104. Defending Life on Campus: How Protect Life MI Went from $329K to $690K

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast

Episode 104: Defending Life on Campus — How Protect Life MI Went from $329K to $690K

Air Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Jim Dempsey & Jason Galisinski
Guest: Kristin Polo (Protect Life Michigan)

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Overview

This episode centers on Kristin Polo’s remarkable journey leading Protect Life Michigan from stagnant fundraising to explosive growth, nearly doubling their income in one year—$329,000 to $690,000. Kristin shares how the Perfect Vision Inner mentorship program transformed not only their fundraising dinner but also their team’s mindset and capacity to carry out their mission of making abortion unthinkable in Michigan. The episode unpacks practical strategies, personal breakthroughs, and spiritual principles that fueled this transformation, offering invaluable insights for nonprofit leaders seeking big results.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Kristin & Protect Life Michigan

• Kristin’s tenure: Over 11 years leading this pro-life outreach group.

• Mission: "To make abortion unthinkable in the state of Michigan" by reaching young people on campuses, training advocates, and changing hearts and minds (02:11–05:19).

  • “Over 90 children will lose their life to abortion in Michigan. … The pro-life movement is at a critical juncture.” – Kristin Polo, [02:11]
  • “Young people are two to five times more likely to change their mind on the issue of abortion, which means they’re a critical population for us to reach.” – Kristin Polo, [04:34]

• Challenge: Staying out of the “best-kept secret” trap – realizing many had never heard of them despite 20 years of activity (05:50).

2. The Stagnant Fundraising Plateau

• Stuck in a rut: Annual "Vision Dinner" event kept drawing the same people with flat attendance, minimal growth, and feelings of stagnation (06:57–08:03).

• Catalyst: Realization that funding was the bottleneck preventing their big vision: reaching more high schools and college campuses (07:32–08:28).

  • “By stagnant, I mean that it felt like the same event every year with the same people in the room. You know, we weren’t even confident that we were doing it the right way and we just kept doing the same thing over and over.” – Kristin Polo, [07:04]

3. Discovering the Perfect Vision Inner Mentorship

• Hooked on the podcast: Kristin initially tried to DIY using the podcast, but realized the need for structured guidance and scripts (09:17–09:54).

• Mindset shift: Trusted the process despite initial stubbornness and found mentorship essential, especially in challenging points (10:44–12:23).

• Spiritual foundation: Emphasis on prayer and trusting God with their vision; breakthroughs came after surrendering anxieties (13:13–13:43).

  • “You guys were a reminder that anytime I hit one of those hard points, you would remind me to take it to prayer and would take it to prayer with me. … That was a huge blessing.” – Kristin Polo, [12:23]

4. Breakthroughs, Struggles & Strategic Changes

The Name-Storming Challenge

• Initial discouragement: Despite gathering 580 new names, only 6 new table hosts were recruited; follow-up phone calls became tough and disheartening (12:59–13:43).

• Turning point: After prayer, “we ended up, I think probably about 70% of the people who are at our dinner were brand new, which was so exciting.” (14:01–17:13)

• Structural analogy: The dinner is like a camp designed to create the right environment for transformation—21-week process to prepare new supporters (15:30–16:07).

  • “There were other things we tried…but I’m not sure the little stuff like that really made a difference. I just needed to surrender it and trust.” – Kristin Polo, [16:13]

Record-Breaking Results

• Attendance: Two events, 375 attending the first night, almost 500 the second, with the vast majority brand new to the organization (17:31–17:57).
• New engagement: Many new table hosts participated who’d never even attended before, “because they trusted their friends.” (17:55)
• Matching gift strategy: Secured a significant matching gift—“more money than I had ever tried to raise before, more than double,” pivotal for results (18:24–19:07).

The Importance of Mindset & Systems

• Many organizations feel, “We’re already doing a good job,” but even small tweaks made an outsized impact on both funds and excitement (19:43–20:54).
• Strategic clarity increased: Clearer appeals, tighter program, live testimonies, less focus on corporate sponsorship in favor of major donor partnerships and matching gifts (28:21–29:19).

5. The Transformative Dinner Experience

Capturing Vision & Energy

• Atmosphere: “There was an energy in both rooms that you could feel the joy from people… There was a marked difference both in how dressed up the room was, the intentionality of the program. They loved the testimonies…” (26:03–26:33)
• Dual audiences: Hosted in two different cities (one predominantly Protestant; the other Catholic), yet success in both (26:53–27:18).
• Live impact: Dinner aligned with the launch of their summer internship; a donor sponsored the entire summer intern program after seeing the opportunity (29:46–30:25).

Transformational Giving

• Shifted from “tipping” behavior to donors seeing themselves as mission partners: “People understand we do value them as partners…there’s an excitement that comes with that.” (31:50)

  • “When we see someone come to Christ, that’s life changing, but when you see [donors] understand how they can fulfill God’s mission for their lives through their giving, that’s also transformational, and that’s ministry.” – Jim Dempsey, [32:21]

6. Results & Ripple Effects

• Raised: Nearly $690,000, well beyond the $300–400K goal (33:18)

• Outcomes: Event enabled expansion to new campuses, doubling of a key training event, fully funded summer internships (33:31–34:46).

