For the past eight months, I have helped my client, B’nai B’rith Beber Camp, raise money for their Annual Campaign for Scholarship. One of Beber Camp’s fundamental beliefs is that no child should be denied access to a summer experience based on financial need.
The people I have met – The Beber Community, they are called – have been wonderful, both professionally and personally. Of course, a powerful mission is important to an organization’s success. Beber’s scholarship campaign messaging is easy to sell and speaks for itself – a donation will help send a child to camp who would not be able to afford it otherwise. To me however, the people behind the mission, the people selling it, are most important.
We have begun recruiting for their auction that will take place this summer. Last year, the auction raised over $20,000. As this is my first year working with Beber, my initial goal was to ensure that minimally, the auction did just as well this year. However, the campaign chairs I have the pleasure of working with, three women whose children have attended Beber Camp for many years, have bigger ideas. Together, they are using their creativity to think of innovative fundraising opportunities and new items for the auction, such as a camp reunion where all proceeds will go towards the campaign. Their goal is to raise more than $30,000 dollars this year!
This is a concrete example of how far a mission can go when there are motivated, passionate people supporting it – people who are able to go above and beyond, regardless of how busy they may be. I know it is not always easy to find lay leaders like this, which is why the Giving Tree team is always researching new avenues for recruiting exceptional board members and volunteers. Choosing the right people to be behind you is crucial to your organization’s continued growth and success.
Who is selling your mission?