Engaging Younger Donors in Missions Giving

I've been giving some thought to how we can help the younger people in our church engage more passionately in global missions. Here are a few of my observations:

Younger Donors give to Specific Issues rather than Programs or Fields.

Issues close to the hearts of younger donors:

• Clean drinking water for a village.
• Hunger.
• Human trafficking.
• Aids orphans.
• Missional church planting.
• Justice issues – persecuted church.
• Tragedy – such as Haiti.
• Micro-loans.

Younger donors are more likely to give by project – for issues.

• Benefit concert.
• 30-hour famine.
• Ski for a cause.

Young donors give relationally. How can we build relationships between the missionaries – our missions faith promise – and the young donors?

• Images speak louder than words to young donors.

Young donors give when they know their gift will really make a difference for a specific person; i.e. youth group “adopts” an orphan, when they really know the missionary

Young donors give electronically: Web site, facebook, Pay Pal. – not by check.