  • “There is such a gift in being able to go forward in ministry work for the coming year, knowing that every crazy vision God has given you…is fully funded.” – Kristin Polo, [33:31]

• Personal & team faith: Success boosted team and board faith—“every time that happens, it increases your faith and you’re ready for the next big thing, whatever it is.” (35:20)

7. Looking Ahead & Advice for Nonprofits

• No fear of “sophomore slump”: The team is energized for next year, with more people eager to be table hosts (36:07–36:37).
• The vision is scalable—Kirstin acknowledges Michigan as their focus for now but with a mindset for greater expansion.
• Advice for listeners:
  • The course is worth every penny—don’t shortcut the process or try to build it all from the podcast alone (38:28–39:23).
  • “The course provides value from the second you first log on…scripts, resources, mentorship. I can’t even begin to describe how valuable this was… It’s worth every penny. You have to do it. Sign up, don’t wait.” – Kristin Polo, [38:28]

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with timestamps)

• On spiritual breakthrough:
  • “It sounds like you’re doing everything right. Have you taken this to prayer?” – Jim Dempsey, [13:13]
• On the power of process + faith:
  • “I think the results that we saw really show how much that paid.” – Kristin Polo, [10:44]
  • “If I look back on this journey, that’s one of the things that I’m most shocked by, is that I didn’t have more trust in Him…” – Kristin Polo, [11:52]
• On donor transformation:
  • "People give to people justified by the cost." – Jim Dempsey, [30:25]
  • “Transformational giving, when we can take them over to that next level…that’s that sweet spot.” – Jim Dempsey, [31:30]
  • “We saw a change…that people understand we do value them as partners and we see them as partners in this ministry.” – Kristin Polo, [31:50]
• On program recommendation:
  • “Don’t shortcut the process. I thought I could just glean enough from the podcast, but you need the course.” – Kristin Polo, [38:28]

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Important Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|----------------------| | Kristin introduces Protect Life Michigan | 02:11–05:19 | | Stagnation & searching for growth | 06:57–08:28 | | Discovering the podcast/mentorship | 09:17–10:44 | | Hitting the name-storming wall | 12:59–13:43 | | Prayer breakthrough & results | 13:13–17:13 | | Vision Dinner outcomes & numbers | 17:31–18:07 | | Strategic program changes | 18:24–20:54, 28:21 | | Describing the dinner atmosphere | 26:03–27:18 | | Live testimonies, new donor excitement | 29:46–31:50 | | Post-event expansion & impact | 33:31–34:46 | | Advice for nonprofit leaders | 38:28–39:23 |

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Conclusion

Main Takeaways:

• Transformative fundraising is possible by combining practical systems, bold vision, spiritual reliance, and expert mentorship.
• Even veteran nonprofit leaders have much to learn; small but strategic changes yield outsized results.
• Donors become partners when they are given vision and opportunities that resonate deeply with their calling.
• Encouragement for leaders: trust the process, invest in high-value mentorship, and prepare for more impact than you imagine.

Closing Quote:

“The course provides value from the second you first log on… I can’t even begin to describe how valuable this was… It’s worth every penny. You have to do it. Sign up, don’t wait.” – Kristin Polo, [38:28]

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Transcript

[A]

You're listening to the number one podcast for nonprofit leaders getting your nonprofit fully funded. This is the Fundraising Masterminds podcast.

[B]

We kind of had an emergency meeting, the three of us, and we talked about, okay, what are you doing? What are you doing wrong? And kind of went through the checklist. And I remember you, Jim, saying it sounds like you're doing everything right. Have you taken this to prayer? And I was so convicted, I took it to prayer. I had several other people praying as well. And I think we really saw a breakthrough after that. We ended up, I think 70% of the people who are at our dinner were brand new.

[A]

Welcome back to another episode here at the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast. My name is Jason Galasinski, and with me, my co host, Jim Dempsey.

[C]

Hey, Jason.

[A]

How are you today, Jim?

[C]

I'm doing great.

[A]

It's a terrific day. Well, we're already into October. Can't believe it. Yeah, it's hard to believe.

[C]

The year's just going by so fast.

[A]

Yeah. We have a special guest joining us today, and I'm really excited about our audience meeting, Kristin Polo. Kristin has been working for Protect Life Michigan for over 11 years and just a huge advocate for life in that state. And I'm really excited to have her on the program because she went through the Perfect Vision Inner mentorship program last year and really joined in the fall and had her very first Perfect Vision dinner in the spring. And we got a lot of great, exciting things to announce about that, you know, really, you know, she went from 329 to $690,000. So big increase. So, Kristen, I'm so excited to have our listeners get to meet you and get to hear your story. So thanks for being with us today.

[B]

Yeah. It's an honor to be here. Thank you for having me.

[C]

I would say Kristen was one of what I would say are exceptional graduates in so many ways. Just mindset, understanding, and just taking it to the next level. So thanks for being here, Kristen.

[A]

Well, I'm excited to get into your story, and I thought maybe an appropriate way to start to learn for our audience to learn more about Protect Life in Michigan. So let's for our listeners, a little clip about what Protect Life Michigan is today.

[D]

Over 90 children will lose their life to abortion in Michigan. Over 2,500 will do so across the United States. To be honest, the loss of unborn life is only getting worse. The pro life movement is at a critical juncture. Abortion rates are rising. We're seeing losses on ballot initiatives across the country where people are enshrining the right to abortion in state constitution, elections are being lost, and people are wondering if this issue will be a losing issue forever. Instead of talking about whether or not abortions should be allowed at all, we're relegated to talking merely about when abortion should be allowed.

[B]

We have groups of human beings throughout history that we have treated as different or other, sometimes based on their race or based on their religion. And we've done awful things to those people on that basis. With the unborn, it's their age. We're talking about a violent procedure that either starves or dismembers a living human being.

