Finances & Support Raising

God’s Perspective

In a unique way, God has chosen to use young men and women throughout history as a driving force behind the expansion of His church. Many of the great revivals of the past began as a result of students praying together. As they experienced personal and corporate spiritual renewal, they came away with a burning desire to share Christ with everyone, leading to missions efforts worldwide.
It’s your turn now!!  You are part of a new generation of young people worldwide. You have accepted the challenge to help reach the world for Christ by deciding to join other students on an international mission trip. You are in a unique position to invite others to invest in His cause. By offering individuals the opportunity to join as prayer and financial partners, you give them a chance to invest in eternity.

God’s Promises
The pertinent promises that follow as you trust God for support are backed by the character and authority of our all-knowing, all-powerful, immutable God. Meditate upon and claim these while raising your funds.

• The Lord will guide you and direct you (James 1:5).

• He will give you what it takes to develop your support team (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

• God not only gives you the desire to obey Him, but He also gives you the power to be obedient (Philippians 2:13).

• He will protect you from Satan’s lies (i.e. “You’re a beggar,” or “You aren’t good enough for Christian work,” etc.).

• All God lets happen to you during your support team development time will be for your good (Romans 8:18).

• He won’t fail or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Romans 8:35).

• He will give you faith to see your requests fulfilled (Luke 11:9-13).

• For additional encouragement, read Psalm 37:23-26 in the Living Bible.

The most important thing you can do in raising your support is to pray.
God is concerned about you and is able to meet your needs. He wants you to depend on Him. The next step after prayer is action. Developing a team of ministry partners is part of the MK2MK summer mission experience and takes a great deal of discipline and work. After you are given your summer mission costs, the following pages will give you many ideas on how to begin and follow through with the actual process of developing ministry partners.

Summer Mission Costs: How This Works!

Flights & Paying for Flights
MK2MK will be booking flights through various hub cities. The Travel Coordinator will communicate with you and your parents about your specific arrangements. Because this is a process that will not be finished before your support letter is sent out you will need to estimate the cost. Do not choose the lowest price you see on the internet! It is much better to have a higher support goal in your letter and then adjust down. You will not be required to raise the higher amount if the ticket is less. Because we accommodate crazy missionary family summer schedules your support goal will be personalized. Should your family change plans after tickets are purchased this could impact your goal.

Here is the simple process: Our travel coordinator will email parents and ask where the student is traveling from and back to. Once we have your information we will make your flight reservation. We will pass this reservation by your parent if we have questions. Then we will purchase your ticket using the support you have raised. Sounds simple right? It isn’t! But we will all get there and get back home again, we have never lost a student!

TRAVEL COORDINATOR:
Jon Yturralde: jon.yturralde@cru.org

Total Support Goal
Summer Mission Designation Number: You should have received this by e-mail from summer.missions@cru.org. If you have not received it yet, then contact Brenda Friesen: brenda.friesen@cru.org. Use this number when sending checks and forms to the MK2MK office.

Cost varies depending on travel expenses. Some will be flying direct to our summer mission location.
We are committed to keeping the cost of your summer mission as low as possible without compromising any standards of travel or accommodations that would hinder your effectiveness and safety. Here is the simple answer about your goal, but we will be giving you specifics as we start to set up travel. 

BASE COST: $2900
+    AIRFARE* $________    
=    TOTAL      $________

*Your airfare will be determined by the travel coordinator and you will be informed. Until then you will need to estimate to set a temporary goal.  Choose a moderately priced ticket from the internet, not the lowest. Also note that the Cru administrative charge of 12% will be added to the cost of airfare. 

Financial Deadlines
In order for your coach to see that your efforts are progressing well, specific dates are established for mailing sponsorship money.

On these dates, mail all checks that you have received to:
MK2MK—MC 2800
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando, FL 32832

The financial deadlines (see the Deadline page) indicate the total amount you should have raised and sent to MK2MK, by the dates listed. Please honor these dates.  If for some reason you are unable to meet a deadline please email your coach.

Failure to be attentive to deadlines may result in your being dropped from the mission. Communication is the key!

