Mission Opportunity Support Raising Packet

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Jack Lyons
5 years ago
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1 Mission Opportunity Support Raising Packet

2 AIA Mission Opportunity Participant, Welcome to the Athletes in Action Family! We are excited you will joining us on a Mission Opportunity this year! God has been using AIA projects and tours to transform lives of athletes and coaches and to declare His glory among the nations for decades. The following pages contain all that you need to start discovering a team of partners God has chosen to invest in you this summer. Throughout the years, we have developed resources to help project participants raise the money needed to reach their support goal. Time and time again, we can testify that as God leads you to step out in faith to commit to an AIA project, He will help you discover the funds you need. This support-raising packet includes: Ø Biblical foundation for support-raising Ø brainstorming ideas for to whom to send your support letter Ø helpful reminders and tips for how to write a support letter Ø procedures for receiving and processing support checks Please print each page and read very carefully. It is extremely important to follow each guideline due to NCAA by-laws and IRS tax laws we are required to follow. As you begin your support raising journey we ask that you DO NOT USE a Go Fund Me or any other fundraising websites to assist you in raising money. Please contact your project director if you would like to know more information about we don t allow you to use these sites. In addition, we ask that you keep in mind that you are not raising funds for yourself. All funds will remain in the full charitable control of Athletes in Action and will be used to run the project you are assigned to. Your project director can explain specifically what the funds will cover and be used for. We are praying for you and are here to help you in any way we can, so please do not hesitate to or call your project director or support coach with any questions or concerns. Once again welcome to our family and we looking forward to what God is going to do in you and through you this summer! Sincerely, That Athletes in Action Staff Family

3 Support Raising Checklist Task 1 - Ask God to go before you Seek the Lord as you begin the support process - pg. 3 Task 2 - Develop a list of at least 75 to 100 potential supporters & send to your support coach pg. 4 Task 3 - Write your support letter - pg. 5-7 Task 4 - a copy of your support letter to your support coach BEFORE you mail it pg. 8 Task 5 - Mail your support letter pg. 8 Task 6 - Thank Before You Bank Write Thank You notes as checks come in pg. 8 Task 7 - Enter your checks online - pg Task 8 - Mail in your checks to your Project Director or Administrator pg. 10 Task 9 - Check Status of processed checks & required forms pg Page 2: Support-Raising Packet-

4 Task #1 - Ask God to go before you Before you begin your support-raising journey, pray God will raise up the funds needed and read the Biblical Truths below. 1. Remember these truths: God is not poor. He created and owns the universe. He can and will provide all you need to be an effective ambassador for Him (not just financially, but every other need you have also-- Ephesians 3:20; Jeremiah 32:17). Remember: He created the universe in six days. Imagine what He can do to raise support in the next few weeks! (See Hebrews 11:3). You represent the King of Kings. There is no higher calling than that which God has extended to you (II Timothy 1:9). A prospective investor could not find a better investment than that of the cause of Christ, in which you are involved. Scripture says, "The laborer is worthy of his wages" (I Timothy 5:18). What better investment or more worthy cause, than to see others come to know Christ personally? You can expect results. "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass" (1 Thessalonians 5:24). One of the Old Testament names for God is "Jehovah Jireh," which means "God will provide." Work hard! See II Thessalonians 3:1-11, but also make sure you take time to relax and fellowship with the Lord on a regular basis. 2. Ask others to pray for you during this process and over the course of the summer. 3. Do not be afraid to ask for a definite amount. Remember small plans don't inflame the hearts of men. People appreciate being given an idea of how much you are expecting from them. Use the word "invest" rather than "donate or support." Emphasize that they will be a part of your "team" as you travel, compete, and share Christ with those you come in contact with over the summer. 4. If someone says NO to giving, Be positive. Communicate a confidence that God is going to develop a support team, and you are just trying to find out if this person is one whom God desires to use in this way. Thank each person for his or her interest, and invite him or her to be a prayer partner as you travel. 5. Suggested Bible Study passages: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Ephesians 4:1-3 Ephesians 5:1-2 1 Corinthians 13 Matthew 28:1-20 Mark 4:1-20 Romans 10:11-15 Colossians 3: Thessalonians 5: Page 3: Support-Raising Packet-

5 Task #2 - Develop a list of at least 100 potential supporters & send the list to your support coach NAME STORM Begin by developing an initial list of potential sponsors. Don t decide for an individual whether or not he or she is interested. If you limit yourself to those you feel will or can give, you may be prematurely disqualifying those God wants to become supporters. Later you will need to prioritize who to contact first, but for now, do not disqualify anyone! You may be thinking you could never generate more than a handful of names, but research has shown the average individual has a personal network of at least 400 friends and acquaintances, & most college students have over 1000 Facebook friends. So, you should easily be able to develop a list of at least 100 potential sponsors. After taking some time to name storm, label each contact either T for top priority, M for medium priority, or L for low priority. These designations refer to your evaluation of how likely they are to give. Start by contacting your top priority people first, and then work through your medium and low priority people. Look through the following list, and write down names of people who come to mind: Apartment managers Athletic & Academic Staff Athletes in Action staff Christian bookstore Bible studies & prayer group Campus Crusade for Christ staff Chamber of Commerce directories Christian businesses Church directory Church friends Church Missions Board Coaches (College, HS, Youth) College friends Community leaders Current & Former teammates Dentist & Staff Doctor & Staff Eye doctors & Staff Family (parents, Brother, Sister, Grandparents, Aunt, Uncle, etc) Fraternity & Sorority friends Friends of parents (ask parent s permission) High school teachers & coaches Local political leaders Missionary societies Neighbors Parent s employers and associates (ask parent s permission) Parents of Athletes you coach Pastors People who have influenced you spiritually People you have led to Christ Professors Referrals Rotary Club Secretaries Sunday school classes Sunday school teachers Teammates Parents Athletic Trainer TV & radio stations Veterinarians Your personal telephone directory Don t forget to look through your social network contacts! - Page 4: Support-Raising Packet-

6 Task #3 - Prepare Your Support Letter VERY IMPORTANT: READ INSTRUCTIONS BELOW FIRST! On the next 2 pages, you find 2 sample support letters, one for Sport Team project, and one for a noncompeting team project. Contact your project director to see if they a sample letter for your specific project. The personal segments, which are found in italics, need to be rewritten to include information about your current reality. You are permitted to reformat or design the letter, perhaps include a picture, however, the body of the letter should be copied "as is in order to follow NCAA guidelines. Below are some guidelines to help you draft your letter: Give your letter a specific date. Personalized your greeting either by mail-merged or handwriting their name but not Dear Friend! Bring your reader up-to-date on how and what you are currently you are doing. (School, coaching, how your season went, etc.) Emphasize the text. Use parentheses and underlining to emphasize the most important parts of your letter such as your needs, your request, and the time and date you need the support raised. Include How to give options (1) online through give.cru.org and entering your tracking number that your director will send (2) mail check made out to Athletes in Action in the enclosed envelope. Emphasize: Do NOT write your name on the check per NCAA and IRS guidelines. Enclose a self-addressed return envelope for a quick and easy response; research has shown that the easier you make it to respond, the higher the response rate will be. Things to avoid when writing sponsorship letters: Ø Never apologize for writing or calling a person whom you wish to involve in helping meet a need. You are providing him with an opportunity to be involved in a spiritual ministry through their resources. Remember that the giver needs to give far more than any person or cause needs to receive. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account" (Philippians 4:17). Ø Never ask for a general amount, with no time frame in which to take action. You should challenge people to give a specific gift, or at least give them a specific range. The specific challenge of $75, $100, $250 or more has been included in this material. If people want to support your team but cannot give $50, they will let you know, and not be offended by your request.. To make sure you are following NCAA & IRS guidelines please make sure that the supporter DOES NOT write your name in the make payable or memo line. This is extremely important! - Page 5: Support-Raising Packet-

