shelter under a tree or rock overhang. Sometimes you crawl into your single person tent and bundle up in your sleeping bag to try to stay warm and dry until the storm passes. Sometimes, your tent isn’t waterproof and you wind up getting soaked anyways (totally not speaking from personal experience). During fundraising, you will encounter “storms”. These storms might be fundraising related or life related. Maybe they are your storm, or maybe you enter the storm of a friend or ministry partner. Some of the storms I encountered were heartbreaking and devastating. In those moments, all I could do was pray and choose how I would respond.
The good news is that storms don’t last forever. It could be days, months, or years...who knows? maybe it won’t even be earthside... but there will be an end. The sun will come out and it’s warmth will embrace you, relieving the chill from your bones and drying out what once was soaked. The sun will come out.
When all else fails, you break out the peanut m&m’s.
Sometimes the sun doesn’t come out and you get poured on for four days straight. Sometimes you think you are at the top of the ridge, but it was just a false summit and you still have a ways to climb up. Sometimes you miscalculate mileage and your 6 mile day turns into an 11 mile day. Sometimes you wake up drenched and sore because your “waterproof tent” leaks and you literally slept on a rock (again, totally not speaking from personal experience). In those low moments, the answer is peanut m&m’s. Do peanut m&m’s magically fix everything? No. But, they are a yummy little treat that can make a bad moment a little better. In fundraising, there will be many things beyond your control: funding falling through, appointments cancelled, covid changing your whole plan. Sometimes it will just be hard and there is no way around it. I am not saying you need to go out and buy a bag of peanut m&m’s to help you through the fundraising woes (although you totally can), but I do recommend finding your “peanut m&m.” Maybe that is playing piano, going on a walk, listening to music, calling a friend, etc. The point is that, while it is not a solution, peanut m&m’s (or whatever you choose) can help brighten the moment.
The summit!!!!
With all of that said, the end is in sight and you are almost to the top!!! Work is still required to make it to the top, but there is excitement and adrenaline coursing through your whole body. You get up at 1am for the final push to the top...AND YOU FINALLY MAKE IT!!!!!! You feel a sense of relief, accomplishment, wonder, and excitement! You just did that. As the sun rises at the summit, you can begin to see the world around you in a new light and with a fresh perspective. You can see the long way you have come. You can remember the hard parts and places where the end seemed elusive and unattainable. But here you are, you made it!!! I am currently in my final stretch of fundraising (95% funded) but I can imagine the feelings and celebration that will come when I hit 100%!!!
The People
What I have discovered with backpacking is that it is less about the destination, and more about who you do it with. If I were by myself, I would be lonely. Community provides encouragement, support, and accountability. Yes, I may have made it to the top of Mt. Whitney if I were by myself, but it was much more enjoyable when shared with others. The same goes for fundraising. The people and conversations I had along the way were far greater and richer than the milestone of reaching 100%. Yes, it was difficult, but I wouldn’t trade a single one of those meetings for a “guaranteed, paid-in-full” salary. There is something special about inviting others into the work God is doing. My life has been enriched through the fundraising process. Even though I am going to SE Asia and leaving my people behind, I know that I still have a community who supports me, loves me, and will lift me up in prayer.
Welcome to the end of the trip! Just like with backpacking, it is impossible to capture and express every aspect of the fundraising process, but I hope this has helped you get a picture of what it is like :)
With love,
Liv