Fundraising Resources
There are numerous books & resources on fundraising. We strongly recommend the following (in no particular order):
Getting Sent: A Relational Approach to Support Raising by Pete Sommer
Friend Raising: Building a Missionary Support Team that Lasts by Betty J. Barnett
Funding Your Ministry by Scott Morton
People Raising: A Practical Guide to Raising Support by William P. Dillion
The God Ask: A Fresh, Biblical Approach to Personal Support Raising by Steve Shadrach
Each of these books are books with very practical advice & strategies on how to raise funds for your ministry. They are written by people that have been involved in fundraising for many years, so the information & experience they share is practical & will be valuable to you in this process.
RCE will provide you any of these books free of charge. Simply email JJ Howard (jjhoward@rce-international.org) indicating which books you would like & where you would like them sent (we can only send these to US addresses, sorry). You should receive them within a week of receiving your request.
Fundraising Training
Several organizations are now available to help with training on how to raise funds for your ministry. Some can provide this training virtually, which means that you can participate over the internet, thus reducing your costs & travel time.
Some organizations & resources that we strongly recommend that provide excellent training at reasonable costs are:
Tailored Fundraising Solutions (www.tailoredfundraising.com)
Tailored provides personalized training and coaching in a virtual manner at your convenience. Tailored offers a one-on-one coaching experience designed to help you uncover potential blind spots in your fundraising & discover new ways to engage others around partnership. RCE has had staff work with Tailored & we are always impressed with the assistance they give.
Support Raising Solutions (SRS) (www.supportraisingsolutions.org)
SRS is a division of the ministry The Body Builders & they offer training & materials to assist in fundraising. They offer in-person training events, called Boot Camp, at various sites around the US where you will receive top-notch training. They also offer various articles & resources to help develop the skills in fundraising.
YouTube (www.youtube.com)
That’s right, YouTube! There are many videos that have been posted on YouTube by missionaries & those in ministry that are pretty good. Simply search for “Missions Fundraising Ideas” or “Missions for Fundraising” (or something similar) to see a lot of options. You can also find fundraising videos that missionaries have posted on YouTube for their personal support. These can be good examples on what to do as well as what not to do!
Let us know if you find anything good that we can pass along to your RCE family.
Blogs on Fundraising & Other Interesting Sites:
m.Fund – snippets on personal support raising from someone in the process.
Fundraising Articles – over 100 articles, tips & ideas for fundraising & fundraisers. Very interesting information & ideas for your ministry, your school, how to communicate with donors, etc. Make sure you check this out!
Fundraising & Prayer Letter Advice & Examples
Various articles & websites that offer tips on writing effective fundraising & prayer letters.
Top 8 Tips for Writing a Fundraising Letter by Joanne Fritz
How to Write a Missionary Fundraising Letter by Mellisa Warren
Steps to Writing a Missionary Fundraising Letter by Mike White
Fundraising & Prayer Letter Services
There are several online companies that can print & mail your prayer letters even though you are overseas. The following are just a few of the options out there.
bmcletterservice.com – a letter service specializing in mailing prayer letters for missionaries around the world. BMC can bill RCE directly and we will pay the invoice directly from your RCE ministry account.
prayerletters.com – an online service that sends out prayer & support letters directly to donors. They also provide good tips & suggestions on how to write an effective prayer/fundraising letter.
chalkline.org – an online service that prints & mails prayer letters for missionaries.
Prayer Card Services
There are several online companies where you can design prayer cards, have them printed and mailed to you. Some that we have worked with and recommend are (although you are free to choose whichever service provider you choose).
RCE Marketing Materials
There are several different pieces of marketing materials that are available for you to use to assist in your fundraising efforts. Please contact our office and we will let you know what is available and get it to you as quickly as possible.
Articles on Fundraising
Three Comfortable Phrases by Scott Morton
Shad-o-nomics 101: My Six-Step Homemade Plan to Get to Full Support by Steve Shadrach
Of course, many in RCE’s home office have many years of fundraising experience & we’d love to share it with you. Just contact us by email or phone for ideas, what we’ve experienced, prayers & encouragement.
In the midst of your fundraising, always keep in mind the promise of 2 Chronicles 16:9 –
“The eyes of the Lord wander the earth seeking to give strength to those that call upon His name!”
God bless you in this adventure for the Lord!