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We evaluate personal finances for incoming missionaries staff because of the nature of support-based ministry. Two specific facets of support-based ministry apply:
First, because Reliant can only deliver paychecks based on available funds, it's common for missionaries staff to be "short-checked." Early in the fundraising process (Initial MTD phase), most missionaries staff will only receiving receive a small portion of their targeted salary, making it necessary for them to live off savings or other income. For success and so they can stick with the process, we help ensure the plan seems feasible.
Secondly, due to the personal - feel of deputized fundraising, donors expect a certain personal reputation and Christian character standard from individual missionaries staff on financial issues. Missionaries Staff who have low integrity with their personal money management may be considered untrustworthy by donors who are giving money toward the ministry work they are seeking to do. (For instance, a missionary staff who is are asking for funds but is are currently in personal bankruptcy will appear to have a conflict of interest.) Reliant has a vested interest in protecting our own reputation here.
We ask that our missionaries staff have a plan to cover their first 3-6 months of living expenses before they come to New Staff Training and begin their journey of raising up their initial support. Some missionaries staff do this through savings, others have a spouse whose income covers their living expenses, others will move in with parents to decrease their expenses, etc. The reason behind this request for a sustainable financial plan is because that Reliant can only deliver paychecks based on available funds. Early in the fundraising process (Initial MTD phase), most missionaries staff will only receive a small portion of their targeted salary, making it necessary for them to live off savings or other income. To set them up for success, we desire a missionary staff to have a sustainable financial plan for the first 3-6 months of raising support because they will be working full-time, but not receiving much of an income. *Please also be sure the expense of travel to and registration for New Staff Training is factored into the financial plan.
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The living-expense criteria works equally well for many financial situations because it asks missionaries staff to total their average monthly costs of living at the time they arrive at New Staff Training and begin MTD. The calculation should include monthly expenses: rent or mortgage, auto, and car, debt service, average food, etc. The savings or alternate income condition takes the living expenses number and multiplies it by 3 months to get the total minimum required amount of savings. If there is an alternate income source (e.g., a working spouse), you can subtract the monthly income from the monthly expenses.
Example:
$1,000 monthly rent
$300 car payment
$200 required student loan payments
$200 other living expenses
= $1,700 per month.
$1,700 x 3 months = $5,100 savings required.
If a spouse is bringing in $800 "take-home pay" monthly with a part-time job, the number is reduced by $2,400 ($800 x 3). $5,100 - $2,400 = $2,700 savings minimum.
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- Savings and alternate income total less than 6 months living expenses (but more than 3 months)
- Educate and possibly suggest self-deferral until savings or alternate income plan (still requiring full-time MTD) meets the 6 month goal
- Financial bankruptcy at any time during life (but longer than 3 years time)
- Educate missionary staff that they may need to have an answer prepared as to why they can trustworthily receive money from donors
- Any consumer debt (defined: debt typically incurred for daily consumption, that does not have a fixed term, and whose interest is not tax deductible. Most commonly credit card debt with a relatively high interest rate. Excludes mortgage debt, student loan debt, and medical debt). Excludes car debt.
- Total personal debt (excluding mortgage) load exceeds the following:
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- Financial Bankruptcy within the time frame [last 3 years]
- Investigate circumstances closely. Consider Christian conversion. If the story can clearly and uncontroversially be told to donors as part of what God was doing in the missionarystaff's life, a condition is more likely than a deferral.
- Creditors in active pursuit for of a delinquent debt
- Recommend defer deferring until restored relationship and repayment plan with creditors and Christian financial counseling.
- Savings and alternate income total less than 3 months living expenses
- Defer until savings or alternate income plan (still requiring full-time MTD) meets the three-month criteria
- Consumer debt with no repayment plan. (defined: debt typically incurred for daily consumption and whose interest is not tax deductible. Most commonly credit card debt with a relatively high interest rate.)
- Key: note that other personal debt (mortgage payments, student loan payments, car payments) is covered under the "living expenses plan" criteria (above) because regular monthly payments are expected.
- Recommend defer deferring until consumer debt is erased or condition that a reasonable repayment is included in savings plan.
- Candidate has lied, misled, or omitted significant information about their finances to Reliant
- Seek confrontation, confession, and defer for a period of time.
- Seek confrontation, confession, and defer for a period of time.
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- To summarize again how debt works in our evaluation system: consumer debt (credit card or similar revolving, high-interest debt) is treated seriously because it is not on a standard monthly payment but increases in severity even if minimum payments are allowed. We believe it is not wise for missionaries staff to face the uncertainty of MTD with consumer debt. If they are carrying it but have a feasible plan for it to be eliminated before training or early on staff, then it is a yellow flag. No plan to pay off consumer debt is a red flag.
- All other debt debts (mortgage, car payments, student loan payments) are to be figured into the monthly living expenses calculation. If the regular payments can be made through the 6 month (ideal; or 3 month minimum) period, then we move ahead.
- The exception is if the total debt, excluding mortgage, exceeds our single sum maximum. The reason is worries that the average missionary staff salary won't be able to sufficiently match it alone. This remains a yellow flag because the local church may know of alternate income, etc.