The amounts are goals to aim for, realizing that God’s timing and ours may not be the same. Because of the time lag between when you ask for money and when you get a response from people, it is reasonable to assume that a higher percentage of your sponsorship funds will come in during the last month before the mission trip. This is reflected in the dollar goals for the due dates. However, if on any of the dates your support is significantly below the specified amount, it will raise concerns. Your summer mission staff members will call to discuss this with you.

Deposit Deadline
A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $200 is required no later than March 25th. This should be submitted by giving online, through your designation number on give.cru.org. This will ensure your place on the trip and will allow our office to pay for necessary upfront expenses or deposits. If we do not receive your deposit by this date, we will assume that you decided not to participate on the trip. This deposit will also count towards your total goal.

If you are still under your support goal when the deadline passes, you will need to show your assigned coach how you plan to raise the rest of your funds in order to remain on the trip.

Money received after the final deadline must still be mailed to MK2MK.

What is Covered
The following items are all covered in the Mission Trip Fee:
All housing
All food
All non-flight transportation
Evacuation insurance
All ministry supplies and materials
Briefing and debriefing

What’s Not Covered
Miscellaneous Summer Mission Expenses:
As you prepare for the summer mission, you will have expenses not included in the Goal. For example:
The cost of raising support (postage, telephone calls, printing, and thank you notes)
The application fee
Immunizations and medication (if applicable) – use insurance!
Toiletry and clothing items
Obtaining a passport/visa
Personal spending money
Small gifts to take to your new friends in your host country

All of these expenses are variable so we don’t include them in the goal. If you raise over your goal you can potentially reimburse them all (except for toiletry/clothing items and personal spending money) including costs for notarizing papers needed for immigration, etc. However you need to pay for them upfront and then keep receipts if you’d like to reimburse them later. Contact Brenda Friesen on how to do this, once you have exceeded your final support goal. 

You can also use money from checks you receive which are made out to you, from individuals who do not want a tax receipt from Cru. Most people receive cash gifts too, which means if you are over your goal and those people don’t want a receipt, you can also use that for these extra expenses.

Spending Money
You may want to take an additional $100-$150 of your own money for personal spending, or gifts for ministry partners, friends, and family. Traveler’s checks may be hard to cash. It is advised your spending money be carried in small denominations ($20, $10, and a few $5 bills).

Fundraising – Follow These Steps!

You may raise funds to help pay for all or part of the summer mission fee listed above and airfare. Although you are not obligated to raise sponsorship funds, most people do because:

• Most students do not have the personal finances to cover all the summer mission expenses.

• It follows the biblical pattern of giving others an opportunity to be a partner with you in ministry.

Remember: When raising funds, you are raising money for the summer mission, not yourself. Your partners are giving to the MK2MK International Summer Mission. Therefore, if you receive more funds than needed, those funds will be used to help other students who have not raised enough to cover project expenses.

Note: All checks should be made payable to Cru. These will be responded to with a tax deductible receipt.

Key Ideas to Remember as You Raise Funds

1. Keep your coach informed of your progress. He or she will help you by answering questions about the trip, giving advice on raising funds, and tracking your progress.

2. Begin as soon as possible to develop your sponsorship team. Start by mailing your letters to any out-of-town sponsorship prospects.

TIP! In telling your sponsors when you need to receive their contributions, remember to give yourself enough time so that if a check is altered, there will be time to return it to the sponsor to rewrite the check and have it returned to you. This could take up to one month! An altered check is when the sponsor makes a mistake and crosses it out and initials it.  Our bank will no longer accept checks that are altered.

Begin now raising funds, following specific instructions and guidelines (i.e. Name storming, support letter draft, etc.). Note that your support letter draft is due to MK2MK on March 15th, and the final edit is due March 25th. (See the sample letter)

You will begin with this logical process, explained in detail below:

Collect Names:  Use the Name Storming section
Record your potential contacts on Contact Cards/or spreadsheet – see the Contact  section below
Determine Your Support Goal (we will help you)
Write Your letter (download two samples here. Also see the Tips to Help Your Letter Stand Out section)

Every letter needs to include the following paragraph. Cut and paste it into your letter, adding your designation number.

