FAQs Regarding Giving to Young Life

Young Life is a non-profit organization, funded through the donations of individuals, foundations and businesses. The overwhelming majority of funding for Young Life ministry comes from individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of kids in their communities. Many of our supporters were involved in Young Life as kids, or know someone whose life has been significantly impacted by Young Life ministry. The most recent Annual Report and 990 give more detailed information about the mission’s fundraising and finances.

The 501(c)(3) designation is given to charitable organizations to grant them exemption from federal income tax.

Eighty-three percent of any gifts you make to Young Life stay right in your local area to support the ministry to kids there. The other 17 percent, known as the service charge, is sent to the Young Life Service Center and to the area's corresponding regional office to fund technical and administrative services that serve local areas.

If writing a check, make your donation payable to Young Life.

To ensure that your gift goes to a specific account for a person and/or area or country, include the corresponding mission unit number on the memo line or designate in the appropriate field if giving online. For international areas, the mission unit number for a person (or an area/country) begins with an "X" followed by a number. The mission unit number for an international region begins with an "XR."

If you do not know the mission unit number, include the following on the memo line of your check or in the designated field online: the person's last name and/or the city, country or international region.

Checks can be mailed to: Young Life, P.O. Box 520, Colorado Springs, CO  80901.

You can mail checks to:

Young Life
P.O. Box 520
Colorado Springs, CO  80901-0520

If giving via check, please be sure to make the check payable to Young Life. Also on your check, please be sure to include the area designation of where the funds should be applied.

Please be aware that when you provide a check as payment, you authorize us to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day you make your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. For inquiries, please call (877) 438-9572.

Another giving option is to give one-time or recurring gifts online.

Young Life encourages you to give to your local area, but should you feel led to give in addition to that, there are other opportunities to give.

Each year Young Life appeals for funds for two missionwide initiatives. The first is the Urban Campership Fund, which helps pay for kids from urban communities, kids of color and kids who are financially disadvantaged to attend Young Life camp.

The second one is for Young Life’s International Division. Most international ministry occurs in places where resources are scarce or where there is little tradition of philanthropy, so support from those who share Young Life's vision for reaching "Every Kid, Everywhere for Eternity" is essential for continued growth of international ministry.

There are a multitude of ways to give to Young Life. For other ideas, see Ways to Support Young Life and Giving Strategies.