If you are going on the World Race, you will need to raise financial support to go. In the fifteen-plus years I’ve spent raising funds for mission trips, this is the formula I have found for success.
Your attitude
This isn’t a step. It’s how you go about doing the steps. Some take on shame in support raising. I have been there myself – feeling ashamed to have to ask for money. This is not helpful and is a tool the devil uses against us.
Be confident in what you are doing. God called you to do something, you are being obedient. People will respond better to you as a confident person and the Lord is waiting to bless your efforts.
1. Make a list
Create a list of people that know you. Look at your address book, facebook, church, etc. What networks are you in that you can draw from? You can probably find 100-150 people.
2. Write letters
Send out your story and basis for appeal (not the actual appeal) in a letter via email and snail mail. Toward the end of the letter, say that you will be following up with them sometime in the next week.
*Note – mailchimp.com is helpful because of its statistics. However, the older generation may find this less personal.
3. Call them & set up a meeting
This is where it tends to get hard for people. It’s easy to send out letters. It’s hard to actually get on the phone. Call reluctance. Do it anyway.
The purpose of your phone call is to set up a meeting. Make it quick and easy. Say something like this:
Hey Flow, how are you… yada yada. Did you receive my letter recently? I’d like to get together with you to talk about it when you have the chance. Would you be interested and available sometime in the next week?
4. Prepare to present
Write out your rationale for support – answer “Why is this mission worthy of your support?” Have a good video ready. Print out some pictures and captions. Prepare a vision album that communicates what your year will look like.
5. Meet
This is where it all happens. Everything is leading up to the meet. If a person agrees to meet with you, statistics show that they will probably support you financially.
Share stories and pictures. Tell them why you’re going and what you’ll be doing. Pay for the coffee or meal.
6. Ask
At some point in the conversation, after you’ve told them some stories and got their head nodding, say something like this:
I am looking for ten people to commit to giving $100 or more per month and I’d like for you to consider being one of those ten. Would you think and pray about it over the next few days?
At this point they’ll probably say yes, or they may say they aren’t in a position to give. Don’t be disappointed if they say they can’t. Many of them won’t give, but if you meet with them in person, most of them will.
If they say they will think about it, tell them you’d like to follow-up with them in a few days with a phone call. You may also want to tell them that this carries no weight in your relationship and they shouldn’t feel pressure.
7. Call them back
Do what you say you’ll do – call them back in three days. Ask if they’ve had a chance to pray about it. This is where you’ll either get a firm yes or a firm no. If they say no, don’t make it awkward. Just say thank you for praying about it and move on.
8. Ask how they’d like to give
If they would like to give, ask them what would be the best way – check in the mail or online.
If check, give them an address and then email them the address.
If online, ask if they’d like for you to help them by inputting their info now. That is the best-case scenario. Otherwise, send them a link via email.
9. Ask if you can include them in your monthly support letter
If they say “no thank you” ask if they’d like to stay involved. I have supporters that don’t want any newsletters and only want me to meet with them over a meal once every other month or so. I have other supporters that want newsletters via email and phone calls. And others that just want a physical letter every other month.
Ask your supporters how they would like to stay involved. Here are five options, but you may think of others.
-prayer
-newsletter
-blog
-Skype calls
-meet at the end of the Race
10. Follow up
Write a letter every month. Send it by email and by snail mail (many donors prefer that)
Skype them
Write thank you notes
Buy them little gifts
Email them personally
