91. Giving Hope and a Future: How a Maternity Home Raised $592K [The $10M Story, Part 5 of 5]

Summary

Summary of Episode 91: "Giving Hope and a Future: How a Maternity Home Raised $592K"

The Fundraising Masterminds Podcast Episode 91 features Becky Perez, the Executive Director of 2911 Maternity Home based in San Diego, California. Hosted by Jim Dempsey and Jason Galisinski, this episode is the final installment in the five-part series titled The $10 Million Story, which showcases how participants from the 2024 Perfect Vision Dinner class collectively raised over $10 million. In this episode, Becky shares her inspiring journey of overcoming fundraising challenges to raise $592,000 for her ministry.

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Introduction to 2911 Maternity Home

The episode begins with a brief video introduction to 2911 Maternity Home, highlighting its mission to support pregnant women in crisis situations. Through housing, life skills, and emotional support, 2911 aims to save unborn lives and transform the lives of mothers.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [00:10]: "We raised $592,000."

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Becky Perez’s Journey

Becky Perez recounts her transition from an elementary school teacher in a low-income area of San Diego to founding 2911 Maternity Home. Motivated by her faith and the need to utilize a property her family owned, Becky and her husband sought to address the local need for a maternity home after participating in mission trips abroad became less feasible due to family commitments.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [05:58]: "The concept of a maternity home was such a perfect combination of my husband's heart to help people during a critical time and my passion for pro-life issues."

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Challenges of Starting a Nonprofit

Becky discusses the initial hurdles of launching 2911, particularly the complexities of partnering with her spouse. Balancing different problem-solving approaches—her husband's business acumen versus her heartfelt vision—proved challenging. Securing board members and making essential community connections were significant early obstacles.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [07:43]: "Starting a nonprofit organization with your spouse is challenging, but once we closed the door to my life as a teacher, God flung the doors wide open."

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Fundraising Struggles and Initial Successes

Early fundraising efforts included annual banquets, which initially provided a solid donor base and raised up to $200,000. However, Becky notes the difficulty in sustaining growth through repeated events with the same attendees, leading to stagnation and the need for fresh strategies.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [10:04]: "Our annual banquet raised $200,000, but we knew we needed to bring new people into the room to sustain our funding."

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Discovering Fundraising Masterminds

Becky shares how she discovered the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast and the Perfect Vision Dinner program through her avid conference attendance. After several months of engaging with the podcast and consulting with Jason Galisinski, Becky was convinced to join the mentorship program despite initial skepticism from her husband and board.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [12:59]: "After talking to Jason, I felt like it was an investment that would be worth it."

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Implementing Perfect Vision Dinner Strategies

The Perfect Vision Dinner course revitalized Becky’s approach to fundraising. Key changes included:

• Reaffirming the Importance of Table Hosts: Becky reintroduced the table host strategy with a new approach, focusing on empowering hosts with clear roles and responsibilities.

  Quote:

  Becky Perez [17:45]: "We needed to give table hosts a job description to effectively invite guests."

• Enhancing Event Presentation: Introduction of a ministry intro video and shifting the appeal from Becky to her husband added variety and authenticity to the event narrative.

  Quote:

  Becky Perez [26:00]: "We did a partner video featuring our landlords, which resonated deeply with attendees."

• Improving Guest Experience: Shorter, engaging events with high-quality venues and respect for attendees' time garnered positive feedback and increased generosity.

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Event Execution and Remarkable Success

Utilizing the new strategies, Becky hosted a fundraising dinner with less than 200 guests, surpassing her $400,000 faith goal by raising an impressive $592,000. This achievement was attributed to:

• Targeted Invitations: Leveraging new connections and community figures introduced through the table host strategy.

• Donor Engagement: High-quality presentations and meaningful storytelling inspired attendees to contribute generously without feeling coerced.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [24:05]: "We raised $592,000 with less than 200 guests who gave so generously."

