FUND DEVELOPMENT
Note: These recommendations are for trip planners who are not integrating their donations and finances into Cru’s systems. If your trip is or will be integrated into Cru’s donation/accounting systems, check in with your Cru Partnering Rep. We’d love to help in any way we can.
You have participants who are excited to go with you on a mission trip! Now what? Where does the money come from to help participants participate? There are a number of different philosophies as to how to get the funds to go on a mission trip. Though some will have a parent write a check, do a bake sale, or get a part-time job, the majority of people will enter into a process we like to call Ministry Partner Development (MPD). It’s a process where we invite others to join us through prayer and finances in what God will do through the trip.
HERE ARE TIPS TO HELP YOUR TEAM REACH FULL SUPPORT...
First, communicate early and often what the financial obligation is by their agreement to take part in a mission trip. Ideally, you would give them a written document that explains the cost of the trip, timeline for raising support, and when the final amount is due. Here is an example trip information letter that you can use.
Trip Deposits
You’ll likely want participants to pay a deposit to commit to coming on your mission trip. A deposit amount between $100-350 (or roughly 10% of the trip cost per participant) would be appropriate, depending on the cost and length of the trip. A deposit can create good buy-in for participants to not back out.
Mission Trip MPD (Ministry Partner Development) Resources
It is helpful to have clear MPD resources and expectations for participants. Here are some resources you can use to help participants raise support:
Each participant is different in how motivated they will be to raise support and how many contacts they have to send letters to. You will likely have to coach participants in sending their letters and follow-up with them as each support deadline nears.
Raise Support as a Group
We have seen great success when using a group mentality when raising support. In any group you will likely have a couple participants that raise support very easily and quickly and others who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Encourage the group to not stop raising support until everyone is fully funded!
Don’t wait until the last minute to check in
It’s best to check in periodically to see how each of the participants are doing and if they need any help thinking creatively. If someone is lagging behind in support, you don’t want to become aware of this 2-3 weeks before the trip. Consider breaking your team into groups and having a check-in 1-2 times a month with the group. It can be great for encouragement, ideas, prayer, and accountability.
Consider having them be at full support before departing
If you are going on a short trip or a trip internationally, it’s best to try to raise all the funds before departing. Though not impossible, it can be difficult to raise support after the trip and if a participant is short – you may not be able to recover those funds. If some of the participants raise more than they need considering putting that towards the participants that are behind.