"There are different ways to make your gift:

• On-line through give.cru.org

• Cru Staff account Transfer (email brenda.friesen@cru.org with my designation #____________, amount, and your staff account #)

• Check made payable to “CRU“ and sent to... (Supply them your mailing address if you are living in the U.S. or your U.S. contact person’s address if you are living overseas)

      Please include my designation #__________ on all transactions."

What to mail to potential sponsors:
Your letter
Self-addressed*, envelope (to make it easy for people to respond).
E-mail the draft of your letter to your coach for approval before sending it out!
Follow up with a phone call
When you have talked with a contact and gotten their decision on support, record the decision on your Contact Card AND/OR on your spreadsheet (if you only use a spreadsheet then it only needs to go there) AND write a thank you note (record that too so you don’t forget)

*IF YOU ARE USING A CONTACT PERSON IN THE U.S. – if you are having checks sent to a relative or someone else in the USA, put that address on the envelope and explain in your letter that this person is helping you because of the challenges of international mailing.
YOU MUST email the MK2MK office [brenda.friesen@cru.org) and tell her the name, phone number and email of the person helping you.  We will send them the forms and instructions for handling your donations.

Step One: Name Storming

The first step to take in raising your funds is to make an initial list of people you can challenge to become involved in your mission trip. This is “Name Storming.” Remember, anything goes . . . No name is disqualified. Don‘t decide whether an individual will be interested or not. If you limit yourself to those you feel will or can give, you may be prematurely disqualifying some who God wants to become sponsors. Later you will need to prioritize those you should contact first, but for now, don’t disqualify anyone!

First, see if your parents or the staff you know would be willing to help. Then begin Name Storming by associating various professions, businesses, and places with the names of friends and acquaintances.

Note: Be sure to check with your pastor and/or missions board before asking people who are involved at your church to be your ministry partners.

Your goal is to have a solid list to be able to send at least 75 letters. A good range would be somewhere between 75 and 150 letters. So if you can add more to your list, add more. 

After taking an hour or so of “Name Storming,” prioritize your list. Divide your list
Into three groups:

• top priority – very likely to respond

• medium priority - likely to respond

• low priority - less likely to respond

Step Two: Contact Records

Contact Cards/Spreadsheet
You will want to have a system for keeping track of your donors, both for now, for when you send the report letter, and later when you want to go on another mission trip. You can create a contact card for each person and include: 

Name, address, and home/work phone numbers
Person who referred them (if relevant)
Current plan with this person (write letter, call, etc.)

You will find it helpful to divide your contact cards/spreadsheet into the following sections:
--Those you need to write letters to
--Those you need to call or contact
--Those you need to call back for a decision
--Those who have become your ministry partners

We strongly encourage you to also set this list up on a spreadsheet and save it on your computer in a place you can access later (for example a google drive). We will not be able to provide you with donor addresses after the summer!

Step Three: Determine your Support Goal

We will help you determine this goal, watch for more info on this.
Your airfare will be determined by the summer mission travel coordinator and you will be informed. Until then you will need to estimate to set a temporary goal.  Choose a moderately priced ticket from the internet, not the lowest.

Step Four: Write your Letter

Write and Call Strategy
This “Write & Call Strategy” describes how to develop summer mission partners by writing letters and making phone calls. The vast majority of your letters need to be sent via the MAIL, not over email.  This is because we have found that this is much more effective than email. If you need to send some by email be sure to do each one individually, do not send a mass email.

You can see a great deal of success by writing a personal letter presenting your needs and then making a phone call to ask potential sponsors to join your team. While it would be best to send a handwritten note to each contact, if you have a large number of names (150 is a good goal), you may write personally to the top priority group in a mail merge format (25 to 50 people). Then you can type a general letter and have 125 copies printed to send to the rest of the people. You might consider having your letter mail-merged and personalized. The sample letter in this section is a model you can use to start with as you write your letters. If you prefer to write one of your own, make sure you include information about yourself and the summer mission and tell why you want to go on this summer mission. Be sure to invite them to become involved financially.

Generic Sample Letter
Here is a sample letter, it is very simple, yours should be personal! Be sure to see our website for other sample letters and ways to make your letter stand out, this is just the basic info.  Fill in the blanks with specific information about our summer mission.

