Finding Fun In Fundraising – 5 Ways To Find Fun In Fundraising
I’m not a big fan of fundraising.
I remember when I was young, and my parents would watch the Peter, Paul, and Mary special during the PBS Fund Drive. My brothers and I would cringe when they broke from the program to take a break for fundraising. Hosts would offer viewers the Peter, Paul, and Mary Special Box Set free for a generous donation of $500 or more to keep quality publicly funded television on the air for the next year. The whole experience was pure torture.
When you hear the word fundraising what comes to mind?
Fun is not typically the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word.
Honestly, fundraising makes me feel a bit awkward. It takes a lot of humility to ask others to help raise funds to send us to Guatemala. But I’ve also learned over the past three years of fundraising for trips to Guatemala that fundraising is important. Obviously, it’s important for raising the financial resources necessary for a trip. Just as important, fundraising provides an opportunity to get others involved with ministry to a foreign land. Many of the donors have commented that they are thrilled that they get to help do something life changing for people in Guatemala. They can’t imagine going there themselves, but they are happy to make a difference through their financial support.
Yesterday, our family capped off fundraising for our missions trip to Guatemala this summer where we will be building two homes and sharing the gospel with widows and orphans in the village of Xenacoj. Yesterday’s Guatemala Jewelery and Cupcake Fundraiser was a huge success and will make this year’s trip possible.
The afternoon was actually pretty fun. We spent time with Amy and Mark Sullens at their cake shop, Cake Art by Amy. They were such gracious hosts for this event. And we had the honor of hanging out with visitors for three hours as patrons came in to purchase cupcakes and handmade jewelry.
So how can you put the fun in fundraising?
This is a great question. Here are some suggestions to get you thinking:
5 Ways to Find Fun In Fundraising
- Be creative. Hoagie sales and car washes are okay, but what if you could do something different? This year our family raised funds for our trip by hosting a benefit recital in March and the jewelry and cupcake event yesterday. These are not your typical fundraising events. They were a bit different which was a good thing.
- Involve the whole family (or team). Our kids were key members of the fundraising for our family. Isaac utilized his musical talents at the recital, and Hannah made all the jewelry. It was work, but it was also fun. Isaac loves to perform, and the recital was just the right venue for him to contribute. And Hannah has amazing talent when it comes to making jewelry. She enjoys makes something beautiful out of beads and pieces of metal.
- Have a positive attitude. Trust me this helps. I love to share about our past trips and our upcoming trip. Telling people about the fundraisers gives me a great opportunity to talk about the trips.
- Celebrate when you meet your goals. There is something satisfying about reaching your goals. High five. Cheer. And tell people when your fundraising goals are met. Thanks to the generosity of others we will build two homes for people in need, and we will get to do some amazing things for people in the village of Xenacoj. This is a reason to celebrate!
- Keep it all in perspective. Fundraising has tremendous power to transform the lives of who you are helping, and it has amazing power to change the lives of the donors. Even though fundraising may be a difficult task, it is worth it. Remember this. I’m excited to see lives changed in Xenacoj, and I’m excited to share stories with supporters here at home.
Maybe there is some fun to be found in fundraising.