7 SAMPLE COMPETING TEAM SUPPORT LETTER [Contact your Project Director for a sample letter specific to your project; & for an AIA or project logo] [Type Date] Dear [insert name mail merge, or type it in], I want to bring you up to date on what is happening in my life. As you know, I m a student at [name of school], where I also compete on the [name of sport] team. Two of the most important things in my life have been my athletics and the opportunity to know Jesus Christ in a personal way. (Personalize) This summer I have a chance to combine these two loves by competing on a [name of sport] team sponsored by Athletes in Action (AIA), a ministry of Cru; formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. We will be competing in [name of country] & working with the AIA/Cru in-country staff to help build relationships with athletes, fans, coaches, and officials to help them accelerate their ministries by sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ through personal conversations and group presentations. My personal goals for the summer include deepening my relationship with God, learning how to share my faith more effectively, continuing to develop my leadership skills, and leading people to a personal relationship with Christ. Needless to say, this will require a great investment of my time and energy. [Personalize] This team is made up of more than just the players and coaches traveling. We are looking for interested individuals such as yourself, who are willing to invest in our ministry, and thereby become part of our team as we travel, compete, and minister to others. Each member of our team is asked to raise [insert amount here], a portion of the team s goal, which will cover food, lodging, travel, and other team expenses. All funds must be raised by [insert date here, 2 weeks before departure], in order for our team to report to training camp. Would you prayerfully consider giving $ 75, $100, $250 or some other amount to help our team meet this need? Your financial support can also be given online at by entering [insert tracking #] in the Give A Gift box, or you can make checks payable to ATHLETES IN ACTION and return it to me in the selfaddressed envelope provided. PLEASE DO NOT WRITE MY NAME IN THE MEMO LINE OF THE CHECK PER IRS & NCAA GUIDELINES. I want you to know I really appreciate your friendship. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. [Personalize] Sincerely, [Sign each letter; maybe include a personal note] - Page 6: Support-Raising Packet-

8 SAMPLE NON- COMPETING TEAM - SUPPORT LETTER [Contact your Project Director for a sample letter specific to your project; & for an AIA or project logo] Dear [insert name mail merge, or type it in], I want to bring you up to date on what is happening in my life. As you know, I m a student at [name of school], where I also compete on the {name of sport} team. Two of the most important things in my life have been my athletics and the opportunity to know Jesus Christ in a personal way. [Personalize] This summer I have a chance to combine my love of God and sport by participating in Athletes in Action s Extreme Challenge Puerto Rico [Insert project name]. This project is a two week mission trip to Puerto Rico which is part of a larger strategy to launch AIA campus movements on every University in Puerto Rico! On this project I will gain valuable experience in sharing my faith, living in community, and learning what it means to obey Christ s command to make disciples of all the nations. I will also learn how to be spiritual leader back on my campus when I return. [Personalize for your specific project, contact your director for more details about what you will be doing on the project] My personal goals for the summer include deepening my relationship with God, learning how to share my faith more effectively, developing leadership skills, and leading people to a personal relationship with Christ. Needless to say, this will require a great investment of my time and energy. (Personalize) In order to participate in this project, each participant has been asked to raise [Project Support Goal] which is a portion of the entire team s goal. This will cover food, lodging, travel, and other ministry related expenses. All funds must be raised by [insert date here, 2 weeks before departure], in order for our team to report to the project. With this mind, would you prayerfully consider investing in this opportunity by giving a tax-deductible gift of $100, $200. Your financial support can also be given online at by entering [insert tracking #] in the Give A Gift box. Another option is you can make a check payable to Athletes in Action and return it in the envelope provided. Please do not put my name in the memo or anywhere on the check as per IRS and NCAA guidelines. If you would like more information about the project please feel free to visit our website at [Enter project website if you there is one] Thank you for your friendship and for considering this opportunity. Sincerely, [Sign each letter; maybe include a personal note] - Page 7: Support-Raising Packet-

