Traveler Fundraising GUIDE

Transcription

1 Traveler Fundraising GUIDE

2 MANAGED MISSIONS TEAM MEMBER REGISTRATION 1. Click on the Registration Link provided by your trip leader 2. Using the 2 nd option, create a Managed Missions Account with your and a password 3. Complete Application B Enter all the personal information you have (You are able to log back in to update or complete personal information if you need to make changes or add information) 4. Choose Trip (your trip leader will provide you with the trip name and code) 5. Click Submit You will receive an acceptance with a link to view the trip. (This may take a day or two depending on when submitted.) 6. Click the link provided in the to begin managing your trip and setting up a fundraising page. Once logged in click on your trip Trip Details: You are able to view trip details, tasks, meetings, goals etc. My Info: update personal information Meetings: see scheduled meetings & conference calls Tasks & Goals: track and complete required tasks and goals Fundraising: see all donations received toward your trip Public Profile: This is where you set up your online fundraising page (if your team is using the online fundraising function). Under My Trip Description is where you can share the vision for the trip, your story why you are traveling to serve YL. This is where you are able to upload a photo to personalize your page. This page can be shared in an or on social media to fundraise for your trip. Must click Save and Publish for your page to appear online. Personal link will be displayed next to Your public profile is currently published at: (this will be the link you share) Once registered team members & leaders can return to their personal MM page by using the link provided in the welcome or by going to the My YLX section of ylexpeditions.com.

3 RAISING FINANCIAL SUPPORT You are embarking on an incredible adventure! You have accepted the challenge of helping reach the world for Christ by deciding to join Young Life Expeditions. This could very well be one of the most exciting opportunities of your life! One of your responsibilities in accepting this challenge is to represent Christ s cause, this Young Life Expedition, to others. As Christ s ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20) you are in a unique position to invite others to invest financially in His cause. As you offer individuals the chance to underwrite your Young Life Expedition expenses, you will be giving them the unparalleled opportunity of investing in eternity (Matthew 6:19S21). King David gave Israel such an opportunity when he challenged the people to underwrite the cost of building a temple for the Lord: The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly... But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. (1 Chronicles 29:9,14) Because David knew that the entire world s wealth ultimately belonged to God, he boldly challenged others to channel their resources toward building a physical testimony to the Lord, a temple. As you raise funds for your Expedition, you will be allowing God to channel the resources of His people toward building a human testimony, a witness for Christ. In the following pages we have equipped you with guidance in going about this support raising opportunity. Know that as you pursue this challenge that Young Life Expeditions is in it with you.

4 NameStorm Pray that the Lord will bring to your attention names of individuals and groups to contact. Start by developing an initial list of potential ministry partners. As with brainstorming, in namesstorming there is one cardinal rule S anything goes. No name is unqualified. Don t decide for an individual whether or not he or she is interested. If you limit yourself to those you feel will or can give, you may prematurely disqualify those whom God wants to become ministry partners. Later you will need to prioritize whom to contact first, but for now, don t disqualify anyone. Here are some categories to get you started: Parents, brothers, sisters Aunts, uncles, cousins Grandparents, retired people Current/former employers Current/former customers Current/former neighbors Friends/employers of parents Service/sales reps People who led you to Christ Avon/Mary Kay lady Hospital personnel/nurses Doctor/Dentist/Chiropractor Apartment managers/landlord Realtors Kiwanis/Jaycees/Lions club YMCA/YWCA Rotary & Women s clubs Men/Women Christian Business Boy/girl scout leader Hair stylist/barber Police/mailman Grocery store personnel Plumbers/electricians Coaches/trainers/directors Co-workers Builders & contractors Bank personnel Senators, congressmen, reps Attorneys Chamber of Commerce Mayor, civic leaders Foundations, trusts Newspaper editor Advertising agencies Missionary societies Church Mission Board Bible study/prayer group Church friends/teachers Pastors/elders/deacons College friends/professors High school friends/teachers Sunday school class/teachers Christian bookstore Prayer lists Write Your Support Request The following tips apply to any written fundraising appeal online or hard copy. 1. Letters should be only one page in length Use short paragraphs. No one wants to read longs blocks of text. Use a font that is easy to read. Avoid using I as much as possible. Write like you talk. This is not for a grade but for communicating your heart. (However, don t be too informal and neglect proper spelling and grammar) 2. Don t apologize. God has called us to something meaningful and exciting Example of what to avoid: I know you are swamped with financial appeals, but I Mention why you want to be involved in this trip