Dear _____________,                                                                                                           Date
(If this letter is going to a referral, begin with “(name of person giving referral) suggested that you might be interested in considering the challenge to join me ….”   Then give a brief personal update (this helps your letter not be generic so don’t skip this!). 

Then “An exciting opportunity has come up for me to take part in an international outreach trip sponsored by MK2MK, the international staff kid ministry of Cru. I will be going to ___________ to talk to people about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be involved in evangelism, in training national believers to reach their country for Christ, and we will also serve alongside local staff and missionaries, ministering to children and students. I would like to invite you to join with me to make a difference in the world.

The __________________ mission trip will bring the life-saving message of Jesus to national teenagers. I’ll be going as part of a team of _____ to _____________ from __________ to ___________. Our ministry will be outreach to high school students through their classrooms, sports and drama. We will also be involved in humanitarian work including working in a hospice.  I’m excited to invest my summer in such a significant way.
In order to make all this possible, I need to develop a Ministry Partner Team. This is a group of people like you who want to join me and others on my mission trip by praying and giving financially.   My total need is $________. This includes a briefing and training time, airfare, lodging, meals during the trip, and a debriefing time.

In order to meet this need as quickly as possible, I am looking for contributions of $50, $100, $200, or whatever God leads people to give. All gifts are tax deductible. Be assured that any money I raise over my goal will go to help other students on this international outreach trip.  I need to have all my funds by _______.

Would you consider helping send me on the _________________ summer mission? If God leads you to give, there are different ways to make your gift:

• On-line through give.cru.org

• Cru Staff account Transfer (email brenda.friesen@cru.org with my designation #____________, amount, and your staff account #)

• Check made payable to “CRU“ and sent in the enclosed envelope...(Supply them your mailing address if you are living in the U.S. or your U.S. contact person’s address if you are living overseas)

      Please include my designation #__________ on all transactions."

If I don’t hear from you by _________, I’ll call you to see what you’ve decided. I can try to answer any questions you have at that time. I would really appreciate your help and look forward to giving you a report when I return. (insert “ways to give” paragraph here)

Thank you for considering joining my team to reach young people in _____________. Please pray for me and for all of the other people going on our mission trip. It’s an incredible opportunity for all of us to influence the world for Jesus Christ.
Sincerely, (your Name)

IMPORTANT: Your letter should explain where to send the money, either to YOU or the person who is receiving your funds in the USA, NOT to our office or to Cru headquarters. This is very important.

Tips to Help Your Letter Stand Out
People are often overwhelmed with ads, bills, and other mail, so the more you can do to make your letter stand out, the better. Some of our tips will work only if you currently live in the USA or are planning to send your letter from the USA. Others will work for anyone. Feel free to see what works for you. Please do not use the starting point sample letter above as all you do!

Use a readable font. Remember most of your readers are older than you, so don’t use a really small font that makes them need to search for their reading glasses. If you need a small font, your letter is probably too long.

Have one of your parents proofread your letter for typos; spell check is great but it doesn’t catch every mistake! (Please do this before sending the letter to us to review; we prefer not to have to spell check for you).

Use nice paper. Depending on where you are, you might want to purchase paper that has a design.

Envelope: Some people like to use a different looking envelope either in color or size (check on difference in postage cost before doing this). You can also use a fun art stamp in the corner of the envelope (a globe, a map, something that connects to what you are doing).

Use a cool looking postage stamp. If you are in the USA, use a commemorative stamp, they make the envelope stand out and cost no more than a regular stamp.

Leave plenty of ‘white space’ in your letter—that means space where words aren’t. 

Have some sort of small graphic in your letter (map of your summer mission country, etc.) AND include a nice picture of yourself; one that is clear that it is you (not a group shot). You can use the pictures and graphics from the Downloads section of this packet. 

Give the reader a deadline of when you need the funds. People get a lot of summer mission trip mail and it can be confusing as to who needs the money when.

If possible, hand-sign all of your letters (or send a scanned [colored] signature if someone in the States is printing and mailing your letters for you. 

Step Five: Calling Strategy

Making Phone Calls
The degree of your success in the write and call strategy depends on following up your letter with a phone call.

