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Foreign Mission Organizations Funding Survey

The book "Clouded Future" is out of print.  CSA members are given permission to photocopy these research results for non-commercial purposes. To become a CSA member, complete the online order form, or call 847/375-4741.

FIRST, A PROFILE OF YOU & YOUR MISSION ORGANIZATION
1. Title/position of person primarily filling out this survey:
Executive director 43%
Development director 11%
Other 46%
2. In what state is your organization headquarters located?
See Table #2
3. Is your mission a member of any of these agencies?
(Check all that apply)
IFMA (Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association) 26%
EFMA (Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies) 41%
AIMS (Association of International Mission Services) 16%
ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability) 65%
NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) 19%
4. Does your organization send missionaries?
No 31%
Yes 69%
5. About how many missionaries do you have in service right now?
Count families as one unit. Include those on furlough. median: 49
What was the number 3 years ago? median: 46
6. What is the number of people employed by your organization? median
Full time employees 15
Part time employees 3
Total 16
7. Is your mission affiliated with a particular denomination?
No 78%
Yes 22%

NOW ABOUT TOTAL INCOME RECEIVED
8. Thinking of the most recently completed fiscal year (1992-1993), indicate the TOTAL INCOME you received and then break it down by SOURCES.
SOURCE GENERAL FUND
[UNDESIGNATED]
median
RESTRICTED
 FUNDS
[DESIGNATED]
median
Individuals giving in support of specific missionary salaries $ 242,200 $297,114
Individuals giving to the mission generally $ 104,734 $130,900
Churches giving in support of specific missionary salaries $ 300,000 $250,000
Churches giving to the mission generally $ 42,260 $ 14,970
Board member giving $ 7,670 $ 4,865
Grants from foundations $ 40,000 $ 60,000
Corporations giving $ 20,000 $ 10,892
Mature deferred gifts $ 64,000 $ 12,000
Gifts-in-kind $ 29,400 $ 64,500
Events where guests are invited (like banquets) for annual and/or renewed pledge $ 22,827 $ 1,901
Volunteer labor $ 46,000 $ 87,150
Product sales (t-shirts, books, candy, etc.) $ 4,000 $ 19,298
Reserves used as income $ 45,000 $291,000
Matching gifts (capital project) $ 1,000 $ 21,000
Gifts in kind and/or volunteer labor $6,819,972 $ 2,247
Misc. income $ 26,769 $ 74,900
Other: $ 150,749 $173,108
TOTAL: $ 595,577 $447,000
9. Did the year’s income you listed above leave you with a balance or deficit for that year? Balance of $73,802 (median) Deficit of $48,000 (median)
In the previous year (fiscal 1991-92), did you have a balance or deficit? Balance of $45,065 (median) Deficit of $23,443 (median)

GIVING DESIGNATED FOR MISSIONARY SUPPORT
10. Do your missionaries raise their own support? (Check only one)
Yes, all of them do 52%
Yes, some of them do 20%
No, they do not 10%
Not applicable 19%
11. Does your mission provide a portion of your missionary’s support?
No 61%
Yes 39%
If so, what percentage (on average)? median: 35%
12. What percentage of the support raised by your missionaries is retained by the mission for overhead? median: 10%
13. What kind of assistance do you provide your missionaries in helping them to raise their own support? (Check all that apply) Skip this question if you are not involved in sending missionaries directly.
We send prayer letters for them periodically 70%
Printed materials about the mission 94%
Generic video presentations about the mission 61%
Video presentations about the mission which are personalized with shots of the missionary and commentary about him/her 20%
"How to" materials about fundraising sent to them 51%
Personal training/consultation 68%
If you provide personal training in fundraising, how effective would you say it is?
Very effective 28%
Somewhat effective 67%
Not very effective 5%
Not effective at all 0%

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR DONORS
14. How many individuals are on your mailing list that you are actively mailing to (at least 1 mailing per year)? median: 7,566
15. You may segment your mailing list as follows. If so, fill in the approximate number of names in each of the following categories. Cross out or change the segment names to match categories you actually use.
Number of Names median
Major donors 650
Lapsed donors 1,500
Churches 500
Non-donors 4,745
Other 2,078
16. Think now of all your donors. How many do you have in the following categories? (Estimate if you need to.)
Supporter’s single largest gift size in this past year is Number of names in this category
now
median
Number of names in this category
1 year ago
median
$10,000 or more 5 4
$5,000 – $9,999 8 6
$1,000 – $4,999 66 73
$500 – $999 111 100
$100 – $499 564 521
Less than $100 1,204 1,096
TOTAL DONORS 2,247 2,059
Lapsed (no gift 12 months or more) 1,150 2,000
Never given (potential supporters) 4,675 6,055
17. Have you surveyed your constituency within the last 3 years to determine who gives and why?
Yes 10%
No 90%

YOUR INITIATIVES TO RAISE FUNDS
18. Which of the following communication methods do you rely on to get your fundraising message out? (Check all that apply)
Method How many times per year?median
Newsletter 85% 4
Direct mail letters 82% 4
Phone-a-thons 11% 2
Video/audio tape mailings 24% 1
Annual report 36% 1
Banquets 35% 2
Other 37% 4
Other 14% 18
Other 5% 7
19. Is an active effort made by your organization to identify and cultivate potential major donors capable of giving $1,000 or more within 1 year?
No 57%
Yes 43%
How satisfied are you with the effectiveness of your efforts to find major donors?
Very satisfied 0%
Somewhat satisfied 27%
Mixed feelings 36%
Somewhat dissatisfied 20%
Very dissatisfied 17%
20. Does your organization seek planned or deferred gifts?
No 42%
Yes 58%
21. What instruments are you using to encourage planned giving?
Wills and bequests naming organization as participant 88%
Life insurance naming organization as beneficiary 30%
Trusts of various kinds 63%
Gift annuities naming organization as remainderman 70%
Other 5%
22. How satisfied are you with how well your organization is doing in terms of the productivity of its planned giving initiatives?
Very satisfied 10%
Somewhat satisfied 30%
Mixed feelings 16%
Somewhat dissatisfied 28%
Very dissatisfied 16%
23. When was your organization’s last capital campaign?
We have never had one 70%
Within the last 3 years 12%
Over 3 years ago 18%
What was the income goal of the campaign? median: 215,000
For what purpose were the funds raised?
Building fund 53%
New dorm/facilities 26%
Overseas development 16%
Mortgage 5%
New missionaries 5%
What percentage of the goal did you reach? median: 99%
What was that number 1 year ago? median: 6,210
24. Do you plan to have a capital campaign in the next 3 years?
No 71%
Yes 29%
If so, for what purpose will the funds be raised?
Building fund 53%
New dorm/facilities 26%
Overseas development 13%
Mortgage 13%
New Missionaries 4%

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