Charitable Giving Policy
Mennonite Mission Network Ministries
For international workers and support teams
Purpose of policy. This policy accompanies an invitation to support the work of Mennonite Mission Network through a charitable gift. If you choose to support this work, there are a few things we would like to communicate to you.
First, thank you! Through your generous gift, people around the world will hear and experience the good news of Jesus Christ. Mennonite Mission Network aims to be faithful stewards of the funds you entrust to us. It is our goal to provide clarity and exercise integrity in our financial responsibilities. Part of this responsibility is to make you aware of the legal and tax issues associated with giving a tax-deductible charitable gift to the work of Mission Network.
While we want to be as accommodating as possible with donors, Internal Revenue Service laws stipulate how we can, and cannot, accept tax-deductible gifts. According to the IRS, the tax-deductibility of your charitable gift is dependent on the donor understanding that “Mennonite Mission Network has complete control and administration over the use of the donated funds.”
Please understand that when you receive a funding appeal letter from a Mission Network worker or their ministry support team (MST), you are receiving a request to join in a ministry of Mission Network. While donors may feel a strong personal connection to the worker(s), each gift should be viewed as a gift to the work of Mission Network and not for the individual worker(s). For this reason, we use the language of “giver-preferences gifts,” to support the ministry of a particular worker. Those preferences are honored by Mission Network, and we track them to report on progress toward fundraising goals. Mission Network will receive all donations, post them to the appropriate accounts, and provide contribution acknowledgements to donors. If for any reason the worker you received an appeal from is unable to participate in the assignment, or that assignment is canceled or postponed, Mission Network cannot legally refund a charitable gift. If there are excess monies for your preference worker at the end of the term, we will use those funds for a similar ministry.
