7 Fundraising Tips for Your Short-Term Mission Trip

Carrie Mills • Jan 25, 2016

So, you’re ready to go on a short-term mission trip. Awesome! You’ve done your research, completed your application and gotten your immunizations. Now comes the best part: fundraising.

For many, raising support is the toughest part of going on a mission trip.

There are so many myths and falsehoods surrounding support raising, ( Fundraising is asking for handouts. It will alienate my friends. It’s another step I have to do before I can start my real ministry.… ) that it’s easy to lose sight of the blessing fundraising brings to all who are involved. You’re not just asking people to write a check, you’re inviting them to partner with you in ministry.

As you start your fundraising journey, here are some practical tips on how to raise funds.

Write a letter.

A support letter is the most foundational tool in the fundraising toolbox. Use your letter to outline your calling to serve overseas, what you will be doing and your need for financial and spiritual partnership. This can be sent via snail mail or email but should be personal, explanatory and direct.

Make a list of people to send the letter to, starting with the people who have already invested in your life: family, mentors, friends, neighbors and teachers. Then, expand the list to people in your circle who are passionate about the Great Commission and seeing it fulfilled.

Explain the “Why?” with the “What?”

As you begin telling people about what you’re doing and where you’re going, whether through your support letter or in-person, don’t forget to tell them why you are going .

People support ministries they believe in. Sure, you’re going to be doing awesome things on your trip, but sharing the testimony of your calling to missions paints a bigger picture of God’s work in your life, which will continue long after you return home.

Make it easy for them to contribute.

If your supporters have to find a checkbook and a stamp (two things that are growing increasingly rare around the house), they’ll probably forget to make a donation — no matter how good their intentions are. Give your supporters multiple options for giving : a link in an email to give online, a post on Facebook with your giving link or even a pre-stamped return envelope with your letter.

Share about your church and agency.

Having the accountability of a sending church and a missions agency gives you more legitimacy in the eyes of your supporters. When communicating with supporters, give them information about what your sending church and agency do and the role both are playing in your trip.

Share their websites with your donors and provide the email addresses of your church and agency contacts. If you are going with TEAM , encourage your supporters to contact us if they have any questions about the ministry area or work you’ll be doing.

Break it down.

Your supporters will appreciate a good analogy. It’ll take 168 café lattes to support you each month? That’s great! You’ll be able to help people better understand the big picture of your financial goals when you find a fun way to break down your expenses.

Follow up.

When someone sends out hundreds of letters but fails to follow up with the recipients individually, it’s called the “spray and pray” approach. Often, initial letters and emails don’t get a response simply because people forget or are too busy — not because they don’t want to support you.

Send out letters in small batches, and in the letter, let the reader know you will be following up with them within a week. Then, personally follow up with a face-to-face visit, phone call or Skype session. This allows you and your potential supporter to have a more candid two-way discussion about your ministry.

Say thank you.

Remember to say thank you to your support team in multiple, meaningful ways . Before you leave, drop a personalized note to your supporters thanking them for their faithful partnership. While you are serving, tell your supporters about how you are seeing their prayers at work and the tangible ways their gifts are impacting the Kingdom. You can do this through pictures on social media or an email newsletter.

In reality, fundraising may feel like the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do. But it will probably also be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. You will learn to trust the Lord with your ministry before you even set foot in another country. When you ask for support, you are inviting someone into a Great Commission partnership with you that will bless them just as much as it blesses you (if not more!).




Explore TEAM missions




By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
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