[D]

Unfortunately, the voices advocating for unborn children have grown quieter in recent years, even as the number of unborn children losing their lives has risen. While some people are asking right now, what can we do to limit the harm of abortion? At Protect Life Michigan, we ask a different question. We ask what must be done to ensure no one ever experiences the violence of abortion ever again. This frame of mind is what's driving our impact. Every decision we make and everything we do, from what events we hold to who we hire to where we'll be doing our outreaches, is all driven by the question, what must be done to end abortion? Protect Life Michigan's mission is to make abortion unthinkable in the state of Michigan.

[A]

By showing people the reality of what abortion is.

[B]

We will not tolerate violence as a solution to unplanned pregnancies.

[D]

But here's the thing. It's easy to say that we're doing something to end abortion, but at Protect Life Michigan, we see it differently. We have a grand vision to end the injustice of abortion forever, and we have a proven process and a plan on how to get there.

[B]

Our strategy at Protect Life Michigan is to expose college students to the reality of abortion and then have a conversation with them about that and try to change their mind. Those conversations make the challenge worth it.

[D]

What's beautiful about Protect Life Michigan is we're so good at training our students to be confident with talking to people about abortion.

[B]

Right?

[D]

We speak truth with compassion. We've proven what can be done on campus and in a community. We can change over 30% of people's minds on the issue of abortion. Young people are two to five times more likely to change their mind on the issue of abortion, which means they're a critical population for us to reach. But as long as there is still abortion in Michigan, we won't settle. We have plans to activate thousands across the state to spread the pro life message. Recruiting on campus digital Outreach events, full time internships. We'll be seeing a mobilization of powerful advocates for the unborn child.

[B]

We know that when people understand what abortion really is and when they understand what the unborn are, that they're human beings. That hearts and minds change at Protect Life Michigan.

[D]

We think we can win and we have a proven strategy that works. We invite you to join us, becoming a partner in this fight to end abortion.

[C]

Wow, Kristen, that was powerful. Really did enjoy that. Seems like your ministry is doing some incredible things in Michigan.

[B]

Yeah, it's been a blessing to be a part of this the last 11 years. And frankly, with the mentorship and teaching I've received from you guys the last year, I'm really excited to see what's ahead of us as well.

[C]

Yes, I think getting the word out and it's just more people understanding who you are. I think there's, there's a.

[B]

There were so many people at our Vision dinner who said, I can't believe this is your 20th anniversary and we've never heard of you before tonight.

[C]

Did not hear this. Yeah.

[B]

That excitement was really exciting and we don't want to be the best kept secret. We are trying to get the word out.

[C]

So true. Awesome. Absolutely. Yep.

[A]

Well, let's go back a couple years maybe and just describe to our listeners what your development journey has been like since you started at Protect Life.

[B]

When I started, I was fresh out of college. I had no idea what I was doing running a nonprofit, frankly. And I was the organization's very first employee. So it was a rough road trying to learn all of this and figure it out from scratch by myself, but really have tried to be a humble learner and surround myself with people who know answers to questions that I'm asking. And so I think that got us a long ways. We actually started doing something similar to a vision dinner about 10 years ago and it had been going fairly well, but was feeling the last couple years that was a little bit stagnant, which is how I ended up connecting with you guys. Looking to kind of reach.

[A]

Describe that feeling. Like, what do you mean by stagnant? Describe some of the emotions you were going through or some of the challenges.

[B]

By stagnant, I mean that it kind of felt like the same event every single year with the same people in the room. You know, we weren't even confident that we were doing it the right way and we just kept doing the same thing over and over and over again.

[A]

And you said you got some of your cues from the pro life movement and I know A lot of pregnancy centers have a methodology. Right. So you were kind of copying some of that in. But what. So why didn't you feel like you were doing things right? Like what. What made you feel that way?

[B]

I think after nine years of doing the same thing and kind of seeing the same results, the same level of funding, you know, we're looking to grow significantly, and one of the bottlenecks to being able to do that is funding. So as we have this huge vision, we feel the Lord has given us. Given us. We're trying to do everything we can to reach that vision. And there's a significant financial component to that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Did you see a plateau both in giving and attendance? Was that part of that stagnant?

[B]

I would say mostly in attendance.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

We were definitely struggling. We did see financial growth. But like I said, I think I. I just didn't have confidence that we knew what we were doing and that we were doing the best things.

[C]

Yep. Yep. And what.

[A]

Like, what was. I know we saw some of it in the video, but what were some of the big milestones that you were really that were burdening your heart that you felt like you couldn't get to the next level?

[B]

Yeah. We really feel that we need to be reaching more young people in the state of Michigan. We know that young people are two to five times more likely to change their beliefs about abortion. And we knew that we needed to be in more high schools, on more college campuses, reaching young people with the pro life message and changing their minds. But there comes a cost with that, and sometimes a significant one. And so as we started to look into how can we branch into more high schools, give more presentation to schools throughout the state, or expand to new college campuses, do more training and equipping and deploying young people, we knew we needed to take things to the next level to be able to do that.

[C]

That's great. Yep. Let's see.

[A]

So how did you end up coming across fundraising masterminds, and what kind of piqued your interest in the Perfect Vision Knitter?

[B]

Yeah, I. I think I was originally connected with the podcast through Fund Easy, if I'm not mistaken. So I had used Fund Easy for many years, and I think that's how I knew of Jason. And then, you know, watched some of the podcast episodes, and then I was just hooked. And I was, like, watching all of them, taking notes to try to just glean anything, a little, anything I could from these episodes. I even thought, maybe I don't need to sign up for this course. I'LL just watch the videos about it. I was wrong. I needed the course. But, you know, always trying to do things the cheap way first.