The follow-up phone calls are critical for three reasons:

1. Most people suffer from “information overload.” Mail may be ignored or forgotten.

2. You have a lot of money to raise in a short period of time. A follow-up phone call will help you get decisions as quickly as possible.

3. Many people want to help but won’t unless you call to answer questions and get their decision. This takes the burden of a response off of them and puts it on you.

Often you will need to leave a message.  Be prepared!  Write out exactly what you will say.  You can read it but keep it natural.

The following is a sample conversation which may help you make calls.

Introduce yourself.
“Hello, Mr./Mrs. _____. This is _____ calling. How are you?”
Let the person respond. Take a few moments to establish rapport, but be brief.
Explain your ministry plans.
“As I mentioned in my letter, I plan to go on a summer mission to ___________ sponsored by MK2MK, a ministry of Cru.”
Share what you hope to see God do as a result of your time in _____________.

Be very specific to ask for a definite response.
“In my letter I mentioned that I’m developing a team of ministry partners for the summer mission. I asked you to consider becoming a partner through giving financially. Would you like to be a part of my ministry team in this way?”
Let the person respond.

If your contact decides to become a partner:
Arrange a time to come and pick up his/her check. If he lives out of town, ask him to mail it in the self-addressed, stamped envelope you enclosed with your letter.

The check must be made payable to Cru. If it is made out incorrectly you will need to follow up to get it corrected. 

If you arrange to have your ministry partner send you a check and it doesn’t come, you need to follow up with a phone call.

If he/she has not made a decision, set another time to call within a day or two. If they have decided not to become a partner, thank them for considering it. Always be courteous and polite.

Getting More Contacts: if you feel you do not have enough contacts then you can ask those interested in your ministry for names of others who may be interested in helping you. 

Step Six: Record Gifts and Write Thank you Notes

Either use a spreadsheet or a contact card for each person or both to keep track of your gifts and thank you notes.

Thank You Notes
Send a thank you note the same day you call for a decision. Be sure to keep a record of this on your contact card so you’ll know whom you have thanked and to whom you still need to send a thank you note.
A thank you note is an important part of developing a relationship with your partner. It should always be a personal, handwritten letter. Do not send a form letter. Always write something personal in your note to show specifically how you and Christ’s cause have benefited by their generosity. You will need to send every ministry partner a well written thank you note.

Following is a sample of what to write in your thank you notes.
(Date)
Dear (Sponsor’s name),
(Include something personal first.)
Thank you for your decision to become a summer mission sponsor. Your prayers and finances are greatly appreciated. Your investment will have far-reaching results as I go to __________ to help reach people for Christ.
Please join me in praying that God would continually deepen my commitment to the cause of Christ. Your prayers are most important. Thanks again for your generous partnership.
Sincerely, (Your name)

Processing Funds

This is what you need to do with the money you receive. It is a lot of details but you need to read it all carefully!

You will need to know how to properly handle the checks you receive. Let’s suppose that you are beginning to receive checks from your sponsors who have agreed to be a part of your team. What now? Your job is only half over. In order to complete the process correctly and avoid any delay that might hinder your participation in the summer mission, follow these steps very carefully.

COLLECT CHECKS MADE PAYABLE TO CRU. (Please read the following very carefully).
Ask your sponsor to make his or her check payable to Cru in order to receive a tax-deductible receipt.

If you receive a check written to you personally do the following:
DO NOT MARK ON THE FRONT OF CHECK IN ANY WAY!
ON THE BACK OF CHECK:
Sign just your signature. 
Write “Make payable to Cru” under your signature. 

Note: If your sponsor is a Cru staff member and he/she wishes to sponsor you directly from his/her personal Cru account, instruct them to email Brenda Friesen [brenda.friesen@cru.org] and give:
their name
their account #
amount of gift
your designation # [Brenda will assign this number to you]

Important: All investment checks must be given to you (or your Contact Person in the USA receiving checks for you) because they need to be submitted together. Explain to sponsors and staff who may be accustomed to mailing checks directly to Cru that if they do so, it may be impossible to credit the investment check toward your summer mission.