- Our goal is not to evaluate their whole financial situation but to help make a determination for financial health for the initial MTD period.
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Seems to have a fairly solid conviction that fundraising/support-based is a good method or plan for them to do vocational ministry
- Reason to Raise Funds: missional church, church plant, or ministry will not self-support on a tithe - model, and demonstrably requires other Christians to support the cause. The cause itself can demonstrate a reasonable need.
- Previous Fundraising Experience: has at least one previous successful experience raising funds for a shorter-term project, internship, or mission trip
- Previous Fundraising Training: none necessary.
- Those with previous training through Cru or Navigators may be able to be exempt out of from a portion of Reliant's training.
- Job Description and Mission: steady, confident, thought-through, and not likely to change.
- Availability: available for full-time, focused fundraising for Initial MTD phase before beginning devoted ministry work.
- Geography: lives or will live in or within range of their primary name base.
- Emotional Support: has a strong spiritual and emotional church or community for Initial MTD phase
- Timeframe and Strategy: Reasonable expectations on MTD timeline using Reliant averages
- Technology Skills: Previous experience in using databasedatabases, Skype and social media, email, etc.
- Communication Skills: Previous experience in sales, public speaking, storytelling, public relations, and/or customer service.
- Temperament Factors
- Entrepreneurship: able to innovate, launch, and manage new things
- Meeting Strangers: able to initiate and build quick rapport with strangers
- Storytelling: can cast a vision in a clear and compelling way
- Determined Faithfulness: evidence of following through even when circumstances are difficult
- Self-Confidence: Believes in one's self at appopriate appropriate levels
- Names: after sufficient namestorm time, can list 200150+ names
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- Reason to Raise Funds: "I can make a higher salary with support than they are offering me"
- Deputized fundraising should not be used to jump outside the pay structure of the local church or ministry. Check to make sure lower salaries offered by the church or ministry are due to lack of funding. If due to actual desired market compensation, recommend discussion with church on hiring philosophy with support-based staff.
- Job Description and Mission: has some shakiness to it.
- Educate on the importance of clarity and focus when doing MTD training and speaking with donors
- Emotional support structure seems weak or negative for Initial MTD. ( e.g., living with unbelieving parents and no local church).
- Noticeably low communications and/or technology experience or skill.
- Temperament: Self-reported significant deficiency in: Entrepreneurship, Meeting Strangers, Storytelling, Determined Faithfulness, Self-Confidence
- Names: after sufficient namestorm time, can list between 5075-100 150 people.
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- Reason to Raise Funds: "The other staff at my church are paid, and they didn't want to pay me, but said if I was 'free' for them, then I could do it."
- May indicate a low-quality candidate. Recommend discussion with church on hiring philosophy with support-based staff and candidate qualifications in particular.
- Previous Experience: Previous start and failure in missionary fundraising.
- Explore factors surrounding exit from previous fundraising. Address any issues. Set conditions on for clear donor communication and communication with previous church or ministry.
- Job Description and Mission highly likely to morph or change significantly after beginning fundraising. (e.g., church planter has not yet chosen city or overseas missionary staff has not yet chosen country)
- Donor funds require steadiness in ministry purpose. Recommend defer deferring until purpose is reasonably set. (Note: missing details of job description are common and not required; this refers to the wider mission).
- Availability: Cannot devote full-time hours to MTD before starting ministry (for a full-time salary).
- May pursue exception to skip Initial MTD based on ministry experience, etc. However, if not qualified for exception, recommend deferral until a strategic plan can be crafted that allows sufficient time to raise funds.
- Availability: If qualified for exception to Initial MTD ("Active MTD"), cannot devote 20 hours weekly to fundraising (pursuing a full-time salary)
- Geography: reports all names in a significantly different location than living location and cannot travel.
- MTD usually depends on face-to-face time with donors. Require pre-appointment with an MTD coach to discuss viability of distance strategy. Recommend require changing MTD travel strategy.
- Names: after sufficient namestorm time, can list less than 50 75 people.
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Our institutional knowledge here is one of our strengths. And this is a weakness for many of our churches. However, we would rarely automatically disqualify anyone on the basis of MTD Readiness since many of these are not black and white but matters of our wisdom and averages. People do sometimes overcome difficult circumstances. However, our role and value is to make them aware that these factors can contribute to the difficulty factor and how they can improve their success. If Reliant's rate of failure in fundraising became unreasonably high, then we would begin to lose credibility on this front.
We ask that our missionaries staff have a plan to cover their first 3-6 months of living expenses before they come to New Staff Training and begin their journey of raising up their initial support. Some missionaries staff do this through savings, others have a spouse whose income covers their living expenses, others will move in with parents to decrease their expenses, etc. The reason behind this request for a sustainable financial plan is because that Reliant can only deliver paychecks based on available funds. Early in the fundraising process (Initial MTD phase), most missionaries staff will only receive a small portion of their targeted salary, making it necessary for them to live off savings or other income. To set you up for success, we desire a missionary staff to have a sustainable financial plan for the first 3-6 months of raising support because they will be working full-time, but not receiving much of an income. *Please also be sure to factor in the expense of travel to and registration for New Staff Training in your financial plan.
