At AIM, we’ve got books, manuals, videos and training available to you as you begin to raise support. It’s all good stuff, but sometimes you just want to know the bottom line. Accordingly, I’ve put together some cliff notes on support raising. I’ve been doing this support raising thing most of my life and there are a few things that really work. There’s also a lot of peripheral stuff that can distract you or serve as an excuse to keep from getting started. If you are called to ministry and work the following plan, then you will see God provide the support you need to serve Him.
Key Pointers
1. Make a plan with goals and dates. Get accountability to that plan and then just go after it.
2. After raising an initial amount, keep working at it.
3. Make support raising ministry to donors.
4. Specifically, set aside another half a day per month to write or call supporters.
5. When you travel, make a point of seeing supporters. Buy cheap tickets and visit for a weekend.
6. Get a support letter out each month. Set aside half a day for this. Keep it simple.
7. Always try to tell a ministry story in your letter and try to include something personal.
8. Segment your donor list. Some don’t want to hear from you but once a month.
Ten Step Process
1. Pray about your call. Take a week to seek God’s confirmation. When you’re clear as to what He’s called you to, refer to the “What to Say” section below and put it in the form of an elevator speech – something short and sweet that encapsulates your case for support.
2. Put together an advisory team of five people that will meet once a week for two months to help you get started. Set aside a specific time each week when you’ll meet for an hour. Ask someone to chair the team for you. This person should be a key supporter who has the time and talent to help you.
3. Approach 10-20 people to be on your prayer team. Ask them to commit to pray for you once a day for 3 months. Keep them updated every week. Call them together once a month to pray together.
4. Compile a personal budget. Run this by your advisory team for accountability. They should communicate with AIM headquarters about how realistic they feel it is.
5. Brainstorm a list of potential supporters with your advisory team.
6. Write a letter to potential supporters. Send them out in batches of 15-20 with a promise to follow up by phone the next week.
7. Get your resources together. These should include: envelopes, return envelopes, pledge cards, family pictures, videos, & brochures. Put together a portfolio or a Power Point presentation to show potential supporters. Check with current AIM staff to see how they’ve done it.
8. Every week, follow up on last week’s letters with phone calls, then send out another 15-20 letters. Mark your progress on a chart. Also on this chart mark off meetings with your advisory team and updates to your prayer team. Schedule visits with potential supporters every week. At the end of your visit, lay out your specific financial need. Show them the different levels of financial commitment that people give. You may want to ask, “I’d like to ask you to pray about joining my team and then call you back at the end of the week to see about what commitment you’d like to make. Will that be OK with you?”
9. Follow up on the visits with a phone call asking for their commitment.
10. Track your progress with a list of pledges and send this to AIM every week. Also, call AIM every week to get pointers on what else you can be doing.
What to Say
Speaking to potential supporters can be intimidating. Sometimes you may feel as though you are putting the relationship on the line. You may feel as though what you’re really saying is, “If you value our relationship, you’ll agree to support me.” This is a lie given to you courtesy of the evil one. Let’s examine God’s perspective on this.
God has called you into the ministry. This means that He has said, “I want you to work for me full-time. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. I have given you certain gifts; I want you to use them as my ambassador. Don’t worry about what you will eat or drink or what you’ll wear. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given you as well.”
These are God’s words to you; do you believe them? If you do, then He will give you the courage to say what needs to be said to those who will make your ministry possible. When you hear voices in your head telling you negative things about how people might respond, it is important that you rebuke them and identify the lies for what they are. It is far easier for the evil one to stop your ministry before it’s ever been launched, so count on him to try his level best to confuse you with his lies.
The concepts of pace and prayer are key factors in implementing your support-raising plan. Prayer should precede every single contact that you make. Don’t try to do things on your own strength – rely on God, then you can truly give Him thanks for His provision.
The concept of pace will help you avoid burn-out. It is better to be the tortoise than the hare. Make three phone calls a day and three appointments a week. Allow time for prayer before each contact.
As you contact people, always project enthusiasm. Never come across as being apologetic. Most people you contact realize that they are stewards of the resources God has given them. They are looking for opportunities to realize great spiritual returns. You simply want to share with them a tremendous opportunity to invest in a ministry which will produce great spiritual returns.
There are two ways that people can invest, through their prayers and through their finances. When you speak, always organize your thoughts so as to hit three main points culminating in a request that they consider investing in your ministry. Here are the points:
1. The call God has given you.
2. The opportunity & the ministry
3. How they can help
Each area should take no more than a minute to explain. Here is an example of each:
1. The call God has given you.
I have felt God’s call to ministry for a while now. Recently I’ve received a specific call to missions. God has been showing me that when I pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest that I am part of the answer. He has been showing me that I have a special ministry to share the gospel with the poorest of the poor around the world. He particularly wants to use me to help mobilize the church for this harvest.
2. The opportunity & the ministry
God has called me to work with Adventures In Missions, an organization whose purpose is to mobilize the church for missions. They have a fantastic track record of bringing people to Christ and of raising up missionaries in the church. I will be a participant with them. As such, I’ll be going to (country) to learn what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ. My ministry will produce the fruit not only of souls won to Christ, but lasting changes in my own life as well.
3. How they can help
Though God has called me to this ministry, I can’t do it without a team of people behind me. I want you to consider being a part of my team. There are two ways in which you can make an investment in my ministry. As I daily do battle with the enemy, I need prayer support. At the same time, I need people who will make a financial investment in my ministry. Although I have committed to living frugally, I still have basic financial needs to meet.
Would you pray about being a part of my support team? I’m not looking for an answer now, but I’d like to call you back in a week after you’ve had a chance to pray about it.
In a week, when you call back: Did you have a chance to pray about being a part of my support team this past week? What did you feel God was leading you to do?
As you continue through the support raising process we are here to help you. Please keep in touch and let us know what you need!