BEFORE SENDING CHECKS:
-MAKE SURE THEY ARE MADE OUT TO CRU
-MAKE TWO PHOTOCOPIES OF THE CHECKS. A copy for you and a copy for MK2MK.  (YOU CAN PUT MORE THAN ONE ON A PAGE). You can also just take photos of the checks and email them to Brenda.friesen@cru.org

• High Speed Forms. You will receive an email with a document titled “High Speed Processing Forms.” You or your contact person needs to print this out and include one completed form with each round of checks you send in.
  This is a summary of your investments for each mailing.
  Remember: all investments must be recorded under your designation number.

TIP! - Use the Sponsorship Checklist to double-check for errors.

Review your checks and forms for any errors made in completing them. Use the “Sponsorship Checklist” on the next page as a guide to look for errors on checks, before mailing them to MK2MK.

MAIL ITEMS TO MK2MK.
Support checks
HI-Speed Form filled out
1 Set of Photocopies of all checks

Mail the items listed above to:
MK2MK MC 2800
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando, FL  32832

REMEMBER TO:
Photocopy/take pictures of ALL checks and send them to MK2MK. 
There can be multiple checks on a page
Save a copy for yourself as well.
Complete the very simple High Speed form

VERY IMPORTANT: FOR STUDENTS LIVING OVERSEAS WHO CAN’T RECEIVE CHECKS WHERE THEY LIVE:
We realize that many students will not be able to easily receive checks where they live. In this case, please ask a relative or friend to be your CONTACT PERSON and receive checks for you. If you will be doing this please email Brenda Friesen (brenda.friesen@cru.org) the name, address, phone number and email of the contact person so she can be of help to them and send them information.

What to do with the Checks
Sponsorship Checklist
1. Be sure you keep a record of your totals.
2. All check dates (especially the year) are correct.
3. All written and numerical amounts on checks agree.
4. All checks are made out to Cru that you are mailing in.
5. Checks payable to you should be signed by you on back and below your signature write “Make payable to Cru”.
6. Checks are photocopied twice-one copy for you to keep and one to send in with checks.

Forms & Supplies
The following materials for support development are found in the Summer Mission Partner Development Packet:
Form: ¨ Hi-Speed Processing Student Donation Form
Supplies
Envelopes addressed to MK2MK
Q & A Sheet (You can photocopy these with your sponsorship letter.)

Tracking Your Support
Checking Your Account Balance– there are now three ways to check your account balance:
Email Brenda.friesen@cru.org (not more than once a week)
Watch for the MK2MK bi-weekly update (this not only reflects what MK2MK has received from you but also includes credit card and account transfers)
You will also be receiving information on how to use the MPD Tool which will give you access to who has given to your account. If you have any problems accessing this tool please email summer.missions@cru.org

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

Can I send my letter out via email?
Please do NOT send your letter out by email! It is much less effective than a mailed letter. If you are not able to mail your letters from where you live then send the letter to someone in the USA to print and send for you. It will be essential that you let us know if you are doing this and if that person is going to receive your funds. 

Can I use Social Media/GoFundMe etc to raise funds?
Please do not use these methods to raise funds. They are impersonal and a poor reflection on Cru and MK2MK. You can send updates on facebook later but do not use it as a fundraising tool at all. 

Is there a way to see how much money I have received?
Yes!  There are two ways to check your account balance:

1. The MPD Tool (mpd.uscm.org) will give you access to your account. Summer Missions office will be sending you info on this soon, if they haven’t already. You will need to remember what username and password you used to apply for the summer mission to be able to gain access to the MPD tool. If you have any problems with this you can email summer.missions@cru.org and they will assist you.

2. If the MPD Tool doesn’t work, email Brenda Friesen (brenda.friesen@cru.org), our administrator, and ask her for an update but please do not do this more than twice a month.

What if I discover that a sponsor has given me a check made payable to me, but I’m not sure he/she wants a receipt from Cru?
If you receive a check written to you personally do the following:
DO NOT MARK ON THE FRONT OF CHECK IN ANY WAY!
ON THE BACK OF CHECK:
¨ sign just your signature. 
¨ write “Make payable to Cru” on the back of your check. 

