Fully Funded Podcast - Fundraising for Christian Missionaries

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You were trained for the hardest part of support raising... you just never knew it. Mary Valloni reveals the one skill you already use in ministry, applied to your supporters. 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

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: 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: http://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/

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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:

https://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 http://fullyfundedacademy.com.

On a recent survey, over 90% of missionaries we asked said they did NOT know any fully funded missionaries. Well, we're here to change that! Meet Nora McNamara, a seasoned missionary who went from raising $34 in a month to getting fully funded just six months later – and has stayed fully funded now for YEARS.

This conversation, originally held for our Fully Funded Academy members, highlights Nora's transformative strategies and insights into missionary fundraising.

If you're struggling with raising support or feel alone in your financial challenges, this episode is tailored for you. Watch our recent (free!) live training here »

Watch this interview on YouTube »

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

James Harrington went from meeting a stranger at a barbecue to installing thousands of water systems across Uganda. In this conversation on location in Uganda, he shares the storytelling secrets, fundraising principles, and focus strategies that turned a dream into a sustainable movement.

• 1:46 - How to make the world smaller though stories
• 3:23 - Tell stories about your team
• 6:13 - "Filter builds" and community support-raising events
• 9:47 - Study the region and community you are in
• 11:51 - Creating a sense of destiny via stories
• 17:21 - What did support-raising look like at the start?

Watch our recent (free!) live training here »

Watch this interview on YouTube »

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

After years of coaching missionaries one-on-one, Mary Valloni and Mike Kim are bringing the Fully Funded experience into the room. This is a two-day, hands-on conference designed for missionaries, ministry leaders, and sending organizations who are ready to stop guessing and start building a real support-raising strategy.

September 21–22, 2026 Plano, TX

This is NOT your typical nonprofit conference. You won't just sit and listen. You'll walk in with your challenges and walk out with a complete 90-day action plan: scripts written, strategy built, momentum created.

The world of donor giving has changed. Communication has changed. If your support-raising playbook is more than a few years old, it's time for an upgrade. We're doing that work, together, in the room.

🔗 Get all the details & register: http://fullyfundedacademy.com/live

⏰ Early bird pricing ends June 30… don't wait on this one.

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Have you plateaued in your support raising and not sure how to break through? You might be missing the one thing that changes everything: a coach.

In this episode, Mary and Mike break down why coaching isn't optional for missionaries serious about reaching full support, it's the difference between spinning your wheels and actually crossing the finish line.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Rob and Nichole Plaster have been missionaries in France since 2003. In this episode, they share the support raising strategies that transformed their approach, including how they shifted from exhausting furlough trips to remote fundraising, built a team of advocates, and used weekly storytelling emails to keep donors engaged and excited.

Whether you're just starting your missionary journey or you've hit a funding plateau after years on the field, Robin and Nicole's story will encourage you that full funding IS possible.

• 2:07 - If you believe in what God is doing you must learn to communicate it
• 4:44 - Raising support while still overseas
• 7:52 - Values-first fundraising
• 10:38 - Writing better email updates
• 14:33 - Raising a large budget because Paris is expensive
• 17:12 - When the scarcity mindset creeps back in
• 21:44 - The power of a private Facebook group
• 27:33 - Advice to other missionaries

Connect with Rob and Nichole: https://www.theplastersofparis.com/

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Many missionaries believe supporters only want to fund "field work," but the truth is, your donors want to invest in YOUR growth! Whether you are looking to attend a conference, take a course, or join Fully Funded Academy, this messaging script will help you get the sponsorship you need without the guilt.

In this episode, Mike Kim shares the exact email template you can use to confidently ask your donors to fund your professional development.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

In a digital age dominated by automation, the "personal touch" remains the most powerful tool for Christian missionaries raising support.

Join Mary Valloni and Mike Kim as they reveal why authentic, localized relationships are far more effective than generic outreach for fully funded missions. Discover how successful ministry leaders are leveraging technology—not to replace connection, but to amplify it—using simple strategies like personalized video messages to maintain genuine bonds with partners.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

One of the hardest moments in raising support is when a donor ends their support. It's scary… and it can leave you feeling rejected. But how you respond in this moment matters just as much as how you asked for their support in the beginning.

In this episode, Mary and Mike break down exactly what to say when a donor stops supporting you. Instead of panicking or burning bridges, we'll show you how to honor the relationship, leave the door open for the future, and show you exactly what to say when this happens.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Watch on YouTube »

Are you making the hardest ask without realizing it? Most missionaries default to asking for monthly support, but this is actually the most difficult commitment for a new donor to make. By only focusing on monthly giving, you might be leaving thousands on the table in your missionary fundraising efforts.

In this video, we break down the Barbell Principle: a proven strategy to help you raise more support by understanding the three specific donor types.

Stop using a "one-size-fits-all" approach. Learn how to match the right ask to the right person to improve your donor engagement and reach 100% funding faster.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

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Most missionaries are sending emails that get ignored... and they don't even know why.

In this episode, Mike Kim breaks down five common email mistakes that are killing your support raising and shares simple fixes you can implement right away. Learn how to write emails that actually get opened, read, and responded to.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Watch on YouTube »

Can you achieve your missionary fundraising goals through social media alone? Mary Valloni reveals why social media isn't enough for full funding. While platforms like Instagram are powerful tools for donor engagement, true success in support raising requires personal connection.

Learn how to leverage faith-based support raising strategies to turn online followers into committed financial partners through intentional relationships.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Watch on YouTube »

Support raising deadlines can cause a lot of anxiety. Whether you have 90 days or a year to raise support, the pressure can determine your entire calling... but it doesn't have to be paralyzing.

In this episode, Mary shows you how to handle the pressure of support raising for missionaries, while discovering why missing a deadline doesn't mean your calling is over. Enjoy these strategies for sustainable nonprofit fundraising in 2026.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Watch on YouTube » We've coached over 2,000 missionaries, and today we're exposing three phrases that could be killing your ask in donor conversations. We break down the subtle language shifts that transform awkward funding requests into natural partnership invitations.

If you've ever fumbled through face-to-face meetings or struggled with what to say when making the ask, this episode will change how you approach those critical moments. Stop using weak, guilt-driven language and start inviting people into genuine partnership with confidence.

Video - It's a Beautiful Day »

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy

Watch on YouTube »

How should you talk about your salary with supporters and donors? In this episode, we break down the three key expense categories every missionary needs to understand: program, fundraising, and admin.

Learn why you don't need to share every personal expense detail with donors, and discover the proven framework that builds trust while maintaining healthy boundaries. If you're confused about financial transparency in support raising, this conversation will bring much-needed clarity.

CONNECT WITH FULLY FUNDED ACADEMY:

• Website: https://fullyfundedacademy.com/
• Get the Free Workbook: https://fullyfundedbook.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullyfundedacademy