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Chapter One: Tragedy Strikes! 

Things begin to fall apart and the situation you’re in seems to be getting worse before it gets better. It almost feels like a plot to a twisted book. Is there any end to this chapter, to this book even? We’ve all had moments where everything seems to be falling apart.

At GiveSendGo we often see these narratives play out in campaigns across our platform, people all over the world stuck in hopeless situations. 

But, isn’t that the start of every great story? The protagonist is faced with some problem they just can’t seem to get past and just before they give up someone comes along and guides them down the right path, the path to victory, the path to their happy ending. 

In this story, there are many heroes, and, guess what, you’re one of them! 

First, the campaign owner.

This person is the one who creates the GiveSendGo campaign. Maybe they see a need, whether in their own life, or in the life of someone they know in their church, community, or family. They simply see a need and have a desire to fill that need. 

This is where GiveSendGo comes into the narrative. We see your need and come alongside you as a guide, providing a platform where you can raise money for that very need. We want to do everything in our power to see your campaign successful at the end of your journey. In faith, you step out, with us as your guide, and you begin raising funds for that need. The future ahead of you and full of possibilities. 

And sure, raising money is an intimidating, confusing thing. That’s why it’s important to us to provide a safe, reliable, and free platform where you feel confident voicing your needs and raising money. The journey may also be long and sometimes discouraging when there’s no end in sight. That’s why GiveSendGo provides encouragement in the form of prayer partners who will call you, and other campaign owners, to pray for you and your campaign. 

But every story has supporting roles, characters the protagonist couldn’t succeed without. They’re heroes too and ones you’ll be glad to journey alongside. 

This next hero is the Giver.

Givers are essential to keeping the story alive and moving forward through the donations they make to GiveSendGo campaigns. Without them and their donations, you would never make it to your end fundraising goal. These are the people with hearts of generosity and kindness, who simply want to give what they can to someone whose story touched their heart. 

No matter how much each giver is able or willing to give, we always encourage them that their donations make an impact in the lives of thousands of people on our platform. In fact, the Givers Army is made up of a community of these givers who have pledged to give to campaigns each month. We celebrate our Army of Givers by having annual parties, sending them a thank-you package in the mail, and more! It’s a community any giver can join! 

GiveSendGo would like to thank all the heroes on our platform! If you’ve chosen GiveSendGo as your fundraising platform, we’re honored to be a part of your story and to help you in your journey to raising money and meeting a large community of givers who will play such an integral part in your story! We can’t wait to see how your journey unfolds! We hope you’ll also consider giving to someone else’s cause and be a part of their amazing story, as well! 

So you’re trying to raise some money? Maybe you’re trying to pay for those expensive medical bills or want to raise funds for a legal defense. Maybe you know of a family in your community who’s in need or there’s a group in your church going on a mission trip. No matter what the reason is, everyone can agree on one thing - raising money can be a hassle. So, what do you do? 

The great news is that there are so many people out there in the world, especially those within your inner circle, who have a heart to give! Thanks to the internet, there’s tons of platforms out there that allow these givers to donate to cases like yours and they specialize in crowdfunding to help you conveniently and efficiently raise money for your needs, wants, and goals. 

So, let's see if crowdfunding is right for you!

Pros:

1. It’s super easy to use!

Forget the hassle of trying to organize a bake sale or trivia night to raise money for your cause. Instead of wasting your time and money on creative fundraising endeavors or events, simply turn on your computer and set up your fundraising campaign from home. Crowdfunding makes raising money so convenient and effortless. In fact, the average time it takes to set up your campaign is less than 5 minutes! Crowdfunding campaigns are also easily shareable on social media and through email and text with just a few clicks.

2. Not a lot of financial risk

Not only are fundraising events and endeavors a hassle, oftentimes they can cost you the very money you’re trying to raise. Crowdfunding usually costs very little to raise money, so there’s less financial risk. Therefore, you can focus on raising and saving the money you make to put towards your cause instead of spending it on start-up costs. 

3. You gain access to a whole new community of people

Crowdfunding attracts and unites a large community of people who love to give and help others. The more you share and get the word out about your campaign, the more wonderful people you have the chance to connect with because of their support for your campaign!

Cons:

1. It takes time, planning, and effort to get the word out

Ask anyone who’s crowdfunded before - it takes work. It's a common misconception that once you create a campaign everyone and their cousin will give to your cause. That’s simply not true. You have to share your campaign with your friends, family, co-workers, church family, community, etc. to get the word out. It’s typically those close to you that will care to give to your campaign. As you share your campaign through social media, text, and email you’ll begin to see people you recognize giving to your cause. Asking those who have given to your campaign to share it with their friends and family will help spread your cause to others and give you a greater chance of getting outside donations. 