[C]

Now, think about it. There's probably another Kristen out there watching the podcast right now, hearing you, and now you've got the opportunity to impact that person. Get past it, huh?

[B]

Yeah, it's like truly just scratching the surface and the things that I heard, but, you know, that was just one of the thoughts that was in my head that was holding me back from.

[A]

You mean we don't share everything on this podcast with people?

[C]

There's so much. Yeah, there's just so much to share. Yeah. It's hard to. Hard to get it all.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So.

[A]

Yeah, so. So you're listening to the podcast. You eventually ended up having a conversation with me, I believe, and then, you know, the board approved the expense, and then you got signed up. Was it all roses from there? I mean, like, what was. What was it like going through the program? Was it. Was it hard to make changes? What were some of the changes that you realized needed to be done? Talk through that.

[B]

It was hard to make some changes at some points, but you guys do a great job setting us up for success by reminding us you need to trust the process, and even when you struggle, follow through. And I am very stubborn. So I knew I'm like, I'm going to hold myself to that, and I'm going to do it even when I don't feel like it and even when I question things. I. If I ever struggled with anything, I would ask, you know, what's the rationale behind this? But I committed, you know, to following through on everything. And I think the results that we saw really show how much that paid.

[C]

Yeah. Kristen, I really sensed in you, and I think probably in a lot of others, there's a point where you have to just leave it to the Lord's hands. You know, you invested in the program. You did hear from these guys, and there's a point where I just got to trust in the Lord, and I know it really. In reality, there's a point where you're trusting enough, but you really trust in the Lord more. You know that he's going to provide. And we'll talk about this in a few minutes. But I know you hit some challenges along the way where you probably may have even said, wow, did I go the right way or not? But it's neat to see you come out so well.

[B]

And it was great to be able to work with you guys because you were a great reminder to trust God. And if I look back on this journey, that's one of the things that I'm most shocked by is that I didn't have more trust in him through. I mean, I just have been so blown away by how he has used our organization in these last few months. It's just been so remarkable. And yeah, I don't. I don't know why I ever doubt him to do that. I certainly shouldn't.

[C]

Yeah. Well, his timing is much better than ours, isn't it? And he just has to take us through those journeys.

[B]

But you guys were a reminder that anytime I hit one of those hard points, you would remind me to take it to prayer and would take it to prayer with me. And that was, that was a huge blessing because oftentimes that's. That's the number one thing that we needed was not action on my part.

[C]

But. Yeah, just to trust it. Yeah. I've always, you know, you say more than a few times you've heard me say I'm not smart enough to have gotten this program together. It's the Lord.

[A]

So.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, Kristen, I've got a specific post that you wrote that I thought you should read to the audience.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

See if this brings back some memories.

[B]

I know. Should we go there?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Name storming struggles. Do you have any recommendations for what to do? We have diligently followed up with our name stormers for weeks with no luck. Despite coming up with hundreds of names in the parties, they are now either not returning our calls at all or are so overwhelmed with other things that they're saying they're too busy to make the calls. We've probably called some people four to six times now to encourage them or see how things are going. We name stormed 580 names have secured just six new table hosts from it. We're quite discouraged since this is such a key part of the process. I've had a colleague calling them, but I thought about sending them an email myself to thank them, remind them of the importance and encourage them that calls aren't scary. That's the only idea I have.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

I think in there there was a picture of you on the ledge of a building getting ready to jump as you were typing. I feel that way.

[B]

Yes. Didn't feel that way.

[A]

So where were you at in the like that was early on in program, I remember. But what was going on?

[B]

Yeah. That I think we had put so much stock in the name storming party being like the thing that was going to make the difference for us. And so because that was the main thing that we had never done before, one of the few key things. And so to have that, I mean, we came away from that party feeling amazing, with almost 600 new names. And then, you know, I know that it's scary to make phone calls. I, I understand that. But that was really reflected, I think, in the people who came up with those things.

[A]

Well, and for our listeners perspective who don't know what a name storming party is, it's just one of the exercises that we do in the program to help people find the right people. So we always talk about the Perfect Vision Dinner, being that we're trying to help people find the right people and get them into the right place with the right program, with the right appeal and all these things kind of working together creates the right environment which then gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to prompt their hearts, you know, so it's. We look at it as like, you know, I've been using the analogy of the, the camp analogy a lot, you know, to describe the Perfect Vision Dinner. You know, when you, when you send your kids off to camp and they, they show up at this beautiful venue, you know, the, the goal of the camp is to obviously get kids to reconnect with the Lord or reignite their faith. Right. But you don't do that in the parking lot when they come out of the bus. Right. You have to up an environment, you know, to where they, the Holy Spirit can work and move. That usually takes a few days. So we kind of look at the Perfect Vision in her as it's this 21 week journey that we take you on to kind of set up this environment where new partners can get introduced to your organization the right way and, and then they can become converted, you know, over to protect Life Michigan for the first time, which in your case did happen. It did a lot, but there was a little bit of a journey getting there. And this was the first kind of hiccup was we did the name storming. We got a lot of names. But then when it actually came to getting those people involved, that was not going so well. And I remember.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, I'd love to hear how you came out of it. Yeah, that would be.

