Free support raising tool
Missionary Support Calculator
Enter your monthly support goal and what's already pledged. You'll see how many monthly partners you still need at $25, $50, $100 and up, plus a clean image to share in your next prayer letter.
1Your monthly support
2Gift amounts to ask for
Tap the monthly amounts you want to include. Your gap is spread across them.
3Partner plan
Adjust any count to fit your own goals.
How it works
How to Use the Support Calculator
Enter your goal and current support
Type in your full monthly support goal and the amount your partners already give each month. You'll see your percent funded and the monthly gap you still need to fill.
Choose the gift amounts to ask for
Pick any amounts from $25 to $250. The calculator spreads your gap across them, with more spots at smaller amounts and fewer at larger ones, which is how most support teams look.
Adjust the plan and save the image
Change any count to fit the people you know. When it looks right, download the image or copy it into your prayer letter. You can hide your dollar amounts and show only partner spots.
The math
How Many Monthly Partners Do I Need?
The basic formula is simple: divide your monthly gap by the gift amount. If you need $2,100 more each month, that’s 84 partners at $25, 42 partners at $50, or 21 partners at $100.
Few support teams look like that, though. Most missionaries have a mix: many partners at smaller amounts, some in the middle, and a few who give more. The calculator builds that mix for you. It gives each amount you choose an equal share of your gap, rounds to whole partners, then tops up the plan until the gap is covered.
Here’s what that looks like for a missionary with a $5,000 monthly goal and $2,900 already pledged.
| Monthly gift | Partners needed | Adds up to |
|---|---|---|
| $25 | 16 | $400 |
| $50 | 8 | $400 |
| $100 | 5 | $500 |
| $150 | 2 | $300 |
| $250 | 2 | $500 |
| Total | 33 | $2,100 |
Thirty-three new partners can feel like a lot. Broken into spots, it becomes something you can pray over, plan for, and ask for one conversation at a time.
Before you calculate
How to Set Your Monthly Support Goal
Your results are only as good as your goal. If your sending agency gives you a budget, start with that number. If you're building it yourself, make sure it covers more than rent and groceries. These are the costs missionaries most often forget.
Salary and living costs
Housing, food, utilities, transportation and the normal costs of daily life where you serve.
Health insurance
Medical coverage for your family, plus any travel or evacuation coverage your agency requires.
Taxes
Depending on your home country and status, you may owe tax on your support. A tax professional who works with missionaries can help.
Agency fees
Many sending agencies keep a percentage of each gift for administration. Build it into your goal so it doesn't come out of your living budget.
Ministry expenses
Bibles, teaching materials, events, outreach and the tools you use to do the work.
Travel and home assignment
Flights, visa renewals, and the months you spend back home visiting churches and partners.
Retirement and savings
Regular savings for retirement and emergencies, and for replacing a vehicle or laptop when it wears out.
Children's education
School fees, supplies and future education costs if you have kids on the field.
Many missionaries also add a small cushion above their budget. Partners move, retire or change churches, and a little extra keeps one lost partner from turning into a monthly shortfall.
Why monthly matters
Why Monthly Partners Are the Backbone of Your Support
One-time gifts are a real blessing for launches, emergencies and special projects. Your monthly budget, though, runs on monthly gifts.
Predictable budgeting
When you know what's coming in each month, you can plan rent, school and ministry costs without guessing.
Deeper partnership
Monthly partners tend to read your updates, pray for specific needs and stay connected for years.
More time on the field
Every monthly partner you add is one less gap to fill later, which frees you to spend more time on the work God called you to.
Tip: if a partner gives yearly or quarterly, divide the gift by 12 or by 3 and count it in your monthly pledged amount.
Raising support
7 Ways to Fill Your Monthly Partner Spots
Ask personally
Most monthly partners say yes because someone asked them directly. Coffee, phone calls and video calls usually work better than a general appeal.
Show specific spots
"I need 8 more partners at $50" is easier to respond to than "I still need $2,100." Share your partner image so people can see where they fit.
Put your spots on your giving page
When someone visits your website ready to give, show them the same spots and a clear button to start a monthly gift.
Update the image every month
As spots fill, send a fresh image. Watching the numbers drop shows partners their gifts matter and invites others to join.
Follow up kindly
Many people mean to give and simply forget. A short, warm follow-up a week or two later is often all it takes.
Thank new partners quickly
Send a personal thank-you within a few days of a new commitment. It sets the tone for a long partnership.
Keep sending updates
Partners stay when they feel connected. Regular prayer letters with stories and photos are one of the best ways to keep the partners you already have.
Share your progress
How to Add Your Partner Image to a Prayer Letter
A simple picture of open partner spots gives readers a clear, specific way to respond. Here is how to use it well.
- Save the image. Click Download image, or Copy on a computer. It is 1200 pixels wide, so it stays sharp in emails that display at 600 pixels.
- Place it after your story. Add an image block right after your ministry update and before your ask, so readers see the need once they know the work.
- Add alt text. Something like “Partner spots still needed: 16 at $25, 8 at $50, 5 at $100” helps subscribers whose email hides images.
- Link it to your giving page. One click on the image should take people straight to where they can start a monthly gift.
- Say it in your own words. Add a sentence or two about what filling these spots would mean for your family and your ministry.
FAQ
Support Calculator Questions
How many monthly supporters does a missionary need?
It depends on your goal and the size of the gifts. Divide your monthly gap by your average gift. A $2,100 gap with an average gift of about $64 takes around 33 partners. The calculator works this out for you with a realistic mix of amounts.
What's a good mix of gift amounts to ask for?
Most support teams have more partners at $25 to $100 and fewer at $150 and above. Start with three to five amounts, then adjust the counts to match the people you know. If you have churches or larger donors in mind, add spots at $200 or $250.
Should I count one-time gifts?
Leave one-time gifts out of your monthly pledged amount. For yearly or quarterly pledges, divide the gift into a monthly amount and include it.
Does this work for ministries and nonprofits, not just missionaries?
Yes. Church planters, campus ministers, chaplains and nonprofit staff who raise monthly support can use it the same way.
Is my information saved or sent anywhere?
Nothing is sent to us. The calculator runs in your browser, and your numbers are remembered only on your own device so you can update them next month.
Can I hide my dollar amounts on the image?
Yes. Under "Show on image," turn off the pledged and goal amounts, the amount still needed, or the totals. The image will then show your percent funded and partner spots.
Can I share the image on social media?
You can. It is designed tall for email, so some apps may crop it in the feed, but the full image shows when people tap on it.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. Use it as often as you like, with no sign-up.