By Brad Layland, CEO and Senior Consultant
When I was in high school, I was asked to sell chocolate bars. For every bar I sold, someone got a sugar high and student government got 50 cents. I remember thinking that there had to be a better way to raise money. I’m not sure where I got the inspiration, but I came up with a different fundraiser for our school. Instead of selling chocolate bars, we got people to sponsor us to pick up trash. I knew that if we asked our friends to sponsor us by the bag of trash, everyone would win.
Little did I know, I would spend the next 30 years learning the ins and outs of how to raise money. Thankfully, it has not been through selling chocolate bars, and along the way, I have learned a ton about creating partnerships in fundraising rather than transactions.
It was in this vein that I decided to write a book. It has taken me several years to write! If you know me, you know I am passionate about illustrating principles with good stories, so this book reflects that – it is a combination of principles, practices, and more than 60 stories. Intervarsity Press has agreed to publish it, and you can already preorder it on Amazon. The official release date is January 24. Next month, I will get to record the audio for it, so you will even be able to listen to it on Audible!
There is no way I could have written this book without your support. This book exists because of my friends, my coworkers, and the supporters who have given so much to the causes I have worked for over the last 30 years. I hope this book will help people who feel hopeless about fundraising but are passionately trying to build God’s kingdom and make all things new.
We are also offering a free online course for anyone who preorders the book. Below is a link to sign up for it. Presales matter, so if you’re inclined to buy the book at some point, I hope you will consider preordering it and sharing the link with others who may be interested:
In the meantime, I challenge you to think of fundraising as a partnership, not a transaction!