[B]

It was interesting because we kind of had an emergency meeting, the three of us, and we talked about, okay, what are you doing? What are you doing wrong? And kind of went through the checklist. And I remember you, Jim, saying, it sounds like you're doing everything right. Have you taken this to prayer? And I was so convicted because again, I mean, it goes back to what we were just talking about, that it really starts with trusting the Lord. But I did, I took it to prayer. I had several other people praying as well. And I think we really saw a breakthrough after that. There were other things that we tried. Like my husband and I recorded like a little phone call video so people could see what that conversation might sound like, as they call people. But, you know, I'm not sure the little stuff like that really made a difference. I just needed to. To surrender it and trust. And we ended up, I think probably about 70% of the people who are at our dinner were brand new, which was so exciting. And when we're talking about coming into this, we were kind of stagnant in our attendance specifically. So that number is really significant to us.

[C]

That's great. 70%.

[A]

What was that number? Like, how many people. I know you ended up doing two events. We'll talk about that on the next episode. We got another episode. We're going to go into that a little bit more with you. But like, what was the total amount of new partners, total number of attendants and total number of new partners?

[B]

Our first night we had 375 guests attend. And the second night it was almost 500 guests in the room, which was incredible. And like I said, the vast majority of those were brand new. They'd never heard of us before. And a lot of brand new table hosts who had, you know, through the name Storming parties, they had never been to a dinner before, but agreed because they trusted their friends.

[C]

Right, exactly.

[B]

To come and invite their friends.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. We get people saying that all the time. Why would somebody be a table host if they've never heard of the organization or never been before? Well, they will.

[B]

Yeah, they will.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So neat.

[A]

That's awesome. So aside from the. I mean, the name Storming was a big breakthrough. Were there other breakthroughs that as you went through the program, like with the accelerators or the, the appeal or any, any other portions of the.

[C]

All of it.

[B]

I mean, there's not a thing that I can say was not game changing. And it's funny, going into the course, I' I don't know if this is really gonna be worth the price tag because there was so much I thought we were already doing that was similar to the model. So I thought, oh, we just, you know, there's a little. Few tweaks here or there. But boy, was I wrong. I mean, the tweaks that we did make made a huge difference. I think another one was with the matching gift that we put together, that was a significant game changer as well. That putting that together. That was more money than I had ever tried to raise before, more than double. So it was a scary feat to go after. But that was another thing that the Lord just assembled in miraculous ways.

[A]

A common theme that I often hear from people.

[C]

I was gonna go there. You're right.

[A]

That it's kind of a David and Goliath thing, you know, like, you go into the program thinking, like, oh, it's not so bad. I got a slingshot. And then, like, Goliath comes out, and you're just like, what in the world? You know, and then. And then you're just sitting there. It's okay. We've. We've slain a bunch of Goliaths before we know how to do it, you know, and then. And they're just like, are you sure? He's pretty big. You know, and, you know, it's just like. Yeah. What were you going to say?

[C]

I was actually going to say the common theme that I hear is that, oh, we're already. We're doing everything all right. We already know how to do this.

[B]

That was me.

[C]

Yeah, that. That was. That would. Jason hears that all the time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Especially in the pro life movement. I think a lot of pregnancy centers and pro life organizations have been doing banquets for a while, and they feel like they have a rhythm. And I talked to some directors who are like, I've been the. For 25 years, and we're on our 35th annual, you know, banquet.

[C]

200,000 is just fine for us, you know, whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I. I totally understand that perspective, because that's where I was as well. And I'm just so grateful. I trusted the process and jumped in completely because, like I said, some of the things we were doing, but there was so much new information that I did not know going into the course. And even the things that we were doing that we just slightly tweake made a huge difference for us, not just in the funds raised, but the excitement in the room as well. I mean, we had rave reviews from this dinner that were far beyond anything we had heard before. People were so excited. They caught the vision. They really did. That's the heart of it. We communicated the vision better than we have ever done before, and people felt that.

[C]

That's great. Yeah, that is so great.

[B]

Which in a dark state like Michigan, we need.

[C]

But I love. I mean, the thread that you keep saying, which I love, is that. That everything caused you to trust the Lord. Yeah. You Know, it's not about us.

[A]

You know, we're not asking you.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It's not like Jason and Jim are awesome. You know, we need to just trust. We're not asking people to trust us. We're like. I feel like we're just mirrors, you know, saying no. You know, this is really about trusting God for big things. You know, we know, like, certain things that need to happen in order for the environment. Just like a good camp director knows how to create an environment, but ultimately, it's like it's the Holy Spirit that does all the work, and, you know, it's just all glory to God for what he did through you guys. And we're just very proud to see the results, so.

[C]

And something in my gut, just like it always has, tells me this is just beginning.

[A]

Just the beginning.

[B]

I hope so, because I feel like the plans God has given us are quite big.

[C]

Oh, I know. I just got a lot ahead of us. It tells me there's a lot ahead. Yeah, I'm excited. Me, too. Me, too.

[A]

Well, at some point, CREW was, you know, $600,000 organization. Now it's a $750 million organization. We had to start somewhere.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

And you got to see a lot of that.

[C]

Keep it a couple for you. The seven hundred and fifty million million.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But, Jim, you were. You were around from the early days. I mean, what. What was it like? You know? Do you remember?

[C]

Well, Moses and I were in the. In the front row of Bible 101. We were taking it together, and Moses said, I'm not clear of speaking. And I said, trust in the Lord, and we'll move forward on those things. But. Yeah, no, Jason, it. Nobody needs to hear my old stories of. Of CREW in the olden days, but y. A lot of it was the same kinds of things, same kind of principles, trusting God. I worked for an amazing leader by the name of Bill Bright, who just always. There was no. Never a time that he wasn't always far ahead of us in his faith. Let's believe God for the most impossible things. And he always seemed to come through.

[A]

Yeah. And we talked about this on. Well, I don't know where. What episode it was, but we talked about this recently, about how when it comes to development, there seems to be, like, kind of two attitudes or mindsets. There's the attitude of fear, which tends to come in the area of, like, control people wanting to. They're like, I know how to do this. I've done this before. And. Or even when they're going through the program, they try to do everything themselves or they just ask a lot of questions. Like sometimes when we see people asking like little questions.

[B]

Doubting a little bit.

[A]

Yeah, like doubting and. But it's, it's really rooted in like they're motivated by making a mistake. It's like, well, I don't, I don't want to, like, it's like, well, I got to make sure that I do everything exactly perfect.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And, and it's like, yeah, you do need to do the steps. But it's, it's not about like making mistake or like avoiding mistakes. That's kind of rooted in fear.

[C]

Sometimes you can get paralysis because you.

[B]

You'Re talking about me.

[C]

Yeah, paralysis by analysis.

[A]

But then there's the other side where it's like, you know, really believing God for big things and like coming in with more of a David mindset with, you know, God wants me to take ground, so I, I believe that he's going to use this program to help me take ground. And they kind of, they kind of go into it with more of a roll up your sleeves and like, okay, let's go. You know, and they're still, you know, worried about doing things, you know, making mistakes, but they have more of a faith filled attitude.

[B]

I think I was somewhere in the middle of those two things. There was some fear and some apprehension and even a little bit of like Jim always says he's done thousands of these dinners, but I've done nine. I know some things.

[C]

There you go. Exactly.

[B]

But, you know, I really did want to trust the process and I, I have a lot of faith in you guys. And so I, even when it was hard, I, I followed through on, you know, following the course to a T and not diverting from that. And the Lord worked in that.

[C]

Before we started the show, one of the things that Kristin said was that she's a systems grow. I think if I got you right, and that's an important aspect, but really the bigger part is looking for real change within our partners to bring, to give them opportunities. Your organization has always had opportunities. You've always had big plans, big ideas, big dreams. But it was getting it to those people and it was actually finding that connection. Who are those people that are with us? This, I think, gave you a real opportunity.

[B]

We really thought we were communicating our vision and our opportunities well. But through the course and through many conversations with you guys, I learned that we could do so much better. And we heard that over and over again this year that it was so clear, the vision was clear. The needs were clear, what we were doing was clear. So like I said, even in the things that we thought, oh, we're nailing it on this, there were still huge opportunities for growth.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Well, Kristin, I'm going to have. We're going to put some photos of your dinner on the screen, but while, while those are scrolling, describe, like, what the dinner was actually like.

[B]

It was incredible. There was an energy in both rooms that you could feel the joy from people. And I think having some people have been to nine dinners of ours before this, there was a marked difference both in how dressed up the room was, the intentionality of the program. They loved the testimonies we had. I don't think we had ever done a live testimon testimony before. They were all pre recorded. That was a big change. There was an incredible energy.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

And wow. I, I still feel that now, months later.

[C]

Well, I, I want to take a step back to and for our audience so that they understand you. You do nothing simple. So from that standpoint, I mean, you, you didn't just do two cities. You did two separate cities. You didn't do them at the same time, but you did them back to back.

[B]

We did.

[C]

So it's tough enough to do two dinners, it's tough enough to do them back to back, but to do them in, that's enormous. And those that I think, I want our audience to understand that because that's not an easy feat. And God really used you in that way. So you had two different environments. You had a Grand Rapids environment, you had an East Lansing environment, but there was energy in both. Right. Maybe different, Very different rooms.

[B]

I mean, the first night it's like almost 100% Protestant. The second night's almost 100% Catholic. Wow. So just very different in a lot of ways. Or Grand Rapids, night one, East Lansing night two. But yeah, the, the energy was there in both rooms and it went great. There were things we learned night one that we tweaked for night two and saw a difference from that. But they went really well.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

So you felt like the Lord just used the, the ministry update and the accelerators that we worked through. You felt like all that was very strong and resonated with people.

[B]

One of the things the course has us do is a dinner narrative, making sure everything comes together and the themes are seen throughout the entire event. And I think that was really felt on the night of by people. Everything connected, the testimonies, the ministry update from our executive director all the way through to our keynote speaker. And our financial appeal, all of it came together really, really nicely.

[C]

That's neat. That's neat. When you were talking about clarifying things a little bit without getting too much into the weeds, the difference what.

[B]

What.

[C]

What made it different was last that when you've been doing it the previous years, had you been just putting out a sort of a broader ask, and this time, I mean, maybe kind of unpack what clarity.

[B]

Our. Our financial appeal was very different than this was. I think the needs that we had and the opportunities for what people could partner with us to do were much clearer. I think our program was quite long, and we really tightened it up. We added that element of live testimonies from several people that really made a difference. There were so many things we did. We always had our event underwritten, so it was free to attend, but really heavily highlighted corporate sponsorships, and that sort of thing pivoted away from that, introduced a matching gift. There were. There were so many aspects. We did a giveaway to, you know, each table. People were very excited about that.

[C]

Which is funny, Isn't it? Funny how. Yeah, we just. Yeah, it's just free things.

[A]

There's a lot of little things.

[C]

If my memory serves me right, you did something, though, that. That really brought life to the event. If I'm right, you didn't. You have a training class or something that was getting ready to start, and you opened that up and launched and which to me was just like, okay, grab. Reach right into that chest and grab that heart and touch people.

