Hello again, Reliant Missionaries, and welcome back to the MTD Minute!

Let's talk about MTD stewardship: the relationship-building that takes place after a ministry gift has been received. Stewardship involves showing how a donor's giving is making an impact, connecting personally in order to minister to them, offering new opportunities to give, and recognizing their investment with genuine thanks. Generally, this can be accomplished in a SHOW, CONNECT, OFFER, THANK cycle. This ongoing view of MTD leads to a strong and stable support base.

Quick Tip

This month, focus on the CONNECT phase of this cycle by personally connecting with some of your donors.

Think 1-on-1 connection to build relationships vs. one-size-fits-all mass communication. No ask. Just connection and ministering to the people who empower you.

For ideas on how to relationally connect with donors, go to the CONNECT section on this page.

Story from the Field

"After about a decade on a support-based salary through Reliant, I decided to dig into my MTD numbers. I looked at backpay and what I *could* be making as a salary vs what I was actually taking. It helped me realize I wasn’t in a sustainable situation. I either needed to figure out a different source of income or get the support raised. So, I spent the next few months calling every one of my 70 donors. I talked with 40 of them. A lot of my calls were an hour long. I was fine with that because I was making up for years of not connecting. And I didn't ignore the elephant in the room. I acknowledged I hadn't done a good job keeping in touch but wanted that to change and was looking forward to getting to know them more. It was so worth it..."

Tune in next month to hear the rest of the story!

-Matt Moore
Missionary serving in Austin, TX

Deeper Dive

Dig into the Connect portion of the Annual Stewardship Plan.

In Spirituality of Fundraising, Henri Nouwen explains more of the "why" behind this style of stewardship plan. This short, 8-chapter booklet can be used as a devotional companion to the summer support raising season. Go through it on your own, with your spouse, or your team.

We're here to help

Summer cohorts are starting up soon. Click here to learn more and sign up. Rather have 1:1 coaching? Let us know if you need a coach.

Thankful to be serving alongside you,

Your Reliant Program Support Team