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Support Goal
Definition: The total amount of money Reliant must raise, through the fundraising efforts of Reliant missionaries, to have sufficient funds to cover budgeted compensation and expenses for a Reliant ministry fund. Support goals are most often expressed as monthly budgeted amounts, “e.g. $4,500 monthly.”
Completing the Support Goal Calculator
The support goal for an employed missionary is determined by the Missionary Resources department based upon the analysis of the Support Goal Calculator. This calculator is completed by the employee at the beginning of the MTD process. Requests to change a support goal may be made by completing a new Support Goal Calculator and must be approved by Reliant.
Current and Non-Current Gifts
Recurring gifts are considered either current or non-current. A current gift record is one in which the donor has fulfilled their intent by faith to contribute to Reliant within the time frame given. Gift records are marked non-current if a contribution is not received within these time frames:
- Monthly gifts contributions received within the last 90 days
- Quarterly gifts contributions received within the last 120 days
- Semiannual gifts contributions received within the last 210 days
- Annual gifts contributions received within the last 395 days
Special gifts (e.g. single-occurrence contributions) do not qualify as recurring gifts and are neither current nor non-current.
MTD Coaching
Missionaries involved in the Initial MTD process are assigned an MTD coach. The coach is responsible for supervising and guiding an employee through the MTD process. Coaches must have completed MTD training themselves and are assigned by local churches and confirmed with Reliant. In the event the local church or ministry does not have a suitable MTD coach, Reliant will provide one from another location until coaches can be trained in the current location.
The missionary and coach must establish a regular coaching appointment. It is the responsibility of the missionary to keep the coaching appointment and to notify the coach as soon as possible if a scheduling conflict or unforeseen circumstance prevents the employee from fulfilling this obligation.
Weekly MTD Time Cards and Progress Reports
Those in the Initial MTD phase are required to report the number of weekly appointments and other data for the benefit of Reliant and their MTD coach. This report is required for accountability and success, as well as Reliant’s records and datakeeping. This report must be completed and submitted on Reliant’s websites. Failure to submit weekly MTD time cards and reports is cause for discipline up to and including termination.
Others not in Initial MTD may still be required to submit MTD time cards or reports due to MTD health and/or local supervisor requirements.
Resources:
Release to Assignment
Most employed missionaries must receive "release to assignment" approval in order to engage in ministry duties beyond the MTD responsibilities originally identified in an MTD job description. Release to assignment approval is based upon an ministry fund meeting or exceeding 100% of the support goal approved by Reliant, according to Reliant's records. The support goal is measured by Reliant using current recurring gifts only.
International missionaries, in addition to the requirement of 100% recurring funding, must also meet a minimum-account-balance requirement. This is currently established at three times the monthly goal amount.
When an employee believes they have exceeded their Reliant-approved support goal, they must complete the Release to Assignment Form and submit it to the Missionary Resources department. Reliant will determine if an employee is eligible to be released to assignment and notify the missionary. Employed missionaries should continue raising support as their primary job responsibility until they have received release-to-assignment approval.
Resource:
Sustaining MTD
After missionaries have completed the initial support raising phase and exceeded their support goal, they must continue to raise support as part of their normal job responsibilities. A general rule of thumb is for employees to spend 10% of their employed hours per week on MTD, i.e. four hours per week of a 40-hour work week. Those with more donors should spend more time. In addition to the regular prayer letter and reporting requirements, examples of what this time would consist of are:
- Calling non-current donors
- Visiting or calling donors for recurring gift renewals, upgrades and referrals
- Calling donors who send extra or unsolicited contributions to Reliant to thank them
- Calling special gift and prayer partners for contributions and referrals
- Seeking new donors
MTD Follow-Up Webinars
As part of the program for MTD success, employed missionaries involved in the Initial MTD process must attend occasional online follow-up webinars sponsored by Reliant.
Local churches or ministry supervisors are permitted to mandate a Reliant employed missionary attend a follow-up webinar at any time, regardless of MTD status. In addition, all missionaries are welcome to attend a follow-up webinar any time they desire. This is common as a training refresher.
Reassignment to MTD
Employed missionaries are responsible for maintaining incoming contributions through ongoing MTD efforts (“Sustaining MTD”) while assigned, as measured by total percentage of monthly support goal, ministry fund account balance and other MTD health indicators.
Reliant local ministry supervisors or Reliant may require an employed missionary to return to a primary job description of MTD at any time in order to keep a ministry fund fully funded, but especially in cases of decreasing MTD health indicators.
For example, falling below 85% funded is considered adequate to mandate partial or complete reassignment of job responsibilities to MTD, but this is not the exclusive indicator.
The determination is made by local Reliant supervision in cooperation with Reliant.
