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This guide, adapting principles from our End of Year Giving Strategy (which is also the BEST time to invite people to special giving), is intended to help you prepare for and execute a special gift campaign to ensure your upcoming furlough home assignment contributes to, rather than detracts from, your overall thriving. 

For additional resources for your upcoming furloughhome assignment, check out this Solomon page.

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titleFunding Your HMA PDF
urlhttps://solomon.reliant.org/download/attachments/69148681/Funding%20your%20Home%20Assignment.pdf?api=v2


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titleWhen to Ask

There are two answers to this question:

4-6 Months prior to the start of your home assignment.

Don’t underestimate the amount of time needed to prepare, communicate, and ultimately follow up with those who might contribute to a special gift campaign. On top of the other preparations you will make to return to the States, earlier is always better.

An end-of-year giving campaign if possible.

Did you know that end-of-year giving appeals to a different type of donor than your standard monthly partner? It’s wise to offer various giving opportunities because you recognize there is no "one size fits all" to financial partnership. A large ask, such as an end-of-year giving appeal, tends to resonate with your special gift donors (look for any who gave over the past three years) and those with a higher capacity to give. This group may even include those who stopped giving or have never given before. This group can make up a HUGE chunk in your MTD. We’ve had missionaries goers who gathered $10,000, $25,000, and even $50,000 in their end-of-year giving efforts! 

Statistics indicate that 31% of all charitable giving happens at year-end, and 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year. This is a season when everyone you know is making some financial choices for this year and next. Two streams of thought are happening: decisions about their giving priorities for the next year, and how to steward end-of-year bonuses and/or commissions.

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titleHow to Ask

There are many options on how to invite someone to give a special gift. However, this is the process we recommend and have seen a lot of fruit from: 

  • Card: If aiming for the end of the year, send out a Thanksgiving/Holiday card with your smiling face to each person on your list and drop it in the mail before Thanksgiving. This puts you ahead of the other Christmas-card and year-end-giving appeals. Here are some holiday card examples, and some additional examples. If not planning for an end of year appeal, you could still send out a hand-written note (if feasible) and include an updated prayer card or memento from your country of service. Consider having an advocacy team member, or a friend from your sending church, aid in mailing these out. 


  • Phone: Call each person on your list and make the invite to give voice-to-voice (or face-to-face via Zoom). The point is for you to make a very personal invitation. If your donor only texts, then go ahead and make the invitation over text, but don't let that be the default for everyone. Put in the effort to connect voice-to-voice or face-to-face. 


  • Email/PDF Letter: After you ask them face-to-face or voice-to-voice, let them know you'll be following up with an email or letter. This email should contain details about the ministry vision for the coming year, as well as how to give (mailing address for check donors, link for online, and instructions for submitting their gift). Let them know you'll be praying the Lord makes it clear as to how much He's challenging them to generously give, and that you'll call back to see how God is leading them. 


  • Phone: Anticipate you'll have to make about 3 follow-up calls/texts/emails before a decision is made. Don't let this surprise or discourage you; it's normal! If you are asking at the end of the year, use the end of the year as a motivator and calendar out and batch your follow-up calls. For example: One follow-up each week of December. If not at the end of the year, establish a clear goal end date (such as a month before you leave for furloughhome assignment) and use that as your motivation and structure for follow-ups.

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titleWhat to Say

For an invitation to be effective, we recommend sending this follow-up email separate from your monthly update letter. Here are some sample letters/phone call scripts tailored for an end-of-year gift, and below are some tips on how to best craft this email:

  1. Look back and celebrate what God has done this past year. 
    Lift people’s eyes to what the Lord has done and celebrate His accomplishments. Ask others on your team about what they have seen God do.Feel free to use each other’s stories, as anything God is doing in your ministry is fruit your partners deserve to know about!

  2. What are you trusting God to do in the coming year? 
    Take time to dream and ask God what He wants to do in your ministry in the next season/year. Invite the Lord to show you what He wants to do through your team. Your partners will be encouraged as they read what you are trusting God to do next year.

  3. Invite people to give to the vision of what you are trusting the Lord to do in the coming year.  
    Ask people to give to your vision, not to your need. Invite people to be a part of what God is doing. THAT is exciting. See these sample letters for a great example of how to do that. Be specific; challenging people to give a specific amount is helpful for them. If you are needing to raise funds explicitly for your home assignment, communicate the vision behind your furlough home assignment rather than merely stating a need for money. (For some ideas, see this Solomon page for our heart behind furloughhome assignment.)
  4. Keep it concise, but clear.
    Be sure that your celebration, vision, and ask are all on one page or able to fit on one screen. Most people take in things within 30 seconds and may not read a two page letter, no matter how compelling it may be!

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titleHow Much to Ask For

There is no real limit to how much you can ask for, and we've seen anything from $100 to over $70,000 come in for certain individuals. However, there are some good ways you can go about setting a special gift or end-of-year goal:

  • Calculate how much you need to be fully funded
    If you haven’t received our Home Assignment Prep Guide, let us know! It contains a worksheet to help you assess your furlough home assignment funding needs.

  • Check on your backpay
    Since back pay only lasts for so long, it's essential to get this paid back as soon as possible. As gifts come in during the final months of the year, back pay will be added to your pay. This could be a perfect number to let your support team know about to see if they can meet that need.


  • 3-month buffer in your account
    A good rule of thumb is to aim to have 3 months of expenses covered by your account balance. If your current balance does not cover that, calculate the difference and this could be a good number to ask for.

  • Ask the Spirit for a number
    Technically this should be your first move. Let the Lord of hosts guide and direct you on how much you should be asking for, and then let God blow that number away to shine His Glory!

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