What do you do when Ministry Partners go missing? Here are key things a missionary needs to do when there are unexpected drop-offs. 

Call supporters individually who are not giving as expected.  We always start with an exploratory conversation.  Many people whose giving has stopped may not realize that it stopped, or may have some misunderstanding about the situation.  We always assume they intend to do what they said.   It’s a gentle conversation something like, 

• “Hi John.  This is Bryan.  Hey, I’m so appreciative of your partnership for my internship at Grace. How are you doing?” - listen.  (Very often if someone KNOWS they have changed giving, they will jump in with a problem, a concern or a question.) 
• After listening and responding, “John, I really enjoyed our meeting last summer when you offered $xx/ month and my internship needs go through the end of May.  I want to see if everything is alright on that front. (pause, they may jump in here)  My recent reports don’t show gifts after ___ (be specific).   Does that fit your expectations?  First, I want to make sure we don’t have some glitch on our front with Reliant.”  Again, the donor will usually jump in with an explanation.  If they are surprised,  and intend to keep giving — or believe that they have been giving, tell them we will research with Reliant to see if something went wrong on our end. Promise to get back to them.  The Gift Processing Dept. at Reliant will be happy to research for you. They can be reached at 407.671.9700 x140 or Gift.Services@Reliant.org.  Always be ready to expect something to be wrong on our side, not the partners. 
• If Your partner knows they stopped giving, we want to be gentle and appreciate the partnership.  Sometimes there was a job change, or financial setbacks, sometimes a change of heart.  Many people will re-start due to this phone call.   Ways you can respond: 

I so appreciate your giving.  Thank you. 

My internship does continue through the end of May …( maybe they thought you have all you need).   would you like to continue to partner with me?  

Would a smaller gift make sense to you? 

Could you help by introducing me to a few people who would be interested in hearing about the people this ministry is impacting and my role as an intern?

End with, hey, I would love to have you come visit and see the results of your giving, could you join one of our youth/ministry meetings in the coming month? 

If it turns out that this supporter didn’t intend to give this year, or just can’t … The missionary can be proactive and seek other support with one of his upcoming letters.  

• This needs to be done no more than once in six months.  
• A clear response mechanism needs to be included, like a stamped envelope and clear giving instructions.  The best is to have one of our team review it before sending.  (Follow-up can be done by phone, and Bryan will want to do that if he needs more than $5000. If the total is like $3500 or less, a letter may be sufficient.  Feel free to call for more advice.) 
• The content of the letter would include: (5 paragraphs tops)  

A story of someone whose life has shown change due to Bryan’s ministry.  (2 paragraphs or so, + photo) 

An explanation of his current need.   “This internship has been tremendous.  That’s the good news.  Recently I got word that some financial team members aren’t able to give as they had hoped.  (We’re all so thankful for their generosity!)  It does leave me with a bit of a financial shortfall, though.  That’s the bad news.  In order to be fully paid for my work at Grace, I’m reliant on God providing $xxxx beyond current promises.  Would you consider helping to provide for this special need?”  

Short description of how to give. 

Continued thanks for their partnership.  “I’m sure you can understand that your giving is as important as ever. Thank you.”

It’s worthwhile to check past communication.  Often a ministry partner drops off due to feeling neglected or un-appreciated.  Things to consider when evaluating regular MTD communication:  

• Is communication getting to the ministry partner?  Look for mass emailing that is sent to junk mail.  (A single direct email is more reliable.)
• Is it regular? 
• Is thanks being expressed? 
• Are the stories showing God at work?