Fully Funded Podcast - Fundraising for Christian Missionaries

A study of 40,000 missionaries and 600 mission agencies (ABWE) found that 43% of missionaries don't fulfill their long-term commitment to the field. In this video, Mike Kim and Mary Valloni unpack the four biggest reasons missionaries leave. The biggest is money, but the other three might be shocking to you. Reserve your seat at Fully Funded LIVE: Two focused days, in person, to build your support-raising plan. Mary and Mike walk you through what to say, who to follow up with, how to invite partnership, and what to do when you get home. September 21-22, 2026 in Plano, TX. Register here: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/live Join our community: Fully Funded Academy. Get the 7-part Fully Funded curriculum, two live group coaching calls every month with Mary and Mike, support letter and email templates, bonus masterclasses on referrals and missionary fundraising events, and a private community of missionaries walking the same road. Enroll here or get on the waitlist: https://fullyfundedacademy.com Buy our book, "Fully Funded" Ebook: https://amzn.to/3PntpXR Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4tWgoCM Paperback: https://amzn.to/4tSdPRV Subscribe to our newsletter: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/newsletter Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fully-funded-academy Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com

Nearly half of all missionaries leave the field before year five, and the number one reason isn't burnout or sin. It's funding that quietly runs out. In this episode, Mary Valloni and Mike Kim break down the 5 things missionaries who stay on the field do differently, backed by research across 40,000 missionaries and 600 mission agencies. You'll learn why weekly communication beats quarterly newsletters, how to treat supporters as partners instead of donors, and why getting clear on your vision is what sustains long-term ministry. These are the same support raising principles taught inside Fully Funded Academy. Reserve your seat at Fully Funded LIVE: Two focused days, in person, to build your support-raising plan. Mary and Mike walk you through what to say, who to follow up with, how to invite partnership, and what to do when you get home. September 21-22, 2026 in Plano, TX. Register here: fullyfundedacademy.com/live Join our community: Fully Funded Academy. Get the 7-part Fully Funded curriculum, two live group coaching calls every month with Mary and Mike, support letter and email templates, bonus masterclasses on referrals and missionary fundraising events, and a private community of missionaries walking the same road. Enroll here or get on the waitlist: fullyfundedacademy.com Buy our book, "Fully Funded" Ebook: https://amzn.to/3PntpXR Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4tWgoCM Paperback: https://amzn.to/4tSdPRV Subscribe to our newsletter: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/newsletter Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fully-funded-academy Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com

Watch on YouTube (recommended) » This is the replay of our recent live masterclass, where you'll learn the two most important frameworks we teach inside of Fully Funded Academy: the 7-Step Donor Progression and the FREEDOM Method. Together, they give missionaries and ministry leaders like you a clear, repeatable path for raising support, growing your donor base, and getting fully funded. You'll also hear real testimonies from missionaries inside Fully Funded Academy, including stories of thousands of dollars in commitments and unexpected donations. JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY: At the time of this training, enrollment to Fully Funded Academy was open. Doors are currently closed so we can focus on the group who just joined. Get on the priority waitlist to be the first to know when we open again: fullyfundedacademy.com 4:27 — Support Raising Built on Sand 7:20 — Survey Insights from 600 missionaries 10:58 — The 7-Step Donor Journey 25:30 — The FREEDOM Framework 34:27 — Brand and One Pager 39:34 — Organize Ask and Impact 43:42 — Solutions to Your Challenges 49:20 — Lean into these Testimonies 54:50 — Inside The Academy 1:06:24 — Live Q And A 1:19:49 — Prayer And Sendoff ABOUT FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY: Fully Funded Academy is the coaching and training program for Christian missionaries, ministry leaders, and nonprofit professionals who want to raise full financial support, without the burnout or the guesswork. Founded by Mary Valloni (author of Fundraising Freedom, 20+ years in nonprofit fundraising) and Mike Kim (Wall Street Journal bestselling author of You Are the Brand), the Academy walks members through the proven FREEDOM Method, twice-monthly live coaching calls, a private community, and a full library of templates, scripts, and resources.

In 2016, Dan and Maria Hurrelbrink's ministry in Romania nearly collapsed. In Part 2 of our conversation, they share exactly how they rebuilt — and what changed when they stopped waiting and started communicating. From weekly donor emails to a clear ministry vision that carried them through a war on their border, their story is practical, honest, and hard-won. 💼 Get the Book: https://amzn.to/3Wfbwum CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY: Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Dan and Maria Hurrelbrink have been missionaries in Romania for over 33 years — planting churches, running camps, adopting five children, and building Barnabas Ministries from the ground up. But by 2017, their total ministry and family budget had quietly collapsed to $60,000. They were running out of money, couldn't leave the field, and were one bad year away from closing everything they'd built. The problem wasn't their faithfulness. It was one costly mistake almost every missionary makes: raising support for themselves instead of their ministry. In this episode, Dan and Maria share exactly how they turned it around — including the reframe that changed everything, how Dan kept supporters engaged for 5 years without setting foot on US soil, and why "out of sight is out of mind" doesn't have to be the end of your support. This is Part 1 of a two-part interview. If you're a missionary feeling stuck, stretched, or invisible to your supporters… this one is for you. 📩 Subscribe so you don't miss Part 2 of Dan and Maria's story. If you're ready to build a strategy that holds no matter what season you're in, the Fully Funded Academy is open for enrollment. Join us at fullyfundedacademy.com.