Support Raising:

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Support Raising

• More Than Just Asking for Money

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Initiatives International, Inc.

• David Jensen,
• Founder and President
• ? 15 years of cross-cultural ministry experience
• ? Has trained and sent over 2,400 people on
  international short term trips
• ? Long-term relationships with ministry partners
  in Mexico and Guatemala

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Initiatives International, Inc.
Short-term experience Long-term impact
Initiatives International is an
inter/nondenominational organization that
provides full service, cross-cultural short-term
mission trips that are mutually beneficial to
hosts and visitors
www.initiativesinternational.org
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What other kind of support is there? There are
six primary sending support roles

• Prayer Support
• Interceding for the goer-guests (those who are
  going) and all aspects of the STM during the
  pre-field, on-field and post-field stages
• Logistical Support
• Making arrangements during the pre-field process
  to provide any needed help during the STM process

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Sending Support Roles Continued

• Emotional Support
• Providing moral and emotional encouragement
• 4) Communication Support
• Calling, writing, or producing communication to
  the other back home sending supporters and all
  others with whom the goer-guests need to stay in
  touch while on the field
• 5) Re-Entry Support
• Meeting with the returning short-terms to ask
  intelligent questions in an emotionally safe
  environment
• Steering goer-guests to appropriate referrals or
  assistance if there are unresolved issues or
  certain unmet needs

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Sending Support Roles Continued

• 6) Financial Support
• Providing financial support
• These are taken from the Standards of
• Excellence in Short-Term Mission
• www.STMstandards.org

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Why should everyone on the team be involved in
raising support? Some people can afford to pay
for the trip themselves

• 1) There are at least five other types of support
  that will be urgently needed by everyone,
  regardless of their ability to pay
• 2) It stretches the goer-guests faith. This can
  be a big part of the spiritual adventure
• 3) Involving everyone in the support raising
  process eliminates any stigma associated with
  asking for money. Removes the artificial
  separation on the team between the haves and
  the have nots
• 4) Because there are those on the team who will
  have a much more difficult time raising the
  needed financial support

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Why should everyone on the team be involved in
raising support?...

• 5) There are many good uses for any financial
  surplus that emerges
• An extra donation to the ministry that you are
  serving
• Scholarship funds for translators, leaders,
  pastors, etc.
• Seed money for your next STM
• Start up funds for a local ministry to the same
  people group whom you served during your STM
• 6) Most importantly, this is how we get others in
  the body of Christ involved in the short term
  mission experience
• You have a greater opportunity to share your
  experience with those at home if you invite them
  to be a part of the entire process
• Their involvement in your trip can bring a
  renewed desire to seek and serve God
• Your global perspective can lift others eyes to
  what God is doing in the world
• This gives the body of Christ a chance to use
  their particular gifts

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Tips to Make Fundraising Easier for Potential
STMers

• 1) Carefully Control Costs ?
• 2) Help to Relieve Fears
• Cost Fear Barrier
• 3) Help people understand what God says about
  support raising

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Tips to Make Fundraising Easier for Potential
STMers

• The New Testament Apostles (Missionaries)
  received and administered money (Acts 434-37 I
  Corinthians 161-3 II Corinthians 89
  Philippians 410-19). The financial
  administration of Short Term Mission is guided by
  their example and based upon the following
  biblical principles
• a. Philippians 418-19 fosters dependence upon
  God. My God shall supply all your needs
  according to His riches in glory in Christ
  Jesus.
• b. Philippians 410-11 and II Corinthians 912
  relate to the missionarys need and work.
• c. II Corinthians 81-5 and Philippians 415-19
  describe blessings to the missionary and the
  supporter.
• d. I Corinthians 161-3 and II Corinthians
  820-21 encourage proper administration and
  stewardship not only in the sight of the Lord,
  but also in the sight of men.
• e. Romans 135-7 recognizes the proper authority
  of and responsibility to government.
• (Adapted from PIONEERS Candidate Orientation
  Handbook, Finances p.1)

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Tips to Make Fundraising Easier for Potential
STMers

• 4) Break down the steps for individual
  participants
• ?Prayer
• Ask God to begin preparing you for your
  short-term experience right now. Seek Him for
  guidance in your ministry of support raising.
  Trust God by letting Him know that you believe in
  His ability to provide for your ministry needs.
  Ask God to begin bringing Christian friends and
  family to your mind that will become your
  support prayer team.

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Break down the steps for individual participants

• ?Name Storming
• Take about 45 minutes and begin writing down the
  names of people who come to your mind. The people
  on your list can be friends, church members,
  classmates, family members, or anyone else you
  can think of to write down. These are the people
  who will most likely join your support team.

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Break down the steps for individual participants

• ? Support Prayer Letter
• The next step is writing your letter. It can be
  an invitation for others to participate by
  praying by contributing to the cost of the
  project only, or by giving funds to cover the
  cost of your STM experience.
• Your fund-raising letter should include the
  following
• Basic information about the country/culture you
  are going to
• Information on the sending organization and the
  hosting organization
• Description of what the team will be doing.
  Include why the team is doing this particular
  project
• The cost of the trip

Continued...
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• Why you want to be involved with this trip.
  Briefly list your reasons for going on the trip
• Invitation to participate dont make this
  paragraph a long sales pitch but rather a
  simple request
• Clear instructions on how contributors are to
  respond including
• - Who to make checks payable to (Checks should
  not be made payable to participant)
• - Return address
• - Date of needed response
• - Indicate your request for prayer or financial
  assistance or both
• - When you mail out your letters, you can
  include a donor response card
• Make sure you write your own letter! People
  prefer to read a personalized letter as opposed
  to a form letter. Remember to keep it brief! Your
  fund-raising letter should be no more than one
  page in length
• (Adapted from Vacations With A Purpose-Eaton/Hurst
  pp. 32-33)

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Break down the steps for individual participants

• ?Thank You
• When you receive a gift from one of your friends
  or family members, always send a simple Thank
  You note as soon as possible
• ?Gifts Communication
• While on your short-term trip, send a simple
  postcard within the first two days of arrival to
  your support team. You could also give a simple
  gift to supporters upon your return. (For
  example, a photo of you in country.) Also
  update your support- team about the experience
  when you arrive back

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Tips to Make Fundraising Easier for Potential
STMers

• 5) Help team members with the logistics by
  providing things like sample letters,
  stationery, response cards, donor lists, postage
  included in trip cost
• 6) Consider Group fundraising ideas
• These can be great team building activities
• They can provide an opportunity to learn to work
  together
• They can provide some stressful situations also
  a valuable teaching tool
• They can raise community awareness of your
  project
• They often do not provide a great deal of
  financial support
• Look for ideas with a good return on the time
  invested

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• Eaton Hurst Offer These Suggestions
• Fun Runs
• Work Days
• Food Fast
• Event sponsorship
• Sales (t-shirts, singing telegrams, flowers,
  home-made cookies, balloons)
• Contact local business owners for donations
• Auctions
• What are some of your best ideas?

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Tips to Make Fundraising Easier for Potential
STMers

• 7) What about returners? Can we use support
  letters more than once?
• Many people recognize the positive effects of
  trips like these and are happy to contribute
• If you are careful and thorough in communicating
  with your support team many of them will be
  pleased to give again as they see a pattern
  emerging in your life

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Presented by David Jensen President Initiatives
International, Inc. Website www.initiativesinte
rnational.org Phone [phone]