Fundraising Tips
What Is the Scariest Part of a Mission Trip?
Is the scariest part of a mission trip time spent traveling? Or perhaps entering a culture different than your own?
Usually, the biggest challenge is making sure the trip is fully funded. Here at 410 Bridge, we want to help make trips possible for people by offering suggestions and tips for fundraising.
Fundraising is one of the most incredible opportunities you will have as you prepare for this trip. Although it may feel intimidating, it has the potential to make a huge impact on you, your trip, and any future mission trips you take.
Keep in mind that there are many people who cannot physically go on a mission trip, but want to serve in some way. Often those who can’t go still want to invest in someone who can. When people partner with you financially, they are given the chance to experience the blessings that occur on the mission field alongside you. That is not something to be taken lightly. Relationship is given great value in God’s kingdom. You are offering others a way to gain a deeper relationship with you, as well as with God.
What an incredible opportunity!
Follow the three steps below to overcome the most daunting part of your mission trip.
Step 1: Think
Before you jump into raising support, take some time to think and answer these questions.
Why do I want to go on this trip?
Understanding your why will help you explain it to others when they ask.
How much do I need to raise?
Check the website specifically associated with you and your trip. There you will find the amount you need to raise, and the deadlines for each amount! You will also be able to see how much support you have raised so far.
Who should I ask to support me?
Compile a list of possible financial supporters and prayer partners. This could include family members, friends, close coworkers, teachers (if you are in high school or college), church leaders and/or church family, and more.
While making your list, consider whether it is appropriate to ask these specific people. If you think it would be weird to receive a letter asking for support from your cousin Ethel who lives three states away, or the manager at your office, maybe don’t send any to them. Although you want your request to be appropriate, don’t say “no” for someone by assuming that they will not want to give to your trip. Some people may surprise you!
No matter how you decide to raise money, make sure people understand your why for going and how much you need to raise. Most people like to know what their money is supporting and will want to help if they know it is a good cause.
Step 2: Act
This step involves the bulk of the fundraising options you could choose, but never fear! There are so many options so you can decide which work best for you.
You may not have social media, but love to bake. Skip the social media fundraiser and head straight for the bake sale.
Mix and match fundraisers to craft the best experience for you and your team.
Whether you enjoy people, sales, golf, cooking, or events, there are fundraising options for you!
Write Support Letters
No matter who you are, support letters are a great way to connect with family and friends (and anyone else on your support list) about your upcoming trip and to gain support in multiple ways. Some recipients will donate to your trip, while others will commit to pray. Both are important as you prepare to travel with 410 Bridge. As you write your support letter, be sure to include WHERE, WHY, WHEN (both when you are going and when your funds are due), WHO, and HOW MUCH. Try to keep the letter on one page and consider adding a handwritten note at the bottom.
Include your fundraising link (QR codes work great on a physical letter) to make it easy to donate. You may want to add a pre-addressed, stamped envelope for those who want to send a check. Let them know to make the check out to you if they are sending it to you, or to the 410 Bridge, and reference your name if they send a check straight to 410. People are more likely to support you if you do some of the legwork for them.
Keep a record of whom you send letters to and who chooses to support you. You’ll want to send a thank you follow-up letter after the trip. This record may also serve as a database for any future trips that you participate in.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The 410 Bridge is a 501(c)3 nonprofit; therefore, we are unable to give refunds per IRS regulations. All payments or donations received by The 410 Bridge are non-refundable.
Check out these sample support letter ideas! Feel free to download and personalize for your own upcoming trip.
People-Oriented Options
Social Media
Social media, especially platforms like Facebook and Instagram can reach a wide variety of people. We encourage those who have accounts to use them for GOOD. Invite people into your story of serving and how God is leading you to cross the bridge. Craft a post (either written or in video format) explaining a little about your trip. Include a link to your fundraising account in your post and bio. Make sure your posts are shareable, so others can share about your trip as well.
Feel free to use these shareable graphics on your social media!
Meet With People
Get together with family, friends, church members, etc. and tell them about your trip! Seeing your excitement will help others get excited about the trip. People who may not be able to give financially can still be important supporters as they pray for your trip!
Creative and Sales Oriented Options
Design and Sell T-Shirts, Mugs, etc.
Creating fun designs that spread a message has never been easier! This is an enjoyable process for artists and non-artists alike and can be a way to highlight the unique gifts of team members. Use resources like Canva or Adobe Express to create digital designs or put pen to paper to draw some! Theme the designs around your trip using the country silhouette, Bible verses or a quotation.
If you want to make this fundraiser into a team activity, consider using a Cricut or iron-on designs to sell t-shirts in person or draw designs on mugs. Purchase plain t-shirts, mugs, or anything else from your local craft store and draw, paint, or press-on designs. Make them all the same or create unique patterns.
If you want an easy, less hands-on process, consider ordering through Bonfire or another online platform. Create your own design and spread the word. Orders can be shipped directly to your supporters, removing the necessity of your handling and shipping orders.
Create and Sell a Cookbook
This fundraising idea dishes up a way to make some money toward your trip. Ask teammates, friends, family, and more to contribute recipes to add to your cookbook.
Alternatively, consider creating a recipe compilation of international cuisine, allowing your supporters to get a taste of the culture you are visiting on your trip! Check out this video for how to make your own cookbook.
Event and Team-Oriented Options
Host an Event
You may want to involve more of your team in a large-scale event to fundraise for your trip.
- Topgolf fundraiser: Put the “fun” in fundraising with a golf fundraiser through Topgolf.
- Restaurant fundraiser: Everyone eats dinner! Why not eat dinner and support a good cause? Set up a specific date and time at a restaurant that participates in GroupRaise fundraisers. The restaurant gives a percentage of sales during the event to your fundraiser. Check out this link to find restaurants near you that participate in fundraising events: GroupRaise Fundraising.
- Movie Night: Lights, camera, fundraise! Make this event as large-scale or as small-scale as you want. You could host it in your house for just family and friends or use an inflatable screen and projector to have an outdoor event. Show a family friendly movie and charge a low ticket price or accept donations. You could also provide or sell concessions to accompany the movie. Make it a fun themed night by showing a movie connected to your trip (maybe the Lion King for those traveling to Kenya and something like Encanto for those traveling to Guatemala).
Involve Your Community
Bake sales, yard sales and car washes are great ways to get the larger community involved in your trip and to spread the word about 410 Bridge and our mission!
- Bake sale: Fundraising just got a little sweeter. Take a bite out of the budget by having team members make baked goods and sell them anywhere and everywhere you have good foot traffic. Locations could include your front yard, church, and more. Check your state’s laws about pop-up stands if you plan on selling baked goods outside of your yard.
- Yard sale: Make the most of spring cleaning (or whatever season it is), as everybody has items that need to go to a good cause. Encourage friends and family to dig through closets, basements, and attics. Anything they are willing to donate will be placed on sale, with all proceeds going to your 410 Bridge Mission Trip.
- Car wash: 80% of people say they don’t have time to wash their car. That is A LOT of people! Host a car wash in your community. Ask a local church or business to donate the parking lot space and water source. Providing the service for free and asking for donations may generate more business.
More Event Ideas
- Paint Night: Are you a Picasso at heart? Host a fun evening where an instructor leads you and your friends step-by-step through the process of painting a piece of art. Charge a fee and provide all materials and snacks. Unleash your innermost artist!
- International Dinner: Make food that is culturally significant to the country you are traveling to and host a dinner or sell it to others. If hosting a dinner, be sure to set time aside to tell your guests about your upcoming trip. Sell tickets to the dinner or accept donations. Recipe Links: Kenyan Dishes and Guatemalan Guacamole
This is not an exhaustive list. If you need even more ideas, check out Fundraising 101 under Trip Preparation in the 410 Bridge app!
Mix and match ideas found here or use your imagination to raise money in ways that best work for you and your team.
A Little Something Extra...
For Your Supporters
If your supporters want to learn more about what you might be doing on your trip, point them to these videos of in-country staff or past teams who have traveled with us!
Step 3: Thank
Follow Up With Your Supporters After Your Trip
The conclusion of your trip doesn’t have to be the end of the connection with your supporters. As mentioned above, relationship is important to God and therefore should be important to us too. Consider using one or more of these ideas to reconnect with your supporters and tell them about the ways their contributions enabled you to experience God at work in another culture.
- Give souvenirs purchased on your trip to big donors (ex. art, jewelry, etc.)
- Send a follow up letter to tell your supporters about your trip. Include a photo or two so they can see what you did.
- Meet up with supporters to talk about the trip in-person and share stories with them. Not everyone will want to hear so much about your trip and that is okay!
- Depending on the size of your church, consider sharing about your trip. Craft a short presentation and include pictures and videos. Don’t forget to share the ways you saw God working on your trip.
- Create a video to share about your trip. You could set pictures and/or videos to music or include clips of yourself talking.
- Get creative with it! How can you most effectively share about your trip?
Through all these post-trip follow-up avenues, encourage people to connect with 410 Bridge and consider community or child sponsorship. Some may even decide to travel because they heard about your trip!
