Staying in contact with those that have supported your ministry, either financially or through prayer, is crucial for the long term sustainability of your ministry and your financial base.

Scott Morton, in his book “Funding Your Ministry” writes: “We are not merely to “maintain” our donors at their current levels of giving and prayer. We minister to them to enable them to grow – not only in their commitment to us, but also in their relationship with the Lord and in their outreach to others.” He offers the following suggestions (“Funding Your Ministry” pp 135 – 145):

 

Obviously, staying in contact and good communication are key to maintaining a good relationship with supporters of your ministry. There are numerous tools that are available to help aid in the communication process.


Email Communication Services

Online email marketing services are taking the place of direct mailing. Instead of spending your time and money on creating print marketing and communication campaigns that end up in dusty mailboxes, you can now combine your social networking marketing efforts with effective email campaigns. A thorough review and comparison of the top 16 email marketing service providers for 2012 can be found by clicking here.

These are great tools, but it’s not recommended that email communication take the place of your hard copy prayer letters. Effective donor communication incorporates both methods of staying in contact with your supporters.

Some of the online email marketing companies are:

Constant Contact – CC helps small businesses and nonprofits connect with their customers, members and donors. CC provides an easy and affordable way to build successful, lasting relationships through email marketing, online surveys and event marketing tools.

iContact – iContact is your go-to for online marketing services. Get the most out of your email and social media marketing with their advisory, design and large-sender services.

Vertical Response – VR offers email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, direct mail postcards, online surveys and list management tools.

MailChimp – MailChimp helps you design email newsletters, share them on social networks, integrate with services you already use, and track your results. It’s like your own personal publishing platform.

Campaigner – Email marketing tool that allows you to send mass emails and track the results.

GoldMail – GoldMail is an easy way to make powerful multi-media messages. By combining your voice with your content, GodlMail messages stand out and drive higher response rates.


Hard Copy Mailing Services

There are several online companies that can print & mail your prayer letters even though you are overseas. The following are just a few of the options available.

prayerletters.com – an online service that sends out prayer & support letters directly to donors. They also provide good tips & suggestions on how to write an effective prayer/fundraising letter.

chalkline.org – an online service that prints & mails prayer letters for missionaries.

bmcletterservice.com – a letter service specializing in mailing prayer letters for missionaries around the world.


Missionary Prayer Card Services

There are numerous companies that provide missionary prayer cards & following a just a few. Select one that best meets your needs & available funds.

MissioncaryCards.com – They create cards, magnets, bookmarks & newsletters for missionaries at reasonable prices.

Creative Plus – Leading the way in team-building tools for the missions community, Creative Plus has a wide assortment of products to meet your needs.

DTS Prayer Cards – Taking the stress out of eye-catching prayer cards at an affordable price.

MissionsLinked – Missions Linked is a missions-focused creative agency that provides visually stunning prayer card designs that help missionaries grow their ministry.