My aunt sent me a check made payable to me that arrived two days before my mailing deadline. She assures me she doesn’t want a receipt. May I use it toward my trip goal?
Yes. (Same instructions as above.) OR you may use it for your extra expenses if you have reached your goal. 
What if a supporter sends a check to Cru under a separate cover (not in my envelope)?
With thousands of checks being processed daily at headquarters, time constraints make it virtually impossible to trace separate checks before your full sponsorship reporting date. This is why you need to receive the check from your sponsor. If you know that one of your donors sent such a check, please inform the MK2MK office in writing. Tell us the sponsor’s name, amount of the check, and the check number.
What if my full sponsorship reporting date arrives and I know that checks are on the way to me in the mail?
Send them to MK2MK in Orlando.  But this problem can be eliminated if you will:
Begin early to develop your sponsorship team.
Ask for all checks from out-of-town sponsors to be sent to you soon enough to arrive before the financial reporting dates.
Keep your coach informed of your progress.

What if I want to sponsor myself?
You may, but you will not be receipted. Your check will be handled as an anonymous donation.

My church took up a collection and gave me cash. How should I handle it?
Ask your church treasurer to convert the cash to a check from the church; have it made payable to Cru. Cash can also be used towards your out of pocket expenses if not needed to reach your trip goal, but no tax receipt can be given to the sponsor. If you receive cash from other donors they can receive a receipt as long as you give the name and address of the person who has given the cash. The cash must be put into a money order made payable to Cru. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE MAIL AND DO NOT HAVE YOUR PARENTS SEND A CHECK FOR THE CASH. IT MUST BE A MONEY ORDER. 

What if my plans change and I can’t go?
If your plans change and you must withdraw from the mission trip, please email Paul Snider at paul.snider@cru.org. There will be a charge for withdrawing, depending on the expenses incurred to date. It is also mandatory that you notify your sponsors. If you have mailed any sponsorship fund to MK2MK, they will be donated to others participating in the summer mission. Funds can not be returned to the donors. 

What if I raise more money than I need?
All funds raised above your sponsorship goal (mission trip fee + airfare) will go toward helping other students on the mission trip who are short of their financial goals. You may request through the MK2MK office to whom you would like to designate the extra funds. We will try to honor that request, but there are no guarantees. 

What if I don’t have enough money raised by the financial deadlines?
Send in what you have raised so far. This helps us know how you are doing, and whether you need some coaching or assistance in raising your funds.

What if I am still short of my sponsorship goal by the final deadline?
If you are close to reaching your goal, this is usually not a problem. Your mission trip staff will coach you with ideas to help you raise the last amount.  Situations where people have more than $300 to raise on the final deadline will be evaluated on an individual basis. If it appears they could still raise the money by the start date, they would be encouraged to keep raising money and go on the trip. If it looks like they would not be able to raise the rest of the money, they would be asked to withdraw.  The key is to communicate with your MK2MK coach!  We want to be of help to you.

Follow-up of Supporters

Using a Summer Mission Report Letter
A Summer Mission Report Letter should be written and distributed shortly after returning from the trip. We create a mission trip letter that will be made available to all students but you are welcome to create your own letter. You should mail a copy to each person who committed to pray for your trip and/or who was part of your financial ministry team. Please do not neglect to do this in some form!

If you have to Withdraw from the Summer Mission

If for some reason you are unable to participate on the summer mission, you must contact the MK2MK office at
MK2MK MC 2800
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando, FL
407-541-5223
brenda.friesen@cru.org

You will be expected to cover the cost of any expenses incurred by MK2MK prior to your withdrawal from the trip.
Also, it is mandatory for you to send each of your ministry partners a withdrawal letter. Please note that it is rare for a student to need to withdraw from an mk2mk Summer Mission.  

Sample Withdrawal Letter
Dear ____,
Thank you for your support of my upcoming summer mission to __________ with MK2MK. I know this trip will have an eternal impact as many people are presented with the gospel of Christ.
As you may know, circumstances have changed and I am no longer able to participate in the summer mission.
Your gift to my ministry has been credited to the MK2MK account for the 2018 Summer Mission in _____. Since I am not going on this summer mission, your contributions placed in this account will be made available to other students who are in need of financial assistance.
With sincere appreciation, (your name)