Below is a guest post from Chad Yoder:

Thankful for Gifts of all Sizes

Fundraising is a funny thing.  A need arises out of the blue or a vision is put into action, both of which require a capital investment.  So where does this money come from?  A single donor?  A few select individuals?  Or a village ready and willing to raise a barn?  And why are some people intimidated by a call from someone asking for financial help?  Do they think “someone else will cover the cost” or “my gifts are not significant enough to make a difference”?

I have a growing appreciation for people who do development work.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been on the other side of the phone making excuses why I cannot give to a certain project.  Or maybe because each time I agree to help with fundraising, the job is just as difficult as I remembered it.  Or because of influences that are out of my control can stifle the joy of people who have typically considered giving as an act of worship and an example of Jubilee.  So why do I raise money for BBC?

I had my first taste of fundraising success a few years ago when I recognized the need for BBC to purchase some equipment so maintaining the camp property would be more efficient.  A friend of mine, Herb Wenger, had shared a story of raising money to purchase a tractor for BBC years earlier.  He was at breakfast with some friends and happened to mention the need for a tractor at BBC.  One friend spoke up and said “raise the money Herb and we’ll all pitch in”.  And so he did just that, and with the encouragement of some friends, he soon had the money to purchase the tractor.

I was encouraged when I found similar success to that of Herb.  I was surprised to hear people say “thanks for asking me Chad” and “we’re happy to pitch in for this cause”.  Soon enough I had the money needed to purchase most of the equipment on our wish list.  What a wonderful feeling it is to raise money without feeling intrusive or burdensome.

So why does fundraising for BBC feel so different to me?  PASSION!  I can’t remember a time that I’ve been so excited about a project and I think that my passion makes all the difference.  It get’s others excited for both BBC and for me.  People want to help BBC build a new pavi, but they also want to support me in my efforts because they see how important this project is to me.

The fall of 2012 was the beginning of the Mission Possible campaign, the Pavi Project.  An estimated building cost of $1,400,000 plus another $400,000 (includes three years of programming needs) makes the total amount needed for this project $1,800,000.  For some organizations, this may not seem like a big deal, but for BBC it is a major financial mountain to climb.  The passion of Brandon and Amber, the BBC board, the staff, campers, and the development resource committee could not be more evident.  This is why we named our project “Mission Possible”, because with God, all things are possible.

I am pleased to announce that we have surpassed $1,200,000 in committed dollars to the campaign so far.  This is only possible from a wide variety of gifts and we are thankful for gifts of all sizes.  Like the gift from the Clemens Family Corporation (shown in the picture), the unique auction match from Glen and Diane Moyer, the many creative auction donors and generous bidders this year, and offering projects like that of the Blooming Glen Mennonite Youth Fellowship.  It’s so cool to know that BBC has made an impact on all of those who choose to support the mission of the Camp.  This empowers me to keep pressing forward with the Mission Possible campaign with energy and PASSION!

Chad Yoder

Co-chair

Resource Development Team