Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Financing
In the work you are doing with the disabled how do you fund the ministry you are in with the handicapped? Do you fund the work through the tithes of your members, or do you get sponsorship from private and public donors, or is it a mixture of both? What type of pressure does this put on your ministry, does it affect the amount of time you can minister?
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GREAT question, guys! Our organization is largely funded by church support, individual donations and grants. Our board had spoken of becoming a member organization, but there are several reasons we haven't moved that direction, not the least of which is it may impede people from participating. Funding is a huge problem for us! It detracts from the work of the ministry. It seems to be a constant juggling act, and I haven't found a committee of people willing to spearhead fundraising as of yet. I welcome your insights!
ReplyDeleteOur funding comes primarily from the (largely unsolicited) gifts of supporters. Our folks offerings might cover 25 % in the sense that they pay a good part of the cost of camps, and camps are our 2nd biggest expenditure (about 20%) after staffing, (Sunday offerings contribute about 6%). We have a few churches that consider us part of their mission budget, and send us support, but most comes from gifts of people who believe in what we are doing.
ReplyDeleteNo public funding is accepted, because we felt that then we might be expected to conform to what they think is politically correct. We don’t spend time working on this, apart from prayer, and sending out our newsletter to supporters several times a year. We do hold two “Craft Fairs” each year, and those are opportunities for people to support us, but we don’t make a lot of profit, and this only brings in about 3% of our income.
David Hayward
LDM has always worked on funding through the development of relationships. A good number of our donors are also volunteers. As we work with our volunteer base in programs like camps, retreats, Bible studies and respite programs we also let them know abou the financial needs of the ministry. We do monthly appeal lettes and newsletters and mail to a mailing list of avout 2,000 households. We receive about 30% pf our needs through camp and retreat fees, 50% from charitable gifts, 10% from congregations and another 10% from events. The fund received through relationship building is also equipping people for ministry, the other methods is a drag on time, but necessary. However, any time you ask someone to help, you are giving them an opportunity to partner in Kingdom work. If anyone wants to contact me for additional information - don.boden@mailblc.org
ReplyDeleteCamp Daniel's many ministries are supported through individual donors, foundation grants, fees, Church offerings, in kind gifts, service organization donations, monthly individual and church support, short term missions trip teams fund raising, companies cash, in kind, and labor donations, monthly missions support from churches, newsletter wish lists and appeals, and donated equipment that is sold or used.
ReplyDeleteAll of these are accomplished in some form through relationships, just as Don explained above. I think that it ultimately is part of ministry as each opportunity for receiving is an opportunity for giving out.
Camp Daniel is a debt free ministry because we are a faith based ministry. That means our fundraising is done in faith that God is providing for what needs doing. We have put ourselves in place of need and enjoy being in that place as we have to rely on God. If I was to tell you the history of our ministry that includes having 14 full time missionaries, a 10 acre campus worth a million, A church community and many other ministries than the story would ultimately be about what God has done to bring in what has been needed for His ministry to be done. We do little in traditional fundraising, we have bypassed the offers of professional fundraisers as God has always provided for our dreams and His visions, so we continue down that road. There are many good ways to try and accomplish financial goals for ministry, but for us it is really all about listening for Gods direction and following Him as he guides by communicating in so many different ways.
We at Camp Daniel are big dreamers, but we believe with all our hearts He is a bigger God so we have faith in His plan, purpose and love.