As I was praying this morning, I felt impressed to share with you how our ministry is funded. We have a couple big events that are right around the corner and I want you to know why they are important.
First, we have never received federal or state funding for our ministry. We believe this is the Lord's work and that the Lord's people will provide for his work. Not to mention, we don't want the strings that come with government funding.
To break it down, we have six particular "revenue streams" that we rely upon. Below, you will find them in great detail.
Monthly support- We are blessed to have people who make giving to our ministry part of their monthly giving plan. Some give as little as $10 per month, a few give hundreds of dollars per month. The amount is not the important thing, it's the consistency and the fact that they give monthly that blesses us.
Additional donations- This is money that people, churches, businesses, civic groups, etc., give to our ministry throughout the year. Although it is not a monthly commitment, God has blessed us with many who give to the Lord's work through our ministry. For example, if God lays it on someone's heart to donate a thousand dollars at some point during the year, we consider that "additional donations." Although the people who give year to year like this vary, we have been able to project an approximate amount to expect which helps as we budget.
Fundraisers- Of course, we do some fundraising. We try our best to limit the amount of these so we limit it to two big ones each year. We do some smaller, localized ones also, but as far as soliciting from our entire donor base, it's pretty much only our annual live benefit that is held each year in March. (This year it is March 9th.) The other big one is our steak dinner and cake auction held each summer (this year it is July 28th.) We set the goals for these two events based upon the history of how God has blessed us in the previous years. We trust God by faith to meet the goals that our board of directors have prayed over and decided upon. This year, in conjunction with our live benefit, we are asking churches to receive a special offering on Sunday, February 26th. Those offerings will count toward the goal of the live benefit.
Sponsorships- We have two sponsorship programs that help to fund our exciting ministry in the Philippines. One of them is the meal center sponsorships and the other is the street ministry and rescue center sponsorships. Faithful sponsors give monthly or annually to make sure that these important programs keep running smoothly. We are so grateful for them!
The Village- The village project that we are currently working to build is funded separately. Right now, while in the construction phase, we are relying 100% of the generosity of our friends and supporters who give over and above to help us fund this building project. Some money from the above categories 1,2, and 3 help fund the monthly operating costs of the village, but not the construction efforts.
Private grants- We have been applying for some private grants over the past year, but so far, we have not been awarded any. If you know of a business, foundation, or corporation that offers grants, feel free to share that information with us.
How it all works
All of these "revenue streams" work together to create our annual budget. Our fiscal year begins on March 1st, which is why the live benefit is always in the first week of March. The funds received through this really help us to kick off the new budget year. The monthly supporters and the additional donations make up the rest of the budget throughout the year and the steak dinner and cake auction gives us a boost in the summer time. The sponsorships keep the kids fed and keep the Bible studies going in the Philippines, while the village is being built with special donations that come in designated for that project.
The bottom line
The bottom line is, none of this works without God's blessing. It is God who puts it on the hearts of his people to be generous. We are grateful to God and thankful for those to whom he speaks to about being a partner with our ministry. Thank you!
How to be a part of it all
If you would like to be a part of what God is doing through Unsheltered, we would love to have you. Please see the links below to give.