Additionally, while setting up a campaign doesn’t take very long to do, it does take a little extra time to do it well. You need to write a description for your campaign that tells your story, hooks the reader, inspires others to give to your cause, and tells them exactly how they can give (typically all between 300-500 words). It’s best to also provide regular updates to your donors so they know how your campaign journey is going. Again, crowdfunding takes time, even after you’ve created the campaign. 

2. Your campaign might not reach its goal 

On any given crowdfunding platform there are thousands of campaigns. Realistically, if those you’ve shared your campaign with already aren’t giving to your cause your campaign may not reach its end goal. Unfortunately, this is the case for around one third of people who start a crowdfunding campaign.

3. Your campaign might get taken down on certain platforms 

Many crowdfunding platforms take down campaigns because it “violated their terms of service” or they simply disagree with it’s message. All that effort down the drain, your voice silenced, and your cause crushed. There’s no telling if this will happen to your campaign, so make sure to choose one who won’t censor you! 

So now that we’ve presented the crowdfunding facts, it’s time to tell you about GiveSendGo!

1. GiveSendGo prays for its campaign users and encourages others to do the same! GiveSendGo has special Prayer Partners that call each and every GiveSendGo campaign owner to pray for them and their campaign. What other crowdfunding platform does that? Additionally, each GiveSendGo campaign features a “Pray Now” button which allows you to send a prayer message to any campaign owner on our site. Whether you’re donating to their cause or not, we always encourage you to pray for them and their needs! We also have a prayer wall where you can submit your prayer requests and praises, as well as pray for others prayer requests. 

2. GiveSendGo won’t censor your campaign. So long as your campaign isn’t illegal and/or you’re not raising money to do something harmful or illegal we won’t take down your campaign. Whether we personally agree, disagree, like, or dislike your campaign we believe everyone has a right to have their voice heard. So don’t worry, your campaign is safe with us!

3. GiveSendGo is FREE! GiveSendGo won’t charge you any money to start a fundraising campaign. Our third-party processor charges a small fee to those who donate to your campaign, but GiveSendGo’s platform itself is entirely FREE to use. 

4. GiveSendGo has a Giver Army that’s dedicated to giving to campaigns every month. GiveSendGo’s Giver Army is made up of everyday people doing spectacular things! They dedicate their time and money to give to GiveSendGo campaigns every month. Additionally, they get to choose how much they give each month and who they give to. On top of that, our Giver Army receives a thank you package and a special invitation to our yearly GiveSendGo Fall Givers Party! You too can join our Giver Army and show off your cheerful giving!

Do the pros outweigh the cons for you? Does GiveSendGo sound like a great choice for you? Let us know what you think!

Happy crowdfunding!

Shine Brightly!

The scene takes place in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus has just been before Pontius Pilate and has been sentenced to one of the most humiliating ways to die. And now, His hands and His feet have been nailed to the cross. Here now we see the Messiah, hanging and slowly dying. Look at what happens: 

“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:322-43) 

Maybe read that passage again. Did you notice the difference between the two criminals? One of the criminals mocked Jesus. This man not only challenged Jesus to save them and Himself but challenged His authority. While he challenged, notice what the other man did. He rebuked the challenger and said, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (23:40-41) 

The second criminal rebuked the first! Can you imagine what everyone else was thinking when he spoke out like this? This man truly has the boldness that even the disciples did not have. Think about that for a minute. The eleven had fled the scene because they were scared; scared to the point that they denied knowing Christ. This criminal, with more boldness than the disciples, rebuked the other man. And following his rebuke, he then turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

What follows is indescribable! Jesus looked at the criminal, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (23:43) Jesus allowed this man into heaven. He did not say a prayer, he did not understand any doctrine or theology. He simply asked that Jesus remember him as Jesus returned to His heavenly sanctuary. 

Many people say that I did this and this to get to heaven. I repeated the prayer that my pastor, youth pastor, camp counselor, etc. said and now I am good. I did some pretty good works while I lived: “I was nice to others.” “I helped this person.” “I showed love when it mattered the most.” 

The list goes on and on! 

Are you one of those people? Are you relying on your deeds to get you to heaven? Well, guess what. Your deeds do not grant you access to heaven. Pastor Alistair Begg preached this text and said that we always talk about Christ in the first person. (Refer to what I said above) We should talk in the third person! It’s not what WE did, but what HE has done! 

We are allowed into heaven, not by our deeds or by anything that we have done, but because Jesus paid the debt of sin. Remember and reflect on the death of Christ today and always. You get to heaven not by yourself, but as Alistair Begg said, we get to heaven because “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” 

“The man on the middle cross said I could come.”