5 Briefly list your strongest reasons for going on this trip. Give them a vision of what you hope the trip will achieve both in the lives of those your minister to and your life as well. 4. Include a brief description about Young Life and what the team will be doing For example, if the team is working a Young Life camp why is that a need in the community? If you can include a photo or two or a graphic of the map of where you ll be serving. 5. Include the cost of the trip per person Tell the reader the exact amount of your goal and then explain what the money will be used for (airfare, lodging, food, supplies for the mission, etc.). 6. Offer a specific amount for giving Most donors like to know what amount will really help. Be careful though to not go overboard telling people how much to give. They must retain the honor of deciding for themselves. By being too insistent on an exact amount, you rob them of the dignity of giving voluntarily and joyfully. Provide them a range of options. Consider suggesting a specific donation amount. 7. Be sure to include supplemental materials Self addressed (to you), stamped envelope Reply card that allows people to notify you of their support (whether it s prayer, financial or both). The slip gives them a vehicle by which they can express their commitment. It serves them by making it easier to respond. 8. Give clear instructions on how to respond Don t assume they know how to give a gift S you still need to tell them how to respond in the letter and include a summary paragraph that explains all that you need. Make the check payable to Young Life. The trip location and year should be written in the memo section of the check. Complete the reply card and send it back (along with your gift check if applicable) in the selfaddressed envelope. Specific date of when you need it. 9. Personalize each letter Hand-sign each letter. Also try to use something other than black ink. They ll notice. Also don t use mailing labels. If you hand-write the addresses you will greatly increase the priority the reader will place on the letter. Labels are fine on your return envelope to save time. 10. Make follow up-call Call. Especially from your 1st Team, give them a call. Many people will want to help but may be busy or just forgot about your letter. A quick call a week or so after mailing your letter, answering any questions and asking if they d made a decision about giving, helps these potential donors respond.

6 When you call, don t apologize. You are involved with what God is doing through Young Life; you re asking them if they want to join with you. Be confident, yet humble. When you ask for a response, do so directly. Then remain quiet until the person responds. Let them make up their mind, don t decide for them by saying It s OK if you don t want to give. If they haven t made a decision, arrange a time to call them back in a couple of days. If they do decide to give say THANK YOU! 11. Thank Sending a thank you note is a MUST!!! Send it out the day you receive the donation, so it doesn t slip through the cracks. Also, send everyone a letter upon returning telling them of all the great things that happened thanks to their support. This is very important if you intend on going on more trips in the future and asking the same people for support again. Don t limit this letter to just those that sent you money. Send it to everyone you sent an appeal letter to because one of the ones who didn t send money might have been your biggest prayer warrior while you were gone. , Texts, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs Use all of these social media outlets in your fundraising efforts. However, please note that this does not replace the personal contact of a phone call and personal letters. Diversify your Fundraising Efforts If your team is all from one area, it might be helpful to use a team approach to fundraising in addition to sending out individual support letters. Your team could host a spaghetti dinner, Bar-B-Q, or pancake breakfast or choose a food from the region that you are going to be serving. If possible, show photos of the place you re going and share stories of the folks that you ll be meeting. Your YLX Coordinator can help supply you with pictures or stories for this type of event. Here are a just a few ideas for your team to raise funds for your Expedition: T-shirt sales Car wash Bake sale Garage sale Baby sitting/house sitting Candy/Cookie sales Bowl/bike/walk/golf-a-thon Mini-golf tourney Host a dinner/meal Local Restaurant Night Yard clean-up Coupon Books Candle sales Concert Benefit w/local artist Silent Auction Local Church Sponsorship Sample Letters The next pages offer you some samples of support letters. Use these as guide to help you write your own. Don t just copy these letters create your own. People want to hear your story.

