How to Raise Money for a Missions Trip

When I was 16, I had the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Venezuela with a group of other Christian teenagers. The trip was an opportunity of a lifetime, but unfortunately spending a month in a foreign country is no cheap endeavor. The price tag on my Teen Mania missions trip was almost $1800, and back in 1996 that was a whole lot of money! With 4 children in the family, it was out of the question for my parents to just write a check for the trip, which meant I had to raise almost that entire amount of money on my own. I'm proud to say that I did raise the $1800 in just under 6 months. Here are some tips I found helpful when fundraising for my missions trip:

1. Appeal to the people in your church. The fact of the matter is, the members of your church or religious community are the individuals most likely to donate money to help you go on a missions trip. If you aren't currently very active in your church, now is definitely the time to do so. The more people who know you, the more people you have to appeal for money. Start spreading the word that you are raising money to go preach the gospel in another nation, and you'll be surprised at how many people step forward and want to help out.

2. Take the time to send hand-written fundraising letters. This is how I raised over half the money I needed for my missions trip. Make a list of every person you know who might possibly want to donate money to your cause, and get their addresses. Remember not to "pre-judge" anyone...people who you think will definitely donate may not, and people you never expected to get a dime from sometimes write the biggest checks. Once you have your list of potential donors, get out a pen and some paper and go to work. It may seem easier to just type a letter on the computer and make multiple copies, but personalized, hand-written fundraising letters will always get much better results. Take the time to write about why you want to go on this missions trip, ask them directly to help you out financially & through prayer, and make sure you include your address so they can mail you a check for your missions trip.

3. Get creative with your fundraising. Chances are, you will still need to raise money beyond what members of your church give to you. When I was raising money for my missions trip, my family had a yard sale to earn some money, and I also sold candy bars to kids at school. There are many ways that young people can raise money. Anything that is done to raise funds for a sports team or scout troop can probably also be done individually to raise money for a missions trip. Do an internet search for "fundraising" and see how many different companies have fundraising opportunities available. By following these steps, anyone of any age should be able to earn money to go on a missions trip. Bon voyage!