Funding System Changes: Coming July 1, 2021

Beautiful on the Hilltops (Ciudad del Este, Paraguay)

Summary:

• Alliance Missions (AM) has grown organically over time. Over time, this growth has produced the unintended consequence of an ever-increasingly complicated funding structure. AM will be implementing a new, streamlined funding structure to replace the old, complicated structure.

• The change to the funding structure will take place on July 1, 2021. All gifts prior to July 1 will follow the old structure. All gifts after July 1 will follow the new structure.

• International Workers (IW) will no longer need to raise a variety of funds (work funds, vehicle funds, etc.). Instead, each of us will be raising money for one straightforward "Ministry" fund.

• Gifts to our "Zuber Ministry" fund will be considered gifts to the Great Commission Fund. This means that they will "count" as gifts to the GCF when Alliance churches report Missions giving to the district. It also means that 100% of gifts to the "Zuber Ministry" fund will go to "Zuber Ministry"; 0% will be re-directed to the general GCF to cover administrative costs.

• In addition to lumping together the old funds, "Zuber Ministry" will also be used to fund a portion of our basic living expenses. This means that each IW family will need to individually raise a certain, annually increasing amount of money in order to continue in ministry.

• For the fiscal year starting July 1, the Zubers will be expected to raise around $5,000 to cover ministry projects (we haven't gotten an exact number yet), plus $4,321.70 to cover a portion of our living expenses. This will increase by $3,471.70 each year, until the goal reaches $31,245.30 annually plus ministry needs.

• You can continue giving directly to the Great Commission Fund; we will continue to receive support from the general GCF. You can also support us directly by contributing to our "Zuber Ministry" fund starting July 1. You can put a check in an Alliance church offering plate with "Zuber Ministry" as the subject. You can also go to cmalliance.org/give and select our name from the pull down box. This can be used for one time gifts, or recurring gifts.

More Detailed Description of the Changes:

The following is adapted (mostly copied) from content provided by the C&MA National Office

Why the Change?

Missions has changed and giving preferences are changing. We have IWs of various vocational skills working across four AM structures. In missions today, we need this diversity as we serve communities, multiply church networks and develop people who’ll continue to the journey. Until now our different IWs had very different funding situations. And we’ve learned that, while The Alliance is still a strong general-gift body, many churches are growing giving as new donors give more specifically to the work of IWs they love. So we’re choosing a system that helps all IWs benefit from both and ask for both.

Timing

The big message I want to make clear to you right now is that our system changes on July 1, 2021. Your first gift on or after July 1 is when you can give in a new way, if you’d like to do so. Giving until that date works like it has in the past. But on July 1 you can give to my ministry more simply.

2-Part Message of New GCF

An important concept in the new funding system is that all giving to Alliance work is now part of one big, new Great Commission Fund. If you’ve given gifts for our ministry in the past but felt some disappointment that those gifts are not included in the way The Alliance talked about the Great Commission Fund (GCF), please know that after July 1 all gifts of any type are equally-appreciated contributions to our new, all-inclusive GCF budget. (Exceptions will be emergency relief fund of CAMA and a very few major capital projects from time to time.)

Freedom and Ease for Donors

Foundationally, our new funding system is donor-centric. The goal is to help Alliance churches and individual donors feel free to give the way that most motivates them. As well, our new system makes giving easier for those who like to give directly to our ministry. No more need to designate gifts to our support, daily work, projects, vehicles or outfit needs. Instead, a gift made to our name is a gift to our ministry – allowing us to direct dollars to all these needs according to our budget for the year. And while we have increasing goals related to compensation costs, the new, all-inclusive GCF means we are dropping the old practice of sending 15% of designated gifts to the general GCF.

My Goals

How each of us who serve with The Alliance engage in fundraising is changing. Some who had to raise a lot of the dollars for support or ministry in the past are now getting more help from general gifts to the Great Commission Fund. Others are adding growth goals for more dollars that fund compensation costs to their fundraising goals, increasing each year. I/we are in the latter category. For the fiscal year starting July 1, the Zubers will be expected to raise around $5,000 to cover ministry projects (we haven't gotten an exact number yet), plus $4,321.70 to cover a portion of our living expenses. This will increase by $3,471.70 each year, until the goal reaches $31,245.30 annually plus ministry needs.

How to Give

It is the combination of general gifts and specific giving to our ministry that keeps us doing what God’s called us to do. Whichever is your preference is the way we invite you to give. And we thank you!

You can give through an Alliance church. Mark your gift “GCF” for general giving to The Alliance we need. Or mark your gift with our name or simply “Zuber ministry.” That will help us with the specific dollars we are seeking for our various needs. Regular, monthly giving really helps!

You can give online. Go to cmalliance.org/give. On this webpage, you can choose the box for giving generally to the GCF or to give specifically to a worker. And note that you can set up monthly, recurring giving – enter your information and gift amount just once, then choose to make it recurring on the day of each month that you choose! Simple!