2025 Workshop Talk | | Budgets & Finance, Fundraising & Development
Summary
At the heart of every Classical Christian school is a vision—to form students in wisdom, virtue, and truth. But realizing that vision requires more than excellent pedagogy; it requires a thriving culture of generosity rooted in deep, trusted relationships.
In this interactive seminar, Brad Layland, CEO of The FOCUS Group, and Jason Smith, seasoned fundraising consultant, will walk you through six time-tested, biblically grounded principles for engaging major donors in a way that honors them as partners in your mission—not just sources of funding. You’ll learn how to shift from event-driven or transactional fundraising to a sustainable, relational model that fuels your school’s growth and strengthens your community.
We’ll dive into the “Taking Donors Seriously” framework—a practical approach built on decades of work with ministries and schools across the country— and focus especially on how to ask for gifts in a way that makes your donors grateful you did. You’ll leave with tools to fully fund your school’s vision while also cultivating a culture where generosity is a joyful, shared calling.
Whether you’re preparing for your next capital campaign, building your annual fund, or simply looking for a better way to connect with those who care most about your mission, this seminar is for you.
Speaker
Brad Layland, CEO, first learned how to raise money as a college student in 1993, while seeking to raise personal support as a part-time staff member for Young Life. Over the course of 20 years at Young Life, he developed his passion for and expertise in relational fundraising, to the point where he was asked to train other area directors around the country, and eventually became the Chief Development Officer for the entire organization. Brad joined The FOCUS Group in 2012 as a Senior Consultant and became the owner and CEO in 2015. In 2013, he launched the Taking Donors Seriously® e-learning and coaching program to make the firm’s expertise accessible to individuals and smaller nonprofits. Brad’s expertise providing high level fundraising counsel to nonprofit organizations incorporates major donor strategies, training workshops, planned gift marketing, and capital campaign counsel. In recent years he has led capital campaigns for Dallas Theological Seminary ($160M), Intervarsity Christian Fellowship ($89 million), Union Rescue Mission ($83 million), The Bowery Mission ($27 million) and Veritas School ($5.3 million). Brad received his B.A. in Communications from the University of Florida and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Wendy reside in St. Augustine, Florida and have four children. Brad enjoys running marathons, skiing, investing in real estate, entrepreneurship, and traveling with his family. Over the past 20 years, he has completed 50 marathons and recently completed two Ironman Triathlons. Brad is the founder of Endless Summer Realty, the largest residential real estate brokerage in St. Augustine, closing over $240 million in transactions in 2021. He is a founder and board member of Veritas Classical School and launched an annual “Giving Day” in St. Augustine, which has become a platform for local nonprofits to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and establish relationships with new donors. His entrepreneurial success has allowed Brad to experience the joy of generosity and gain a special understanding of the mindset of a major donor.
Jason Smith believes that fundraising can be a natural, life-giving process that helps organizations scale their impact. He is passionate about helping clients utilize effective strategies and principles to build relationships with generous partners to fund a mission and change the world. He brings 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and leading teams to be more fruitful in their fundraising efforts. Jason graduated with a B.S. in communications from Miami University and an MDiv. from Trinity School for Ministry. When Jason isn’t helping organizations fund their vision, you might find him in the woods, on a mountain or in the kitchen, delighted to make a meal for friends. Jason and his wife Kristin live in Grand Rapids, MI, have three children and two amazing granddaughters.
Additional Materials
The Association of Classical & Christian Schools presents Repairing the Ruins, the ACCS annual conference, copyright ACCS. You may make additional copies of this recording for use by your school but please do not sell any copies of the recording, or post it on the internet.
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