My daughter and I enjoying reaching the top!
Brad Layland, Chief Executive Officer & Senior Consultant
As previously mentioned in my blog, last summer, I took my teenagers on a climb up Mt. Fuji. Our multi-day ascent up Japan’s tallest mountain began at the Subashiri 5th Station, nestled at 1,970 meters, where the trail winds through shaded forest and offers that electrifying sense that anything is possible—yet the summit is still distant.
After several grueling hours of navigating volcanic gravel that sucked the energy from our legs, we reached a “hut” perched between the 8th and 9th stations—Goraikoukan hut—where we stopped for the night. We arrived at the hut weary from the day’s exertion and aware that, between us and the summit, another even steeper and more challenging climb awaited.
The hut was rudimentary: communal bunks, a shared blanket and pillow, and just enough warmth to sleep before our early-morning summit push. No showers, limited water—just the essential rest and the ritual of preparing for the big moment ahead.
But our stay in that hut changed everything. Waking well-rested at altitude, breathing thin air, ears ringing with quiet—and then stepping into the predawn climb—it felt like a renewal. The wind shifted, the summit began to glow, and suddenly the finish line felt closer than ever.
That’s the middle. It’s not glamorous. But it’s where endurance is decided.
Campaigns Mirror Mountains
Whether it’s a capital campaign or your annual fund, we’ve seen this pattern in the work of the hundreds of nonprofits The FOCUS Group has walked alongside:
- Early surge: The kickoff lifts you.
- The midway dip: Between 50% and 80% of your goal, energy drains. Early donors have given, and the finish line still feels distant.
- The night-hut moment: Your team and your donors need rest, encouragement, and clarity.
- The final push: After rest and regrouping comes renewed energy—and you suddenly see the goal in sight again.
This difficult moment is the “midway dip.” And your leadership in that stretch is pivotal in shaping the culture and driving your team towards the goal. When you recognize that you and your team are in need of the “night-hut” moment, simply acknowledging this reality and regrouping as a team can give you the strength you need to press on.
The Apostle Paul writes:
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
Campaigns aren’t won in the early sprint or the final burst — they’re won in the middle, where discipline, vision, and encouragement carry everyone forward.
On Mt. Fuji, resting in that humble hut turned what seemed like an insurmountable final stretch into a breakthrough. In your campaign, reminders of impact, rallying conversations, fresh urgency—they’re your equivalent of that midway hut.
So, wherever you are on that journey, take heart. Time and time again, I’ve seen God guide leaders to take the next step on the path, to know when a rest is needed, and for renewed energy to make that final ascent. The goal is worth it.
We’ve been privileged to help many organizations be more effective in their fundraising by learning and implementing relational fundraising principles in their work with donors. Want to talk?