FAQs for Donors

Young Life’s fund-raising philosophy is summed up by our approach, which we call Taking Donors Seriously (TDS). In TDS, the focus is on relational fundraising. This approach takes place in face-to-face meetings, banquets and letter/phone call strategies. Many Young Life committees have members who focus specifically on TDS and continuously develop relationships with donors.

Field staff and camps let donors know about needs in a variety of ways. Some send out regular newsletters via mail or e-mail that provide ministry highlights and financial needs. Others may offer that information on their area or camp (if it's a Young Life camp) website; these websites are particular to an area, region, division or camp. Use the Locator to access a particular area or camp website.

Young Life also has several annual missionwide initiatives for particular special ministries and ministry needs such as International and campership (scholarship money to help kids pay for camp). These initiatives are communicated in the form of a letter from the president of Young Life and are mailed to current and recent donors.

To best understand the needs of the particular ministry you would like to support, you can contact that specific Young Life ministry.

There are a variety of ways you can give to Young Life. Some people prefer to give on a regular (monthly, quarterly or yearly) basis. Some prefer to give without a specific schedule. And should you choose to make a gift to Young Life, you can do so online with a credit card or via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). We also have planned giving services and foundation services. For more specifics on the options available to you, please visit our section about ways to give.

Young Life is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), an organization committed to helping Christ-centered organizations earn the public's trust through developing and maintaining standards of accountability that convey God-honoring ethical practices.

Yes. There are a couple of ways that Young Life lets donors know how their gifts are being used. First of all, you’ll receive a receipt from Young Life, indicating for what ministry your gift was designated. You’ll also receive a more personal account in the form of updates from the Young Life staff in the area or region you’re supporting.

If there is a specific individual or area of ministry you would like to support, you can designate that at the time your make your gift by indicating their mission unit number (you can find this out by asking your staff person or contacting the area or regional office).

We want our staff focused on kids — not on fundraising. That’s why we provide our staff with a Field Development office to assist them, as well as accounting tools that are specific for their area of ministry. We provide ongoing fund-raising training to make it easier for them to raise funds. We also have policies in place to protect staff who may fall below budget. Area committee members play a big role in helping Young Life staff stay within their budget, as well as raise money for the area budget.

Yes. You can check out the Young Life budget by viewing out latest Financial Statement. You can also contact areas and regions individually for their budget information.