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Fundraising Comparisons Calling Mission Life Country Guides For Churches Platform

Fundraising

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How to Write a Missionary Newsletter That People Read

Most missionary newsletters get skimmed for ten seconds and archived. Here's how to write updates your supporters actually open, read all the way through, and respond to.

6 min read | Sep 17, 2026

How to Set Up Tax-Deductible Missionary Giving

Want your donors to write off their gifts? Here's how tax-deductible missionary giving actually works under IRS rules, and how to set it up the right way before you start fundraising.

6 min read | Aug 19, 2026

Two men smiling while looking at a MacBook together, seated on a couch in a bright, modern space.

How to Start a Nonprofit for Missions: Requirements, Costs, and an Easier Way to Begin

Thinking about how to start a nonprofit for your mission work? Here's what the process actually requires, what it costs, and how fiscal sponsorship through Sowfund lets you skip the paperwork and start fundraising instead.

4 min read | Aug 18, 2026

Comparisons

Sowfund vs GiveSendGo vs GoFundMe, a three-way comparison graphic showing all three app logos over a background photo of two people relaxing on a lawn.

GiveSendGo vs GoFundMe vs Sowfund: Which Is Best?

GiveSendGo vs GoFundMe vs Sowfund, which platform is best for missionaries? We compare fees, tax deductibility, and features across all three, sourced from each platform's own pages, to help you choose.

10 min read | Oct 1, 2026

Venmo vs Sowfund — a comparison graphic showing both app logos side by side over a background photo of people eating and drinking at an outdoor café table.

Venmo vs Sowfund: Which Is Better for Missionary Giving?

Venmo vs Sowfund for missionary giving, a sourced look at fees, tax-deductibility, international use, and donor tools to help you choose the right missionary fundraising platform.

6 min read | Sep 25, 2026

Sowfund vs ABWE, a comparison graphic showing both logos side by side over a background photo of a group of young men laughing and playing together in a park.

Sowfund vs ABWE: Which Is Right for Missionaries?

ABWE is a Baptist mission agency that trains, cares for, and holds giving for its own missionaries. Here's how that structure compares to a dedicated fundraising platform like Sowfund.

7 min read | Sep 18, 2026

Calling

A woman seen from behind, standing alone in a dimly lit room looking out through window blinds at an autumn landscape.

What to Do When You Feel Stuck Between Comfort and Calling

You've got the steady job, the familiar church, the good life, and a calling that won't let you settle into it. Here's how to work through that tension instead of pretending it isn't there.

5 min read | Sep 2, 2026

A person in a flannel shirt looking pensively to the side, with their reflection visible in a glass window, surrounded by lush green trees.

Calling vs Desire: How to Discern the Difference

Calling and desire can feel identical from the inside. Here's how to tell a genuine missionary calling apart from a strong desire to go, and what to do while you're still not sure.

7 min read | Jul 31, 2026

A person seen from behind in a pink t-shirt, gazing out over a sprawling city from a hilltop on a hazy day.

How to Stay Encouraged During Long Seasons of Waiting

The season between sensing a mission call and reaching the field can be the longest of your life. Here's how to stay grounded, faithful, and encouraged through the wait.

5 min read | Jul 21, 2026

Mission Life

A woman with red hair and glasses holding a laptop by a sunny window, with a Sowfund dashboard showing an available balance of $18,580.42 and recent donations from Trisha Cortez, Landon Martin, Emma Lewis, and Karina Hal.

How to Manage Finances on the Mission Field

A practical guide to managing money as a missionary abroad, covering budgeting, banking, taxes, insurance, and how to keep support coming in reliably.

5 min read | Sep 23, 2026

A solitary person sitting on a park bench between two bare trees, gazing out over a calm lake with mountains in the distance at golden hour.

Burnout in Ministry: How to Recognize It Early

Burnout in ministry rarely shows up all at once. Here's what it actually looks like in its early stages, why missionaries are especially prone to it, and what to do the moment you notice it.

6 min read | Aug 6, 2026

A family seen from behind sitting and standing on a dock overlooking a calm river, with a child in a white sun hat seated in the middle.A family seen from behind sitting and standing on a dock overlooking a calm river, with a child in a white sun hat seated in the middle.

Moving Your Family Overseas for Mission Work

Moving your family overseas for mission work is one of the most complex things you'll ever plan. Here's what to think through before you go — practically and personally.

6 min read | Jun 17, 2026

Country Guides

A hilly Brazilian street scene with colorful buildings, cars, and a man walking a dog in the foreground.

Cost of Living in Brazil for Missionaries

A category-by-category breakdown of what missionaries spend in Brazil on housing, food, transportation, health insurance, and schooling, with two realistic monthly budgets and how to fund them.

8 min read | Oct 5, 2026

A busy Ugandan street scene with motorcycle taxis, fruit vendors, and colorful storefront signs including a restaurant and family shop.

Serving in Uganda: What Missionaries Need to Know

A practical look at what missionaries need to know before serving in Uganda, from visas and work permits to cost of living, health guidance, and the current U.S. travel advisory.

6 min read | Sep 22, 2026

A colorful cobblestone street in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, lined with vibrant colonial buildings in blue, pink, and yellow, with a San Juan 500th anniversary banner visible.

Serving in Puerto Rico: What Missionaries Need to Know

Puerto Rico draws churches and missionaries for hurricane recovery, poverty relief, and church partnership. Here's what serving there looks like and how to raise support along the way.

3 min read | Aug 14, 2026

For Churches

A young man with glasses and headphones smiling while looking at his phone against a green herringbone tile wall.

Why Younger Generations Give Differently

Gen Z and Millennial donors give on their phones, expect to see impact quickly, and respond to matching gifts more than any generation before them. Here is what the data shows and what it means for churches supporting missionaries.

7 min read | Oct 7, 2026

Three women looking at a MacBook together, with a Sowfund fundraiser card showing "Bringing Hope to Rural Kenya: A Year of Ministry" at $8,208.58 of a $38,000 goal.

How to Launch a Missions Giving Campaign in Your Church

A missions giving campaign that actually works needs more than an announcement from the pulpit. Here's a practical, step-by-step plan for planning, launching, and following through on one your congregation will actually respond to.

6 min read | Sep 5, 2026

A woman with glasses looking at her yellow phone, with three Sowfund donation notifications showing received amounts of $75.00, $150.00, and $20.00.

Best Ways to Send Money to a Missionary Abroad

Wiring money, using PayPal, or going through Western Union. Here's how the most common ways to send money to a missionary abroad actually compare on fees, speed, and tax-deductibility.

6 min read | Aug 5, 2026

Platform

Sowfund Now Stands on Its Own: One Clear Name for Your Missionary Fundraising Platform

Sowfund now operates fully as its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit with its own EIN. Here's what changed for checks, mailing address, and donor-advised fund grants, and what missionaries can share with their supporters.

4 min read | Oct 3, 2026

Sowfund and Google Pay logos overlaid on a photo of four young men smiling and hanging out together outdoors.

Support a Missionary With Google Pay: Quick, Secure Giving on Sowfund

Sowfund lets donors give to missionaries with Google Pay for fast, secure, tax-deductible mobile giving. No card number required, just a tap.

2 min read | Sep 16, 2026

Sowfund and Apple Pay logos overlaid on a photo of three friends huddled together smiling against a blue sky.

Give to Missionaries With Apple Pay: Fast, Secure Mobile Giving on Sowfund

Sowfund lets donors give to missionaries with Apple Pay for fast, secure, tax-deductible mobile giving. No card number required, just a tap.

2 min read | Aug 31, 2026