Finances & Accountability

ACTION is without financial guarantees or endowments from any organization. The ministry is a faith work supported by and dependent upon the continued faithfulness of God's people. Each missionary, whether overseas or in the home offices, must look to God to provide their support (living expenses and ministry funds).

Method of Income

It is the policy of ACTION to make known the needs of the Lord's work  under its direction, trusting God for His promised supply through His  people.  Each missionary must trust the Lord for his or her support  and ministry work funds as set by ACTION.  ACTION encourages and  assists, but is not responsible for, raising funds for individual  missionaries and ministries.  ACTION is an evangelical faith mission  and is supported by God through the prayers and gifts of churches and  individuals.

While ACTION cannot guarantee salaries or allowances, every effort is  made to maintain an adequate living allowance as established by the  Sending Country Board of Directors in accordance with the Receiving  Country Board of Directors.

Control of Funds     

All contributions to ACTION shall be recorded and receipted.  Finances  are controlled by the ACTION Board of Directors in each country.  While  funds may be raised and received by an individual missionary or  representative of ACTION, legal control of funds remains with the  Board of Directors.

All donations received for an approved project or the support of a  missionary are used as designated.  A percentage is taken for a share  in operational expenses.  Financial gifts for missionary support must  be made payable to ACTION with a notation telling how the gift is to  be used.

Receipts are issued for financial gifts received for missionary  support and approved projects.  Such receipts are valid in the USA and  Canada for tax purposes.  An acknowledgment, not valid for tax  purposes, is sent for personal gifts such as birthday, anniversary and  Christmas gifts.

Detailed Financial Policy

ACTION has associate membership with: 

• The Evangelical Missions Association  (EMA)            
  
• The Evangelical Alliance (EA) in the UK            
  
• World Missions Alliance (WMA)          

• The member organization shall undergo an annual audit by an  accounting firm or a certified public accountant performed in  accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and accounting  principles.
• Audited financial statements shall be available upon request.
• All programs and activities of the organization shall be  consistent with their stated purposes and objectives, and donated  funds shall be applied for the purposes for which they are raised.   The organization shall demonstrate that an adequate percentage of its  funds are being applied to the appropriate programs and ministries.
• The organization shall carry on its business with the highest  standards of integrity and avoid conflict of interest.
  

Financial Responsibility of Ministry Leaders and Missionaries

The ministry leader is ultimately responsible for the financial needs  of his or her ministry.  This does not mean standing alone in raising  these funds because the leader encourages the team to work together,  trusting the Lord to use each team member as a channel for funds into  the ministry.  This goal is best accomplished by effective sharing of  information in personal prayer and newsletters.  Funds needed for the  general operating budget of the ministry, as well as for projects  (such as camps, clinics, special outreaches and equipment) should be  presented as "prayer targets" in missionary and ministry sponsored  letters.  Home offices will use these prayer target amounts to assist,  as they are able, in helping each ministry reach its financial goals.   Also, missionaries should be sensitive to the Lord's leading and be  willing to use a portion of the personal work funds which exceed  immediate work fund needs in helping meet their own and other ministry  prayer targets.

Savings for Personal Emergencies 

ACTION encourages its overseas personnel to maintain personal savings  to use for emergencies not covered by ACTION's contingency fund.

General financial information for interested donors, churches, and  friends

• ACTION is an evangelical faith mission and is supported by the  prayers and gifts of churches and individuals.
• Finances are controlled by the ACTION Board of Directors and  Councils in each country.
• All gifts for missionaries and ministry projects are receipted  for tax purposes.
• All gifts received for a project or support of a missionary  are used as designated.  A percentage is used for operating expenses.
• All missionaries trust the Lord for their support and ministry  funds.  Budgets are set by the mission.  ACTION is not responsible for  the support of individual missionaries.
• ACTION's Financial Reports and audits are available upon  request.
• ACTION follows the financial guidelines of the Evangelical  Foreign Missions Association (EFMA).  These are:
  • The mission shall undergo an annual audit by an accounting  firm or a certified public accountant performing in accordance with  generally accepted auditing standards using generally accepted  accounting principles.
  • Audited financial statements shall be available upon request.
  • All programs and activities of the organization shall be  consistent with its stated purposes and objectives, and donated funds  shall be applied for the purposes for which they are raised.  The  organization shall demonstrate that an adequate percentage of its  funds is being applied to the appropriate programs and ministries.
  • The organization shall carry on its business with the highest  standards of integrity and avoid conflict of interest.