[B]

Our dinner's lined up up perfectly with the launch of our summer internship program. We were. That same weekend, while we were together in this room for our vision dinners, we were having, I think, 26 interns move into housing to radically change a community's beliefs on the life issue. And we showed photos of them on the screen and said, here is an opportunity to partner with us to come alongside these interns for the summer and help them change this community. And we. We did actually have someone step up and sponsor that entire summer program, which was the greatest opportunity we shared that night. It was pretty incredible.

[C]

That is so neat. You know, one of the principles that we always teach is people give to people justified by the cost. And you took that, you took those faces, those kids, and turned that into opportunities for people to give. And that's exactly what you needed.

[A]

Wasn't that when you were, like, texting me this summer? You're like. Like, you won't believe this. I just got a check for. What was it, like, 50,000 or we.

[B]

Did even higher than that. And I. There were so many stories that came out of these Vision Dinners like that, and being able to meet with people over the last few months and hear how excited they were to partner with us, it's just incredible. To be a part of that is.

[A]

What we're talking about. Transformational giving.

[C]

It is.

[A]

We just did a whole episode. We're going to get this out to Winner's Circle soon, but we did a whole episode on the journey of the faithful. Stewart and how know it's our job as development directors to help people understand how they can, you know, exercise their calling. Like what. What they've been called to do in their heart through your organization. Because not everybody can do what you are doing, but they still have a heart for doing what you want to do.

[C]

Because a lot of people act as donors and they kind of tip you. But transformational giving, when we can take them over to that next level, when they become partners with you, they own the mission with and they see that their desires are being met through your mission. That's that sweet spot.

[B]

Today we've talked a lot about little tweaks and changes we've made to specific things, a lot of system stuff. But I really think what you just said is the heart of what we saw this year with our Vision Dinners is we saw a change in that regard that people understand we do value them as partners and we see them as partners in this ministry. I think that was felt and there's an excitement that comes with that. Not just from our team who's clearly so grateful, but I think they're excited to be a part of what we're doing as well.

[C]

Yeah. And that I don't want to diminish as a leader of a nonprofit and as someone in ministry. How revolutionary that is when people say, how can fundraising or development be ministry? That's how it's ministry you are. When we see someone come to Christ, make a decision of faith to come to Christ, that's life changing, changing. But when you see them understand how they can fulfill God's mission for their lives, you know, through their work, through their giving, that's also transformational, and that's ministry.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So that's neat.

[A]

Wow, that's amazing. Jim. Well, since. Since the dinner, I know there's a lot. We've talked a lot about, you know, what happened and. And how great the dinner was, but you raised almost double what you expected to raise. I think your goal was somewhere around 3 or 400,000, if I remember. And you raised close to 690,000. That's even like you're laughing because it's like, did that really happen?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But yeah, what has happened since then?

[C]

And it was more than just the money. It's the what happened because you got the money.

[A]

Yeah. Share with us some stories of impact. That's incredible.

[B]

I mean, while I'm here with you, we have events going on in Michigan that would not have been possible if it weren't for the infusion of support that we received through the Vision Dinner. There is such a gift in being able to go forward in ministry work for the coming year, knowing that every crazy vision God has given you for the coming year is fully funded. So we're expanding to new campuses that we didn't anticipate being able to expand to. We do an incredible three day training where brand new students come in, they get trained for three days and then deployed to communities to change people's minds. And we're doubling that event. We're able to do two of them for the very first time. And then our summer internship, we've had 26 interns launch, living together in housing, going door to door, talking to people, doing street outreach, getting some of the best training in the world. And it's been incredible. I mean, there's been babies who have been saved. There's stories. There was one sweet story of a girl who knocked on an attorney's door and he said, I know what I think about this issue and I can tell you that a 17 year old girl is not going to change my mind. But a 17 year old girl did change his mind. And I mean, we've counted examples like that of the difference that these young people are making.

[C]

Oh, neat.

[B]

It changes them. You know, the future of their lives will be impacted by what they're a part of. But the ripple effects are being felt in this entire community. In Metro Detroit is being changed as well.

[C]

I don't want to presume anything, but some of the things that I will hear oftentimes, which really warms my heart, is when board members will say, board meetings are different now. We used to worry how we were going to make the next payroll. Now we're planning for the future. Did you see any of that either with your leadership team, with your board, anything now where they dream big dreams, now where they didn't before?

[B]

Yeah. And it's interesting. It takes some time for the skeptical folks to get on board, not necessarily with our board of directors, but even staff members who are like, all these visions we have are pretty Big. Are we sure about it? I'm at times one of those skeptical people, but I am seeing over and over again what God is doing in us and through us. And every time that happens, it increases your faith and you're ready for the next big thing, whatever it is.

[C]

Neat.

[A]

Now what about the next dinner? Are you, are you seeing people? Because this happens a lot too. You know, you, you take the vision intercourse, you have a good success and then as you get closer to planning your next dinner, then people are like, well, maybe that was just like a one time fluke. Maybe, maybe it's not possible to do that again. You know, have you had any of that resistance or.

[C]

If I'm going to guilt you or fear you into anything, I'm going to fear you into sophomore slump. I don't want you having a sophomore slump.

[B]

I don't think I'm going to.

[C]

Good. No, I do not. But I'm going to still put that plant that little seed in there for you. Good, good, good, good.