9 Task #4 a copy of your support letter to your support coach BEFORE mailing it! Before sending out your letter, send a copy of it to your support coach for approval. The reason we do this is so we can review the wording in an effort to protect NCAA athletes and not jeopardize their eligibility. In addition, for accountability purposes, we ask that you send your support coach a list of the names of everyone you are sending letters to. Task #5 - Mail letter your support letter Include: Letter & Self-addressed return envelope In your letter please include a self-addressed return envelope so the checks go directly to you, unless your project direct tells you differently. This way you can thank those that give and keep track of how much has come in to make sure it matches with our reports. Task #6 - Thank before you bank!!! Once you receive a support check, sit down and send a thank you note the same day. It is easier to write one or two notes at a time then to write 20 at once. Be sure to keep a record of this so you will know to whom you have sent one. This should be a personal, handwritten letter. Do not print or copy off a form letter! Always include something personal in your note to show specifically how you and the cause of Christ have been benefited by their generosity. Task #7 - Enter checks online and send in your checks NOTE: Some project directors or administrators have project participants skip this step so make sure you check in with them first what they want you to do. As you start receiving checks it will be a huge help to your project director or administrator if you can log in your checks online BEFORE you send them in to the office. By logging them in online, the check information goes into our database. When we receive your checks then we double check the names and amounts match up. PLEASE log in multiple checks at a time so wait a few days if you only have 1 or 2 in hand To log in checks please follow the steps below: Log in at: my.athletesinaction.org/default.aspx Type in username and password At the top of the page you will see the project you are assigned to; Click on your project (See below); if you don t see your project then contact your director or administrator - Page 8: Support-Raising Packet-

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Once you have logged in all your checks then PRINT 2 COPIES, 1 for your records and 1 to send in with your checks Please contact your project director or administrator if you have any questions or

will be send back to you!! If cash donation is received please get money order and put the donor s name on it Log in Checks online See below Write your CCC # on each support check.

11 Once you have logged in all your checks then PRINT 2 COPIES, 1 for your records and 1 to send in with your checks Please contact your project director or administrator if you have any questions or are having a problem Task #8 Mail Checks to your Project Director or Administrator Before you send in your checks do the following: Make sure all checks are made out to AIA any check made out to you will be send back to you!! If cash donation is received please get money order and put the donor s name on it Log in Checks online See below Write your CCC # on each support check. (Ask your support coach for this number if you don t know what it is) Please send in your checks in weekly; however, if you only a 1 or 2 of smaller amount wait til you receive more Ask your project director where to send your checks if you are not sure Task #9 - Check Status of Processed Checks and Required Forms You can check the status of the money you have turned in as well as paperwork that has been turned in. Compare your records with ours and make sure we have you checked off. If it does not match up, call or your project director. Chances are that your project director has not recorded it in the database. Log in at Click your project; if you don t see your project contact your project /tour director or administrator - Page 10: Support-Raising Packet-

12 Below is what you will see after you click on your tour; if our support totals don t match up with your records or if you have turned in forms that are not checked off please contact your project direct Note about Online Donations When someone gives an online donation, they will get an confirmation, however it WILL NOT automatically show up in our system, because Cru (our parent organization) needs to process it and then AIA will download a report that will be uploaded to our database system. CC / Debit Cards are processed in 2 to 3 days Electronic Fund Transfers ($ taken directly from the bank) can take 10 to 15 days to process The donor has the choice of when they want their card charged or funds transferred so that may delay the process as well If you are expecting an online donation and you have not seen it show up in 15 days or more please contact your project director or administrator. - Page 11: Support-Raising Packet-

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