Understanding and Trust

In early March, United Action coordinators from Asia convened at the head of office of UEM member church GKJW* in Malang, Indonesia.

 

Of the 30 participants, 15 came from different Asian UEM member churches, while 15 were district coordinators of United Action in GKJW itself. Together, they met for a training session focused on fundraising for social change. In Asia, the United Action fundraising campaign is led by individuals within each church, supported and endorsed by church leadership. Given that these coordinators undertake fundraising activities alongside their regular responsibilities, it's crucial for UEM to provide them with capacity building support.

 

During the training, participants delved into the reasons behind their fundraising efforts for United Action and how they align with each one’s personal beliefs about donations and fundraising. They discussed the concept of opportunistic fundraising, using a simple exercise to illustrate the impact of heartfelt causes on donation willingness. Terri-Lynn Smith, Project Officer and Fundraising Officer at the UEM Asie Regional Office, facilitated the project. She said: “Participants were deeply moved and expressed a willingness to contribute even more than requested. When asked about this, one participant emphasized the importance of understanding the purpose of their donation and trusting that it would be used as communicated.”

 

Towards the end of the training, they learned more about the potential of online fundraising tools and conducted practical exercises using familiar platforms. Smith reports: “It was inspiring to witness the United Action coordinators leverage their own technology, knowledge, and skills to create compelling online fundraising campaigns in a short period of time, surpassing the targeted fundraising goals for the exercise.”

 

After the workshop, she draws a conclusion: “Especially towards the end of our training, there was a noticeable increase in energy and motivation among the participants to actively engage in fundraising efforts for UEM's project work through United Action.”

 

With two exceptions, every participant paid for their own transportation to the training, bringing the concept of United Action into practice right from the very start.

 

 

 

*GKJW = Greja Kristen Jawi Wetan (East Java Christian Church)