[B]

No, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't heard any. I mean, I feel like the excitement is still there months later that everyone's ready to see what the future holds. And we've had a lot of people already reach out and say they want to be a table host next year who have. Have not hosted before. So.

[C]

Yep. You got a third city in mind?

[B]

Mind. Oh my goodness. That keeps getting brought up.

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

I mean we do need to eventually move towards the side of the state.

[A]

Maybe the fall potentially it is protect life Michigan idea. Yeah. So in two weeks we're going to be talking with you about that exact thing. We're going to be talking about how you can use perfect vision enters to create a movement. And that's really ultimately, you know, what your ministry is all about, right. Is you're not about, you know, changing the, the thought in one city, but ultimately one state, the entire state, which requires world.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And then hopefully once you get done one state, we're going to move to another state possibly. I know we're focused on Michigan. Y but like we have to talk.

[B]

To my board about that.

[C]

Bill Bright started with come help change the world and that's maybe that is a mod, you know, modification of board members. Are you listening where you're headed?

[B]

Well, we've got our work cut out for us in Michigan right now.

[C]

We do, Yep. Yeah.

[A]

Well, I'm looking forward to that next conversation for sure. And Kristen, it's been just a joy to see how the Lord has used you and increase your faith. And it's been just a great privilege to be able to guide you through that process. So thank you for trusting Gemini through that process.

[B]

So thank you.

[C]

Sounds good.

[A]

Yeah. Well, if anyone here is listening, you're like, wow, this perfect Vision Intercourse sounds amazing. Kristen, what would you say to maybe a pregnancy center director or just any director, right. Who's involved in ministry? Maybe a Christian camp or a Christian school or a cef? Anyone who's sitting there going, you know, I think, I think I thought just, you know, Kristen said a bunch of points there. I'm gonna. I'm sure they're writing them all down, like, okay, I'm not gonna do underwriting. I'm gonna do this. She said, oh, she said not to do that. Do this. I get to see a bunch of people just saying, like, I don't need to spend money on this. Do, do I?

[B]

You do.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

We are only scratching the surface of everything that can be learned through this course. And I know I probably had a lot of the same hesitations that many other people do. It was more money than I had ever invested in myself and in professional development before. I thought I could just learn what I could from the podcast and get by with that. But the course provides value from the second you first log on, when you have every single tool and resource and script and how to guide right at your fingertips. And then you have the ongoing mentorship, being able to ask experts every single week whatever questions that come up. I mean, I can't even begin to describe how valuable this was, not just in learning how to do the dinner, but even beyond that, shifting my perspective about fundraising and fundraising and doing ministry work with excellence. I'm telling you, it's worth every penny. You have to do it. Sign up, don't wait.

[A]

And not only. And really, the Perfect Vision Dinner is just the starting point. That's the. That's the part that a lot of people don't understand is we. We. The Perfect Vision Dinner is actually the qualifying course to the winner's circle, which now you are in.

[B]

I am.

[A]

And that's the three year program where we take you from, you know, from level to level to level. So hopefully by the end of the three years, you're going to be well over a million dollars a year through your Vision Dinner. I'm looking forward to seeing what God does through that. But that's, that's more of the coaching. Like the. The Perfect Vision Dinner is really focused on the practical, you know, 21 weeks of how to plan and execute Vision Dinner. It's very focused in on the Vision Dinner with, you know, has a begin, it has an end, has results. So it's very. It's almost a no brainer. Because it is a no brainer. Right? I mean, it pays for itself. So it pays for itself ten times over, I think.

[B]

And the fact that you have scripts and guides and examples for every single step of the process, that saves us so many hours of work.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's unbelievable.

[C]

It's great.

[A]

And so. And now what we're doing in the winter circle is being able to zone in on more of the development things. Some of that mindset of how do we develop the partners that you now have, you had 60 to 70% new people. So now we can focus on how do we build those relationships, how do we build friendships, how do we deepen. Yeah. And it's. It's really just the beginning. So there's so much more ahead. And I wish we could just matrix. Download it into your head. But, you know, there's. It takes time to get it, to get it there. But if you've been listening to this and you're like, all right, how do I sign up for the perfect Vision Inner mentorship program? Good news is, is that we are three weeks away from the next program starting. We do two cohorts a year. We do one in, in the fall, which is coming up in October 27th. That's when it's starting. Deadline for enrollment is the 24th, 4th. And so really that's gonna be focused on Vision Dinners for the spring. And then we do another one starting in May to train for Vision Dinners in the fall. So if you've been listening to the episode today and you're like, how do I get started? Scan the QR code that's on the screen or click the link in the description below or in the chat that will take you to a place where you can fill out a quick application and get on a call with one of our team members and they'll walk you through whether or not the program is a good fit for you. But for most people, it is a good fit. And for most of you, you know, we can't wait to start working with you, you know, this fall. So definitely check it out. Enrollment is filling up quick. We usually do fill up, you know, by. By around this time, so don't wait on it. And I know that a lot of you have to get, you know, board approval and all that kind of stuff, so make sure you leave time, you know, to talk to your board and get all the get all that worked out. You know, it's not something you can just sign up for, you know, two minutes before the program starts. But just know that Jim and I, we do this twice a year, and we cannot wait to work with you and help take you to the next level, just like we helped Kristen. Well, Kristen, thank you for taking the time to join us on.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me.

[A]

Yeah, it's been great. And thank you for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, let us know in the chat below. What did Kristen say that just really got you thinking? Let us know in the comment section. And also please subscribe because we got a lot of great content coming out soon. Well, thanks a lot for joining us. We'll see you next time.

[C]

Take care.