The Support Goal Worksheet (SGW)
This tool calculates your financial needs to ensure that you have what you need to thrive in your ministry location. Your monthly support goal is the amount of recurring giving that you need to raise each month to cover every aspect of your ministry, including personal salary and ministry-related expenses. We will set this during your Reliant Training, but you will update it throughout the course of your ministry. The following video will walk through each section of the support goal worksheet.
If you would like to talk through your support goal with the International Liaison, schedule a time here.
Video Tutorial
SGW Sections
Your Support Goal is comprised of recurring expenses that you are likely to incur monthly:
| Monthly Salary Tab | This tab calculates your Gross Monthly Salary as a household unit. It also helps you estimate your net pay with the paycheck calculator. |
| Reimbursements Tab | These are expenses that are related to the ministry you are doing. They will not be part of your salary, but you can receive the funds through reimbursements or bonuses as expenses occur. |
| Support Goal Summary Tab | Calculates additional expenses from the MTD account, including employer taxes, 403(b) match, benefits, and admin fees. These amounts are drawn directly from your MTD fund. |
You will also have One-Time goals, either prior to launch or at various times in your ministry:
| Pre-Launch Goal | Budget for one-time needs as you launch to your ministry location for the first time. |
| Annual Ministry Expenses | Budget for annual expenses to get an idea of larger needs that you may need to raise additional funds for. |
Support Goal Updates
There are certain times throughout your employment when you will need to update your support goal worksheet.
To update your salary, reimbursement estimates, or other SGW details, revise your worksheet and email or comment to international@reliant.org with a brief summary of the changes.
The International Team will:
- Update your salary (if requested)
- Adjust your support goal in Toolbox
- Let you know if any additional steps are needed
Note: Salary updates must be submitted by the 16th of the month to take effect on the next paycheck.
| Initial MTD Phase | When you’re onboarded with Reliant, we’ll work with you and your supervisor to complete your SGW. Some categories—like housing or ministry expenses—should be estimated as closely as possible, but they don’t need to be exact. That’s okay! Our goal is to have your SGW about 80–90% accurate at the start. |
| Six Months In | About six months into your time at your ministry location, it’s a good idea to review your actual costs—such as housing, utilities, and ministry expenses—to make sure your support goal is still accurate. |
| Annually (Oct/Nov) | Every year you should update your support goal worksheet to include any changes in insurance premiums, job role, cost of living, or ministry expenses. Late fall is a great time to be aware of potential shortfalls in your budget or giving so that you can reach out to partners for an end-of-year ask. |
| Qualifying Events | Anytime you have a significant change in your family situation, ministry role or responsibilities, or cost of living, reach out to the International Team to discuss how this may change your support goal and your salary. |
