So what happens when donations fall behind budget, Tim? Great question. So glad you asked. Fortunately I haven’t been in this position much due to careful management and consistent donations. During the first couple of years of joining InterVarsity Staff, everyone works at building up enough budget to make longer term ministry sustainable. If you run ahead of what is being spent out of your budget, it positions you for a possible pay raise. But if you run behind, you carry your deficit till donations rebound, you recruit more donors or you cut expenses (usually a pay cut).
As I’ve been hinting, Covid has taken a bite out of what already is a faith-stretching challenge. Every year the basic goal in my case is to find enough giving units to cover a $102K budget and add on top of that the resources I need for developing new ministry in my territory. Without Covid, I started 2020 with no deficit and with a need to find about $12K in new support. With Covid, I’ve needed to find an additional $7-8K.
First things first, I need to close my “covid gap”. InterVarsity is helping me with a matching grant to make up the deficit as quickly as possible. The match began on November 1st and will be in effect till Jan 31st, 2021.
What does the match really mean?
For NEW support dollars I find between Nov 1st and Jan 31st, 2021, InterVarsity will match dollar for dollar up to $7,000. This will kill off my deficit and help me find new amounts of sustained support. Till now I’ve been reaching out to selected individuals to see if they’d like to help. I’ve found $3,900 from 6 sources! I’m over half way there (Pickto Chart)! The remaining $3,100 I hope will come in from another dozen or so people I’ve asked (as well as response to this blog post).
How could I help you?
First, I’m hoping and praying that if God has placed you on my support team, you’ll continue giving as you have been. My 80-ish active donors are basically keeping me in place, enabling me to do ministry and be paid for it. I’m so grateful for the core of my team who are just rock solid! I THANK YOU. MY FAMILY THANKS YOU!
There are two ways you can further help if you are one of those rock solid supporters and you have the ability. 1- any additional one-time amount you give on top of your usual donation will go to the covid relief match. 2- if you increase your monthly or annual amount that you are able to give, the difference will also be matched dollar for dollar.
I’m pretty sure the covid gap will be going away by the end of Jan 31st. I’ll still need to keep building my budget on top of that. Getting rid of my covid gap means that I’ll get out of deficit and back on my way to building my long-term ministry budget.
If you are an informed ministry partner, reading the blog and praying for me, but have not been able to donate, now would be a great time to jump on board if you’re able to help.
Click here to be taken to Tim’s donation page.
Thanks so much for what you do to make it possible for me to lead and serve in Graduate Faculty Ministries. Hope you and your family will have have a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving. If you have any questions about helping out please email me at this link:
Be blessed and stay well!
PBR 