7 Dear Dr and Mrs Smith: In July, I will be traveling to Russia with a team of 16. Our Goal: To partner with the local church & Young Life community in Russia as well as Young Life Expeditions to begin construction on a Young Life center. This mission is particularly special to me because we will be working with Young Life, the organization through which I came to know the Lord. What is Young Life Expeditions? Expeditions exist to help Young Life ministries that are in need of resources receive teams to support their work. Their role is to come alongside these ministries in order to help them reach adolescents with the Gospel. Our team will partner with and serve alongside the Russian ministry leaders. We will be supporting their ministry to kids in the local area as well as have a life-changing experience. Expeditions wants to foster an ongoing relationship with their Russian ministry partners and this trip is a part of that process. How Can You Help? First our team needs prayers. Specifically, we need prayer for God s protection & provision, strong team unity, wisdom & love in interacting with the local community, preparation of the hearts of each team member for the mission experience, & preparation of the hearts & minds of the Russian people so that we can effectively assist with their physical & spiritual needs. To help you remember to pray, I ve enclosed a packet of stickers. You can place these on your mirrors at home, your computers, or your dashboard to remind you to pray for us. Secondly, you may contribute financially to our efforts. We each have to raise $2800 per person to cover our trip costs. If you would like to make a financial contribution to this team, a check can be made payable to Young Life and return it to me with the reply card in the enclosed envelope by May 1st. Blessings, Sarah You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "care-full you find yourselves cared for. Matthew 5:7 (The Message translation)

8 Dear John & Mary, I am writing to share with you two of my favorite subjects; Jesus and jet travel. You see, I have been asked by my church to participate on a mission team to San Alejo, Ecuador. I consider this to be an awesome privilege and responsibility and am so excited to have another opportunity to travel for the Lord! This will be my first time going on a work project overseas as well as the first time I am seeking support for this mission. Our team of 12 departs the first week of August for nine days in San Alejo, a small squatter s village, outside the city of Porto Viejo, on the Pacific coast of South America. We will be assisting the local church to construct a brick retaining wall around the facility which local missionaries Rosa and Pedro del Hierro began in The wall will serve as security as well as a barrier to floods and mudslides, which have plagued San Alejo over the past few years. But even more important than our construction project is the opportunity that we will have to build relationships with the kids and people of San Alejo. We will work alongside Rosa and Pedro and will have the awesome privilege of sharing the love of Jesus Christ, participating in worship services, running club and experiencing first hand God at work in other cultures. The purpose of this letter is not only to tell you about the trip but also to ask you if you would consider joining our team, as a prayer partner. Challenges abound as we prepare and I ask that you would please pray for safe travel and health of the team. Pray that through this experience we would come back with a greater understanding and compassion for a group of people we know very little about. Please also pray for me personally, that I would be an effective and humble servant. With your prayer support, I know that God will not only use us, but also bless the entire mission. You can write me a note and return it to me in the enclosed envelope if you feel led to pray for this team and me. Also, as part of our challenge in preparing for this trip, each team member has been asked to raise $2400 which includes travel costs and supplies for the construction project. Please also consider becoming part of our financial support team by giving $50, $100, $250 or some other amount for this trip. If you would like to make a financial contribution to this team, a check can be made payable to Young Life and returned to me with the reply card in the enclosed envelope by July 1st. Thanks so much for your prayers and support! Blessings, Bobby But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

9 Expedition Reply card (Please mail this back too so I can pray for you!) Thank you! Name: Yes, I will commit to praying for your team! Add me to your list or blog site. Yes, I will commit to financially supporting your team! Please make your check payable to Young Life. Please do not write the checks to me. Dr. and Mrs. Smith, Thank you for your gift of $100 to support my ministry this summer in Ecuador. Your prayers and finances are greatly appreciated. Your investment will have far-reaching results as I help reach people for Christ! Please join me in praying that God would continually deepen my commitment to the cause of Christ. Your prayers are very important. Thanks again for your help. In Christ, Bobby