Five Pits Support Raisers Fall Into: And How to Get Out!

By on March 1, 2021   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Pits are known to be dangerous places. The utter darkness combined with the fear of the unknown of what’s down there can produce heart-pounding terror. Normally, it’s wise to steer clear of pits unless, of course, you are Benaiah. In between killing huge warriors from Moab and Egypt in 2 Samuel 23:21, the Scriptures matter-of-factly slip in a little-known feat. Benaiah “chases a lion down into a pit on a snowy day and killed him.”   Now, for most of us, we don’t purposely jump into a pit, we accidentally fall into one! The lion in that pit with Benaiah could […]

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Coaching—Perseverance and Permission

By on January 28, 2021   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles, Preparation and Tools, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

“Coaching makes all the difference.” “Accountability is the secret sauce to success.” “You definitely need a coach.” I knew those words. I TAUGHT those words. But when was the last time I put them into practice and had my own coach for partnership development? 7 years. Yup. In my defense there had been at least twice that I had sought out people and invited them to fill that role…but they weren’t a good fit or I didn’t properly set up expectations. I could tell myself “Callie, you TEACH people how to raise support, you probably are the exception to the […]

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How Getting to Full Support Changed Me as a Coach

By on January 19, 2021   /   Coaching, Leaders, Preparation and Tools, Training   /   Leave a comment

Ready for a challenge? It is stated in three simple words – get fully funded. You are a leader, a coach, a trainer, and, as such, you are an example for the supported staff in your organization. Yes, you’ve been at your role for many years, and you are good at what you do. Once upon a time, you were fully funded. You know what it’s like to raise support; you just haven’t done it for a while. Let me share how taking time out to make this a priority not only helped us reach full support but changed me […]

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Embracing Your Community in Ministry Partner Development

By on January 4, 2021   /   Communication and Relationships, Ethnic and Gender, Helpful Tips, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Diwali. Lunar New Year. Cinco de Mayo. Eid al-Fitr. Passover. Christmas. Depending on your personal background and the community in which you were raised or currently reside, some of these words immediately bring to mind joyous gatherings filled with family, friends, and of course mountains of great food. These rich cultural celebrations bring out the best in their communities: a sense of connectedness, inclusion, deep familial relationships, honoring of others, and a recognition of something greater than the individuals who join these festivities. It is from – and into – these communities that we are beginning to see God draw […]

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Is There a Roadmap for Making Support Raising Sustainable?

By on December 14, 2020   /   Preparation and Tools, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Three years ago our organization started with this question: How can personal support raising be sustainable for everyone? Several of our staff were severely underfunded, others barely made a full paycheck, and most recruits dropped out during on-boarding. However, we had a handful of staff members thriving, fully supported, and a generous rainy-day fund in the bank. Was it possible to provide a roadmap that worked for our entire staff? After ten years of personal support raising, I attended my first SRS Bootcamp eager to learn and answer this question. I walked away with this conviction about support raising that […]

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I Attended SRS Bootcamp, But Now I’m Stuck!

By on December 1, 2020   /   Follow-Through/Obstacles, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

“I loved the SRS Bootcamp and learned a lot. I read the book, studied the scripture, and invested financially into all of the expenses necessary for attendance. I did everything right. But I’ve plateaued on my support-raising journey, and I’m only at 40% of my fully-funded goal. Help!”.    We occasionally receive variations of that statement, and it often leads to questions like these: Should I attend Bootcamp again?  What else should I do to get unstuck from my support raising plateau?  Ouch. From personal experience, I can relate to the frustration and anxiety that comes with needing fresh support […]

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Millennials and MPD: What I Have Learned Coaching New Staff in Support Raising

By on November 17, 2020   /   Appointments and Asking, Communication and Relationships, Culture, Follow-Through/Obstacles, Leadership, Preparation and Tools, Special Asks, Strategy and Planning   /   Leave a comment

Lysa, a young capable woman who loves Jesus and wants to serve Him overseas, joined our staff several years ago after college. She had never raised support, but was trained well. She plodded along among her college friends and home church with 3-5 appointments per week for several months, but was still only at about 10% of her goal. We had a deadline coming up in less than two weeks that required her to be at 80% of her actual (not pledged) support goal. If she did not make this, none of the rest of the team would launch and […]

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Support Raising and the Art of Storytelling

By on November 2, 2020   /   Communication and Relationships, Contacts and Referrals   /   Leave a comment

We all have stories worth telling. Be it our testimony for Jesus, the gospel story, or the awesome time we had with our friends last weekend, our stories help people walk in the shoes of others. It’s fairly easy for us all to share about a fun time we had, or a current struggle we’re experiencing in daily conversations, but writing them well is a different story! To help guide your writing and to help you create compelling stories, there are three words to remember: Inspire, Educate, and Navigate. Let’s take a look at how these three work together to […]

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What Makes The Difference?

By on October 13, 2020   /   Helpful Tips, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

When first appointed as a missionary it can feel like everyone has an opinion about the best beliefs and practices for raising your support. There’s a plethora of opinions on methodology and some people can be quite dogmatic about which one you use. Often, their advice comes from their personal experience and observation. For the rookie fundraiser it can feel overwhelming and confusing.  What really matters? What truly makes a difference? Many of us have heard the anecdotal statements: “It’s so much easier to raise if you’re going to the 10-40 window”, “people only want to give to social justice […]

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When to Say “No” to Raising Support

By on September 15, 2020   /   Infrastructure, Leaders, Leadership, Preparation and Tools   /   Leave a comment

When I met Jessie, everything indicated he would be a star in his ministry. The ministry he was aiming for was at the center of his passions.  It was in worship and his creativity came alive in the church context. His church body loved his contribution and his family was all for it.  It wasn’t long before Jessie was avoiding me and donor phone calls; paralysis had set in.  The situation surprised me. Each coaching call increased my own sense of anxiety as I perceived the situation was eroding his well-being rather than building him for the future. Ultimately, Jessie […]

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Support Raising Solutions
PO BOX 3556
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