Fundraising for Short-Term Missions

Many of you are planning for, or praying about going on a short-term mission trip this summer. If you haven't begun the fundraising process yet, now is the time. As an individual or as a team, raising the needed funds for short-term missions can be extremely challenging. The cost of going out gets greater each year, and the funds available may seem like they are shrinking—especially if the church or organization doing the sending is sponsoring multiple teams. 


Over the years, I've learned five important lessons about fundraising:

Start the process as soon as possible. Start communicating about the opportunity as many months in advance as possible. Even if the teams are not fully set and the exact costs are not finalized, inform potential sources of support (people, committees, church boards, etc.) as early as possible. It prepares them to anticipate your requests.

Communicate widely. Broadcast the team, the project, and the financial need widely. Community organizations might get involved. People in the church who might have no direct relationship with the team might give.

Make fundraising a team effort. If the team budget is raised as a total rather than person-by-person, the financial goal becomes a team-building exercise. In addition, working together as a team might help balance the tensions of the fundraising abilities of participants.

Connect your fundraising to long-term purposes. Help donors realize that they are not just supporting a short-term mission effort. Instead, explain how their gifts contribute to long-term, strategic reciprocal relationship-building across cultures. In this way the short-term financial gift takes on greater meaning.

Use the opportunity to cultivate faith. Pray through every phase of fundraising. For some team members, seeing God bring in the money from any number of unexpected sources might be the most faith-expanding experience of team preparation.

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The missionary heart: Care more than some think is wise. Risk more than some think is safe. Dream more than some think is practical. Expect more than some think is possible. I was called not to comfort or success but to obedience…there is no joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving him." 

--Karen Watson, martyr, March 15, 2004

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Prayer Requests

Pray that the CROSS of Christ will inspire many to step out to serve the Lord keeping in mind that no sacrifice is too great to offer to our loving God.

Pray that we as a Mission will keep our vision ever before us and that all our activities will be geared towards fulfilling that vision.

Pray that the new seekers in the villages will steadfastly desire to know Jesus more closely.

Pray for the Unreached Bahelia, Hindu of India 

Population: 152,000
World Popl: 154,000
Main Language: Hindi
Main Religion: Hinduism
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%

 Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry. 

All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated