Raising Support

We praise God that you have accepted the call to help fulfill the Great Commission by ministering to the orphans of Zambia this summer. Not only will you be a blessing to the children and workers in Zambia, but in the process, your own life will be dramatically and eternally changed.

Rest assured, where God calls, He also will provide. He alone is the One who takes our honest and humble investment, and multiplies it for HIS glory. HE will make the provisions for you to participate on this trip in all areas of your life, including the financial area. HE may provide some of your funds through:

  • Support letter donations
  • Personal savings/income
  • Garage sale/car wash
  • Support party/other creative ideas
  • Allocating a portion of your regular giving to the trip

However HE provides for you, HE wants you to know that HE is the Author and Finisher, not just of your faith, but also of your participation and experience on this trip.

It is critical to understand that YOU are not raising support. God will do the work to provide for your needs. Your primary role is to raise up a faithful committed team of people to pray for you. To the extent that God lays it on their heart to help support you financially, that is great. But first and foremost, you need to ask them to pray for you, both now and while you are in Zambia. Trust Him because He has it all figured out. Once you see it, you will be overwhelmed by HIS power and provision.

With all of this in mind, we have outlined some steps and suggestions to help you in your support raising. We have also included a sample letter that you can use when creating your own letter.

Questions about Raising Support
  1. If you requested support raising materials , we have given you 50 outbound envelopes, 50 labeled return envelopes, and 50 flyers to send along with your support letter to help you get started on that process. If you will need additional flyers/envelopes, you may purchase them for 50 cents per set from our office. We recommend that you get started as early as possible so that you will have more time to raise your support! Additionally you can request a personalized fundraising page to send your donors to.
  2. We will update donation information weekly through your Camp LIFE Control Center.
    • Checks should be made payable to Family Legacy Missions International and mailed to:

    Family Legacy Missions International

    5005 W. Royal Lane, Suite 252

    Irving, TX 75063

    • If you receive a check made payable to you, please do not deposit it in your personal account. Endorse it over to FLMI and send it to our office. Your donor will still receive the tax-deductible credit.
    • If you receive cash from someone, write down their name and address and mail it to us so that they will receive proper credit for their gift.
    • Donors can visit our website at donate.familylegacy.com to contribute to your trip. They will need to type your name when asked who to donate towards.
    • Contact us if you would like us to create a donation page specific to you which can be sent out via email, Facebook, Twitter or any other method.
    • Credit card donations can also be phoned into our office at: (972) 620-2020

  4. All donors will receive a year-end tax deduction in January of the following year. Donors giving $500 or more will receive a written receipt and confirmation within 10 days of the gift arriving at our office.
    • Because we are a 501©3 tax-exempt, non-profit organization, we are not allowed by law to refund money that has been donated to Family Legacy. The funds you raise must be solicited and donated with the understanding that FLMI has complete control over the use of all donated funds. In order for the funds to be tax-deductible, they must be Family Legacy’s funds to be used to further its charitable purposes. They are not yours and are not contingent upon your ultimate participation.
    • Extra funds raised cannot be used to pay for immunizations, passports, etc. According to the government, you are receiving personal benefit from the shots and passport, and so therefore, cannot be reimbursed the funds for those expenses.
    • Your extra funds will be applied to our Remote Camp LIFE Scholarship Account allowing more orphans in a remote village to attend Camp LIFE during the off-season months.

  6. Please contact our office if you are concerned about your support-raising prior to the due date. Keep in mind that often procrastination acts as one of the biggest obstacles to meeting the deadline, so don’t delay in letting people know about your Camp LIFE opportunity. For the final deadline, we sometimes will offer the option of advance paying for your trip and continuing to raise funds past the deadline. However, please work hard and trust the Lord to meet all fund-raising deadlines as this is a tremendous help and blessing to the Camp LIFE program. You may apply for some funds to be held over for one year if you are not able to participate due to lack of funds or health problems.
Specific Steps in Raising Support

Step 1: Pray

Where God guides, God provides. Acknowledge your total dependence on the Lord of the Harvest to bring eternal fruit from your labors. Acknowledge your dependence on Him to provide the resources that are needed for the campaign. Consciously turn control over to the Holy Spirit. Acknowledge your willingness to do your part, whether that is to use resources God has already given you or to be diligent in gathering in the support that God provides. Trust God and He will expand your faith.

Step 2: Begin with your home church

Meet with your pastor or appropriate church leader and tell them what God is calling you to do in Zambia this summer. Talk with them about how God has led you to this point and give them information about the campaign if they are not yet familiar with the ministry of FLMI. Find out if there are resources available from your church to help with the cost of your trip. Ask for suggestions on people to talk to and methods to use to raise support. If there are other people from your home church who are going on this same trip, get together and coordinate with each other so you don’t all send letters to the same people. Perhaps consider raising support as a team effort. Find out if your church has a policy on this. Will team members be able to personally ask for support from certain groups? Your Sunday School class? The choir? Youth group? Bible study group?

Step 3: Make a list of prospects

Here is a sample list of people who you may want to contact regarding your trip, but be sure to pray and see if there is someone else in particular that the Lord may want you to contact. You will often be surprised by who God leads to give, so don’t rule anyone out based on your own evaluation of their ability or desire to give. It might even be a non-Christian that the Lord will use you going on this trip to open the door of salvation to them. Send your letter to as many people as possible!

Church Friends . Your Christmas Card List . Your Parent’s Christmas Card List . Friends from other Churches . Accountant . Current Neighbors . School Contacts . Former Neighbors . Relatives . Banker . Doctors . Mechanic . Lawyer . Club Civic Contacts . Insurance Agents . Contractors

Step 4: Write and mail the letter soon

  • Create your own letter or feel free to use the sample we have provided.
  • Your letter needs to communicate the need in Zambia, your need for prayer, and your need for financial support.
  • Don’t assume that they will read between the lines. Your letter should be direct in requesting money but should also reveal that you trust the Lord for His provision.
  • If your children are going, have them write a small portion of the letter.
  • Try to find unique paper to print your letter on. Complete the back of the support brochures and include them with your letter and a return envelope.

Step 5: Request DVD’s from our office

Many people find it helpful to send DVD’s to some of their potential donors so they can catch the vision of what you are going to do in Zambia. Other people have had success inviting friends over, explaining why they feel led to go to Zambia, and showing the DVD. DVD’s are available for $5 each. Please use our contact form here to request these. You can also find all of our videos online here.

Step 6: Keep records regarding your support raising

We will provide you with a record of all donations that come through us. Keep a list of those you mailed letters to, those who have responded, those you have thanked and those who you need to follow-up with. You may also want to capture email addresses from your support team so you can communicate with them regarding prayer requests and praises.

Step 7: Say thank you now

When support checks come in, first and foremost thank God who is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who Provides. Then make it your goal to say thank you immediately to your supporters by phone and/or by letter. Be sure to mention the amount and tell them how much it means to you that they will be a part of your ministry support team.

Step 8: Say thank you again after the trip

After the trip, be sure to thank each person again and make it a point to relay some particular story or two that would best illustrate the power of the trip in your life and/or for the orphans. Remember, your supporter was just as much as part of the team as you were. So, since they stayed home to provide prayer and support for you to go, be sure to take some of “Zambia” back with you in the form of stories of changed lives. It will be such a blessing for them to see how God worked in and through you. You may want to schedule a time at your house to invite people over to share about the trip experience, or maybe you can speak in your Sunday School class about the campaign.