I briefly mentioned before that support raising is more about what you have done in the past than it is what you are doing right now. I saw a great example of that today when I read this article about Seth Godin’s Kickstarter campaign.

(BTW, I mentioned a Godin video last week)

Godin raised $90,000 in 6 hours ($50,000 over his goal, which he met within the first 3 hours). People did not give because the idea for his new book is that powerful, but because the other 11 books he has written are that good. When Godin asks for a favor people step up, because his work has benefited them in the past.

On Sunday, I got the chance to preach at the church that raised me. People were so encouraging and supportive because they have helped me become who I am today. They taught me, disciplined me and supported me through college. They are excited to share in our coming adventure because they were invested in my past. They are excited for the return (in Kingdom value) of their investment.

Your past matters.

(Another great resource on this idea is the Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk. *Disclaimer: his videos can use very vulgar language.)