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Impact and Future Plans

The substantial funds raised have enabled 2911 Maternity Home to plan significant expansions, including renovating existing properties and potentially acquiring new locations. Additionally, non-financial support from donors, such as construction services and materials, has been secured to aid these developments.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [21:08]: "We have pledges covering construction costs and materials, which is a huge step forward for our ministry."

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Advice to Fellow Nonprofits

Becky passionately recommends investing in the Perfect Vision Dinner program, emphasizing the value of following a proven blueprint while allowing for customization to fit each ministry’s unique needs. She highlights the importance of mentorship, community, and strategic planning in overcoming fundraising obstacles.

Notable Quote:

Becky Perez [30:21]: "If you want your ministry to grow and reach more people, this is your next step."

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Conclusion and Future Aspirations

Jim and Jason commend Becky for her dedication and success, expressing excitement for her future milestones, including the aspiration to organize a $1 million dinner. Becky’s story serves as a testament to the effectiveness of strategic fundraising, community support, and unwavering faith in achieving and surpassing financial goals for a meaningful cause.

Notable Quote:

Jason Galisinski [29:42]: "Becky, you were the only one in the class that hit the gold award mark. We’re super excited for you."

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Get Involved with 2911 Maternity Home

Listeners interested in supporting Becky’s mission or learning more about 2911 Maternity Home can visit their website at 2911.org, named after Jeremiah 29:11, reflecting the hope and future the ministry strives to provide for mothers and their children.

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Final Remarks:

This episode encapsulates the transformative journey of 2911 Maternity Home, showcasing how strategic fundraising and community engagement can lead to remarkable financial achievements. Becky Perez’s experience offers valuable insights and inspiration for nonprofit leaders seeking to elevate their fundraising efforts and expand their impact.

Transcript

[Jason Galison Ski]

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

[Becky Perez]

I was stretched by you, Jim, to set our faith goal for the event to be $400,000. In my mind, there was no way that we were going to hit that goal. So I kind of was holding on really tightly to our internal goal. I thought, okay, I'm comfortable with $250,000. So we raised $592,000.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Wow.

[Jim Dempsey]

Unbelievable.

[Jason Galison Ski]

You blew past that 400,000 by just a small 200.

[Becky Perez]

You know, if you follow the steps, you will be successful. I really believe that. And the amount that we're investing in the program to receive all of your collective wisdom, I mean, you could be charging more for this. Honestly, you're making it very affordable.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Welcome back to another episode here at the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast. We are super excited to have you join with us today. We are in a five part series called the $10 million story. I know what we're doing is we are taking five people from our 2024 class.

[Jim Dempsey]

Right.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Which we trained over a hundred organizations through the Perfect Vision Dinner. And we're telling the story of how the class together collectively raised over $10 million.

[Jim Dempsey]

Just amazing. I was blown away at those numbers.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah. And today's guest is part of that class.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Galison Ski]

So before we get into it, my name is Jason Galison Ski. And with me, my co host, Jim Dempsey.

[Jim Dempsey]

Hi, Jason.

[Jason Galison Ski]

And I am excited about today's episode. This is our last episode of the $10 million story series. If you haven't heard any of the other stories, you are missing out. We are just having some incredible conversations with some incredible people around the country who have taken the Perfect Vision in our story. They have great stories, just insightful to listen to. Last week we were talking to Mai and just learning about how God put on her heart to start a Christian school and how that whole journey went. It's just so encouraging to hear her story. And today we've got someone from a maternity home who is based in San Diego, California. And this person went through the Perfect vision in her class, had their very first Perfect Vision dinner in the fall of 2024. And I'd love to bring her on in just a second. But before we do, we just want to play a quick three minute video so that you can learn more about this awesome ministry called 2911 maternity home.

[Narrator]

With its great climate and stunning scenery, San Diego has declared itself to be America's finest city. But that self proclaimed title doesn't mean much to the women calling 2911 for help because they are pregnant, living in unsafe situations, hopeless and desperate for someone to help them.

[Testimonial Speaker 1]

When I had found I was pregnant, I had also found out that I could not live in the house that I was living with. It all went downhill from there. Here 2911 comes and I seen God drastically transform my life. I was homeless and now I have a roof over my head in 29 11, about to get my daughter back when I was sleeping in that corner, wishing that I could hold her in my arms.

[Narrator]

2911 was founded in 2014 in response to a calling to stand in the gap for women who found themselves in a crisis or unexpected pregnancy and who were feeling unimaginable pressure to abort their child.

[Testimonial Speaker 2]

I lived in a mansion in Point Loma. Every door in that home had locks on it because they were all users. I lived in the living room, pregnant, with no doors, no locks. I just needed somewhere to sleep.

[Narrator]

These situations can feel desperate and seemingly hopeless, and they would be if not for two.

[Testimonial Speaker 2]

But God, my friend, calls 2911, and that's the Lord moment right there. Right when I walked through the doors, I just felt the Holy Spirit. And that was the one thing that I was missing from my life. My chaotic life at that time.

[Narrator]

Named after the verse Jeremiah 29:11, which says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. 2911 celebrates motherhood in difficult circumstances as we provide housing, foundational life skills, love and support. Lives are changed and harmful cycles are broken.

[Becky Perez]

The experience of being able to have my daughter in a loving environment, I've.

[Testimonial Speaker 1]

Gotten a chance to connect with moms who are going through the same thing that I'm going through.

[Becky Perez]

It's been a blessing to be here, especially because otherwise I don't exactly know where I would be.

[Narrator]

2911 provides a 1 of a kind opportunity for vulnerable pregnant women. Whether they decide to parent their child or place for adoption. Women get the housing, help and community they need. We exist to save the life of the unborn child while transforming the life of the mother.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow, Jason, that was powerful and what an exciting ministry. I can't wait to hear the story.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah. Well, joining us on the podcast is Becky Perez. She's the executive director of 2911 Maternity Home and Becky joins us from from San Diego, California. Becky, welcome to the show.

[Becky Perez]

Thank you. So happy to be here.

[Jason Galison Ski]

We would love to just hear your story of how you got involved in this awesome work in San Diego. Could you tell a little bit of your story of how you got involved?

[Becky Perez]

Yes. So my background was actually as an elementary school teacher, and I taught in one of the lowest income areas of San Diego. My husband is a business litigator, and I was at home on maternity leave with one of our kids. And I was just doing a lot of reading, trying to understand the concept of God's grace. And one of the books that I read had a very slight reference to a maternity home. That really sent me on this quest to figure out what was a maternity home, because at that time, my husband and I were really praying for what we could do locally with a property that we owned here in San Diego that was sitting unused. And we had done a lot of missions trips in Haiti, Mexico. But as we had more and more children, it became almost impractical for us to go thousands of miles to go serve somewhere when we knew that there was plenty of needs here in San Diego. So we were really praying about what we could do with this property. And the concept of a maternity home was such a perfect combination of my husband's heart to help people when they're at a very critical time in their life where if you help them, they can go on to do great things. If you don't give them the help, they could spiral downward. And it also combined my. My passion for pro life issues.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow, that is great, Becky. I appreciate that so much. Becky, being a founder, I know that's not, you know, easy to start something from scratch. Tell me some of the challenges that you had to face being a founder, you and your husband, you know, just, you know, what it took to start a nonprofit, what it took to, you know, to. To get things going, and especially that whole ominous area of fundraising that is always chall.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah.

[Becky Perez]

I mean, there are a lot of challenges that come with starting an organization from the ground up, and especially when you're doing it with your spouse. My husband and I, we, you know, obviously, we have very different ways of thinking, thinking through things. He is very business minded. I am more of, you know, thinking with my heart while at the same time having a hard time with big vision. But what I did find was once we actually closed the door to my life as a teacher, God just really started flinging the doors wide open to move forward. The dream of the maternity home, because really, it was something that we had sat on for about a year. We shared it with our small group, we shared it with a few people, but it was such A big dream that it was kind of scary to put it out there, but when we did, God was just so good to immediately start connecting us with people who would be our first board members and, you know, helped us make important connections within the. But it was challenging, and it remains challenging, especially in the area of fundraising and development. Although we've had some major breakthroughs recently.

[Jim Dempsey]

Oh, boy. Well, you know, they say you aren't even supposed to do wallpaper with your husband. So to start a non profit organization with your spouse, that. That is. That definitely is challenging. I appreciate that. From the fundraising standpoint. Tell me, tell me some of the things that you had to go through. What are some of the challenges that, you know, got you to the point where, you know, you knew. I'm sure you know that that's always. It tends to be the stopping point for a lot of nonprofit organizations, or at least the speed bump that, oh, man, we want to do this, but, oh, golly, we have to raise money to do that. Tell me some of those challenges that you face, or was raising money just always really easy for you?

[Becky Perez]

No, raising money, it remains a challenge for me, and that's why I am so grateful for help of people like you and Jason. But in the beginning, we knew that we needed to have some sort of an annual banquet. You know, we called it a banquet.

[Jim Dempsey]

Sure.

[Becky Perez]

And thankfully, I had a mentor in the maternity housing world who she provided as kind of one of her side jobs, banquet training. So we knew that we need. We needed to invest in something like that to help us not have to reinvent the wheel. So before we even opened, we invested in some banquet training, and it was very helpful. We got some good principles, really set us up for success, and we had our first annual banquet and did really well. And that was about 10 years ago. But what we found was that, you know, the principles that we learned, we felt like, are these really the most up to date principles? Are we, you know, implementing everything the way that we should? We had a really hard time finding people, especially as a new organization, who could serve as our table hosts, which is so important to a fundraising dinner. And we just kind of struggled along through the years, and eventually we moved away from the table host strategy because we weren't getting the right people in the room. We had a beautiful venue. You know, we had a. What we felt was like a really nice program. But we. There was a few years where it was just like the giving was not what it should have been. So we moved away from the single host strategy and Then just, you know, just relied upon our, you know, our mailing list on our donor base to make those invites. And so we had, we had successful banquets even the year before joining the Perfect Vision Dinner program. I want to say we had, you know, less than 100 people and we raised $200,000.

[Jim Dempsey]

Okay.

[Becky Perez]

And that was exciting. But at the same time, I knew that there was no way that we would be able to sustain that. We were tapping into the same circle over and over again. And I knew that if we didn't get a lot of new people in the doors that our funding eventually was going to run out. All it would really take would be two or three key people not to come to the banquet, and our events would be, you know, pretty disastrous. But, you know, that being said, it did give us a good base of support over the years. We did. We were able to grow our monthly donor base through that event. That's always been our primary, our primary fundraising event and, you know, will remain to be our primary source of revenue because otherwise we're just doing kind of some smaller scale events, like maybe some baby bottle campaigns. We do a spring, spring auction, but nothing near on the level of the Perfect Vision Dinner.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. Well, Becky, you know, one of the things that, Why I appreciate you so much is that you could have stopped at that 200,000. I mean, there's. There are ministries out there that would give the right arm to raise $200,000 and they would just be happy, be satisfied, sit on that plateau for years and just be satisfied. But you weren't satisfied with that amount. You knew there was more out there somehow. You knew there was something better that God had for you. Tell, tell us, tell our audience. How did you find out about fundraising masterminds? How did you hear about us? What was the. What were your steps, your decision making process that got you to the point where you needed to pull the trigger and say, we need to do something different and these guys are the ones that can help us.

[Becky Perez]

I honestly don't know how I found the two of you. I can only imagine I was at, you know, I'm a conference junkie, so I go to, you know, the Heartbeat conference every year and, you know, this conference, that conference. So I can only imagine I got on your mailing list somewhere along the way. Okay. And just started, started watching your podcasts and started reading Jason's emails that would go out, especially about the Perfect Vision dinner program. And because that was an area that I knew was so critical to our ministry's success, it caught my attention because we were just. I did feel like we were spinning our wheels over and over again. And there was so much tension and frustration, really, around planning this event that I knew there had to be a better way to do it. And it just sounded like you two were the experts, which I now know you are. And so it took several months of watching the podcast. I had at least one 30 minute conversation with Jason to hear more about the program. And after I talked to him, I really felt like I was sold. I felt like it was an investment that would be worth it, that it would be one that would pay off. But then I had to go through the convincing of getting approval from our board and from my husband because he's a little more skeptical when it comes to investing into things, and he's very mindful of the ministry's money and doesn't want to be wasteful. So he wanted to make sure that it was really a legitimate program. And so we had another conversation with Jason, and even at that point, he wasn't truly sold, but he trusted my passion around this and that I really thought it would bring value. And then we got approval and we jumped in.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow. Well, I'll tell you, Becky, I tend to, over the years, I tend to have a gut for certain ministries and certain teams that there's just something the Lord always gives me that discernment to say, this ministry is going to do well. And I think one of, from one of our very early calls, I remember sitting in the. In the crew parking lot, you and I having a call, and I just said, you know what? Becky's going to have a great dinner. I just. Something just told me you were. And I mean, just your connections and you know, what an amazing ministry you're doing was just such a. Such a privilege.

[Becky Perez]

Yeah. And I remember that, Paul, and that's one of the things that has always stood out to me participating in this program is the fact that you and Jason, you really care about the success of the people who are going through the program. It's not, you know, it's not a way for you just to make some extra money. I can tell that you really pour your heart and soul into this program so that we can all be successful so that God's kingdom can grow.

[Jim Dempsey]

Boy, definitely appreciate that so much.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah. Well, Becky, there's so many of you talked about going to the pregnancy center conferences and being a conference junkie, and I know that there's a lot of pregnancy centers out there, maternity home, people out there who are listening to this episode. And they're thinking, you know what? I'm kind of at that place where I feel stuck. The great thing about the pregnancy center movement that I love is that they did seem to latch on to this fundraising gala thing fairly early on. And there's a handful of people who went through, provided some manuals and kind of basic ideas. They kind of generally teach what we teach. I think some of them even learned from Jim Dempsey himself. But a lot of the manuals that are out there are 10, 15, 20 years old. And a lot of these pregnancy centers are just kind of handed down. Directors come and go every five years, and the board kind of just hands down this manual and says, hey, here's the manual. Just follow this and you'll be fine. And so they go through the motions and they know kind of like what to do. But they just kind of have the same people every year. They have the same message every year. People come with their checks already pre written. You know, they're not really casting vision. There's no energy, there's no excitement. They're just kind of stagnant or even dropping.

[Jim Dempsey]

It's replication, not multiplication.

[Jason Galison Ski]

And so we really want to help infuse that life, you know, back into the pregnancy center movement, you know, to where you are kind of taking the vision that God has put on you and throwing it in front of new people. Right. We want to get you in front of new people. So, Becky, one of my questions is, how did the perfect vision dinner course help you kind of find new people?

[Becky Perez]

Well, one of the main things it did was it reaffirmed for me the importance of table hosts. And it lit a fire under me that, okay, we've been around almost 10 years now. We've made some great connections. We can go back to this, to this table host strategy. We can reach out and we can tap into the people that love 2911 and tap into their friends and their circles. And so, you know, like I mentioned, we moved away from that because we hadn't been so successful with it. But I felt equipped through the course to explain it in a new way to really give the table hosts a job description, you know, for lack of a better term, and enable them to be able to be good and effective table hosts, to tell them, you know, this is who we're looking for, and, you know, just believe that they would prayerfully be inviting their guests and God was going to put the right people in the room because our event had gotten, you know, it had gotten stagnant. And, yeah, we just we needed this. This energy that I felt like we were at kind of a critical place to be, to be able to have the type of event that we've been dreaming of.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. Well, Becky, you know, Jason kind of set you up with, we have all these pregnancy centers that are out there. They're having to make decisions about things. What would you say to those pregnancy centers? I mean, if you've been at all those conferences, you've met so many of those people, what would say to them that would, you know, maybe help them to understand that, hey, here's a program that you ought to consider.

[Becky Perez]

Yeah. So I want to say during the course, one of you, maybe both of you, equate it to following the recipe for a cake, you know, like a delicious cake. And it's true. Like, that's what's within this mentorship program is a recipe. I mean, obviously there's going to be some things that you, you know, you customize and tailor to your ministry, but if you follow the steps, you will be successful. I really believe that. And the amount that we are investing in the program to receive, decades and decades of all of your collective wisdom, I mean, you could be charging more for more for this. Honestly, I'm thankful that you aren't. And you're making it very affordable. But it is an investment that, you know, I wish we had done it a year before when I was originally looking into it. But, you know, God's timing is. Is perfect. And he just. He knew. He knew the right time for 2911 to participate in this.

[Jim Dempsey]

Well, Becky, I remember at one point in the process, you were kind of, as we were going through the accelerators, you'd kind of. Early on you said, boy, we'd love to buy another house or multiple houses. And then there's a point where you said, nah, I think we're gonna have to put pause on that. And first question I'd have for you, have you started thinking about, okay, now that we've got this much money, maybe we can think about the possibility of getting more. And then you told me at one point after the dinner, you said that it didn't stop with the money you got, that you had individuals that came alongside. We want to help you with various things. So non cash or, you know, in kinds of things. I'd love to have you respond to those two questions. The first one about, you know, are what. What are we thinking? What did this open up the door for future plans? And then secondly, what were some of the things that you got as a result Afterwards.

[Becky Perez]

Yes. So we are currently operating out of two homes in San Diego, both of which we rent. We have actually never operated out of the home that started the whole vision for 29 11, which is a property that my husband and I own. And so that's always kind of been on the back burner because that needs, you know, a tremendous amount of money to be able to become operational. So we're talking, you know, upwards of $400,000, $500,000.

[Jim Dempsey]

Okay.

[Becky Perez]

And so that was. That was one of the goals that I was thinking about as we were planning during the Perfect Vision Dinner. Like, we could. We could focus on that property. But I felt like people had been hearing about that house for so long that they, you know, they don't want to hear about it again. They were kind of tired of hearing about it. And as we were goal setting within the Perfect Vision Dinner program, I was stretched by you, Jim, to set our faith goal for the event to be $400,000. And really there was, in my mind, there was no way that we were going to hit that goal. So I kind of was holding on really tightly to our internal goal, which was $250,000. I thought, okay, we raised $200,000 the year before. I'm comfortable with $250,000. Little did I know God would have so much more than that for us. But throughout that process, it did become apparent, like, yes, this is the time that God wants us to focus on that original home. And we went back and forth with, maybe we just buy a property or do we focus on the renovation cost for this property? And ultimately we landed on presenting to our guests the fact that we really want to hit hard in 2025, renovating that original property so that we can have three locations in San Diego. And it was fantastic because throughout the program, people were so excited about everything that they were hearing about 29 11. And we had so many new guests at our event. I mean, people that for years we'd been hearing, you need to get this person to your event. You need to get this person to our event. Okay, well, that's great, but we have no connection with that person. How do we get them to our event? Well, this year, with our new table hosts, we had some really amazing key people from the San Diego community come to our event and. And then some new friends that really weren't even on our radar, but people that have, you know, a significant impact in the community and they want to help. 2911, we've had pledges for, you know, to have Construction costs covered to have, you know, materials, labor. We had a donor that's offered to rebuild the office structure on the property that we're focusing on, you know, at his cost. So we just had some, you know, some really. Some really amazing people in the room that night that are going to be coming alongside 2911 as soon as we get our permits or the property.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Galison Ski]

And, Becca, you said you were struggling with your faith goal of 400,000. What did you guys end up raising in total afterwards?

[Becky Perez]

So we raised $592,000.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow. Unbelievable.

[Jason Galison Ski]

So you blew past that 400,000 by just a small 200. You know, just.

[Becky Perez]

Just.

[Jason Galison Ski]

It's incredible.

[Becky Perez]

We did. And the thing that blows my mind, too, is that we raised that not with a ballroom full of 500 or 600 people.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah.

[Becky Perez]

We had less than 200 guests.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow.

[Becky Perez]

And they just. They gave so generously, and they. They caught the vision.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah.

[Becky Perez]

And they want to help these pregnant women and their children who are without resources here in San Diego.

[Jim Dempsey]

Wow. Becky, did you have to guilt these people into anything? You didn't have to coerce them. You didn't have to twist arms, lock doors or anything like that?

[Becky Perez]

Yes, we actually. We locked the doors just for a little bit.

[Jim Dempsey]

Okay.

[Becky Perez]

But the food was so good. People were okay with it.

[Jim Dempsey]

Good. All right. As long as the fire marshal wasn't there. That was. That's a good thing. No, that's what I love Becky so much, is just, you know, so many ministries, and yours is just indicative of this, that people just need to hear about these amazing ministries. And you're. You're. You're doing such a great job. And I had the opportunity, you know, I'd been hearing about your husband so much up till the. Through the dinner, and then, you know, when we got towards the very end, you brought him on the call. And you both are really a dynamic duo. I mean, you guys are just perfect together. So you got. You both would do wallpaper well together. I know that. But. But starting this amazing ministry, you. You both are just tremendous, and I can. I can see why. And I. I think just getting your message out, that's. That is. That was one of the. You know, the. The things that we felt like was just so important is just getting. Getting your message out to the right people, and people would buy right into it.

[Becky Perez]

Yeah. And I feel like it was some really small tweaks within our program. Obviously, we did a lot of tweaking, but there were some very small changes that were recommended to implement that we did And I think those were, you know, that was what really helped people to see what we're doing. Like, for example, the ministry intro video, the three minute video that you showed a part of at the beginning of this. We hadn't done anything like that before. And that was just such a great way to catch people up to speed on 29 11's history and where we are now. And another change was it used to be almost like the Becky show at the dinner. I was up on stage all the time just, you know, almost for lack of, like, people to feel confident in, you know, sharing about 29 11. So I would do the director's report. I would do. And we had done away with a speaker. So I was the speaker for the evening. I was doing the appeal, I was doing this, I was doing that. And I told them, you guys, people are tired of hearing from me year after year. So we brought my husband in to do the appeal. And people loved it. They loved how prayerful he was. They loved how it was just. It slowed down and it wasn't like a rushed process, you know, to fill out your pledge card. We gave them time to, you know, to pray. And then another big change was we, instead of just focusing on resident testimony videos, we did a partner video. And the couple that we featured is our landlords at one of our homes. And their interview, I mean, they just knocked it out of the park and they were in the room and it was just like these small changes that all added up to make a really impressive event. Because if you can imagine, in San Diego, there are a ton of these events that people are going to in the fall. I mean, it's like every weekend we're at a different fundraising crew.

[Jim Dempsey]

Does three themselves. Just in, in San Diego, if I'm not mistaken. High school and everything.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah. And Becky, I'd love to hear from you. Like, just what. What did your guests think of the event? I mean, I'm sure a lot of them go to a lot of fundraisers. Did they give some, some positive feedback about it?

[Becky Perez]

Yes. So we, we had nothing but positive feedback. The venue that we hold our event at is a very exclusive event in. Or venue in San Diego. And so a lot of people had never been there before, so they felt like they were really being treated to a very fancy, you know, evening. And so they loved the venue. They loved hearing the, the. The stories that were shared. We don't do them live our.

[Jim Dempsey]

Oh, yeah, that's probably hard with your audience.

[Becky Perez]

So, yeah, with our, Our, our residents. So we do Everything videotaped. But we have a fantastic videographer who can just really tell such a great story. And people were so grateful that we respected their time. I mean, we were in and out of their two hours. And, you know, we've been to some of these events where they go on three plus hours and people are tired.

[Jim Dempsey]

Yeah. Becky, did you do a match as well?

[Becky Perez]

Yes, we did. We had. Was it 40 or 50? We had a $50,000 matching grant.

[Jim Dempsey]

Boy, see, that makes such a big difference when you have that much. Next year. 100,000. That would be okay.

[Jason Galison Ski]

One of the things that I love about the Perfect Vision interventorship program is we actually try to incentivize people by awards. Right? So we have a bronze award for people who raise 100,000 or more. We have a silver award for people who raise 250,000 or more. And I think Becky was eyeing the silver award, but she ended up winning the gold award, which is for people who raise 500,000 or more. And, Becky, you were the only one in the class in the fall of 2024 that hit that gold award mark. And so we're super excited for you that you were able to hit that major milestone.

[Jim Dempsey]

Becky, we got that million dollar award out there, too. You are going to. I'm. I'm feeling it.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah.

[Jim Dempsey]

You are going to be our first million dollar dinner.

[Becky Perez]

I'm ready for the challenge.

[Jim Dempsey]

Good, good.

[Jason Galison Ski]

We won't hit.

[Jim Dempsey]

We won't do it just this next year. We'll give you a few years to hit there, but.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Yeah. No. So Becky's. Because she won the award, she's a part of the winner's circle community now. And. And she's integrated into the win, keep and lift model. Right. So we're working through the development model and the communication. So there's just nothing but good ahead for Becky. And we're just so excited for her.

[Jim Dempsey]

We really are.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Becky, what would you say to any pregnancy centers or maternity homes that are kind of struggling right now financially? What. What advice would you give them?

[Becky Perez]

Well, my advice would be to invest in this program. I mean, Jim and Jason are the real deal. You're not just getting mentors out of this program either. You're really getting friends. I do feel like we've developed a friendship along the way, and I feel so blessed to be able to have people to call on, you know, for advice, for learning, for support. And I. I just. Honestly, if you want your ministry to grow and if you want to be able to reach the people that God has out There waiting for you to help fund your ministry. This is. This is your next step.

[Jim Dempsey]

That's neat. Thanks, Becky.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Jason Galison Ski]

So if you are interested in getting involved in the Perfect Vision that are mentorship program, you've got to act now, because this is the last week before we close enrollment. Right. So we got a week left to go. The next class starts May 5th of 2025. The next one won't be until all the way to the fall. You know, so if you are thinking about doing this vision dinner thing and you're like, you know what? I've been hearing about this, and I'd really like to give it a try. I think I'd like to do a vision dinner in the fall. Then you gotta join the program now. So go to the QR code on the screen, scan the QR code, and fill out the application. Get in touch with our team. We'll set up a call. We'll make sure you're a good fit, and then we'll get you in there. We've got, like, a week left until enrollment closes, so don't miss this amazing opportunity to work with Jim and I, as we would love to help get your nonprofit the funding that it needs this fall. So check out the perfect vision inner mentorship program. And, Becky, you said that you raised 590. If there are some people listening to this episode who would love to put you over the top and get you to that $600,000 mark, how can they learn about your organization? What website can they go to to help you and to get in touch with you?

[Becky Perez]

Yeah. Thank you. So our website is 2911. Org, and that's with 2 9, the number 2 9, and then the word 11 spelled out. And in case you're wondering, 2911 comes from the verse Jeremiah 29:11, which talks about the hope in the future that God has for us.

[Jim Dempsey]

Nice. Love that. Yep. Yep. Absolutely.

[Becky Perez]

Awesome.

[Jason Galison Ski]

Well, Becky, thank you so much for joining us on today's episode. And, Jim, this wraps up our series of the $10 million story. I mean, we could. We. We had over 100 organizations go through. We could probably spend all year on this, which I personally would love, because it's just so cool to hear all the stories, and it's just so encouraging. This is exactly why we do what we do, right? So, Becky, thank you for coming on today's episode, and thank you for joining us on this week's episode. We'll see you next week.

[Jim Dempsey]

Take care. Sa.