EquipNet vs Modern Day Missions: Which Missionary Fundraising Platform Is Better?

EquipNet and Modern Day Missions are two of the more established names missionaries run into while researching how to raise support outside a traditional sending agency. Both are registered 501(c)(3) organizations, both have been operating for roughly two decades combined, and both act as a fiscal sponsor so donors get a tax deduction.

But the two are built differently, and the differences show up in what you actually take home, how often you get paid, and how much you need to already have in place before you can join. Here's a detailed, side-by-side look at both, plus a note on why it's worth comparing each of them against Sowfund before you commit.

Quick Comparison

What Is EquipNet?

EquipNet is a 501(c)(3) religious public charity founded in the early 2000s by Bob Norsworthy, a career missionary and missiologist. By its own published numbers, it serves roughly 2,500 missionaries and more than 50 partner ministry organizations, with about 33,000 donors giving close to $14.1 million a year. EquipNet describes itself as a Missionary and Donor Services organization: it handles the back-office donation processing, receipting, and tax handling that a traditional sending agency would normally provide, and it accepts gifts of appreciated stock through a direct brokerage transfer.

What Is Modern Day Missions?

Modern Day Missions is an interdenominational 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2008 by Elias Reyes to provide fundraising support services to Christian missionaries. By its own published numbers, it has worked with roughly 1,700 missionaries in 100 nations since founding, and describes itself as the largest independent missionary organization in North America. Modern Day Missions is accredited by the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability), and each missionary gets an online giving platform with a customizable profile page, a unique giving link, and access to fundraising coaching.

Head-to-Head: Where It Really Matters

Tax-Deductibility & Legitimacy

Both organizations are registered 501(c)(3)s, and donations through either are tax-deductible for US donors. Modern Day Missions carries an additional credential: accreditation from the ECFA, a third-party body that vets member organizations on financial accountability and governance. EquipNet's public materials don't mention holding an equivalent accreditation.

Winner: Modern Day Missions. Its ECFA accreditation adds a layer of third-party financial accountability that EquipNet doesn't publish.

Fees

On published rates, EquipNet is cheaper on both of the payment methods most donors use.

• Card donations: EquipNet charges a 5% admin fee plus 3% card processing (3.5% for Amex). On a $100 card gift, that nets a missionary $92.00. Modern Day Missions charges a 6% admin fee plus 2.7% card processing (3.7% for Amex). On the same $100 card gift, that nets $91.30.
• ACH / eCheck donations: EquipNet charges no separate fee for ACH gifts, just its flat 5% admin fee, netting $95.00 on a $100 gift. Modern Day Missions charges 1.2% for eChecks on top of its 6% admin fee, netting $92.80 on the same gift.
• Application fee: Modern Day Missions charges a one-time $60 application fee. EquipNet's public materials don't mention an equivalent fee.
• Donor fee coverage: Modern Day Missions publishes its own coverage data: about 25% of donors choose to cover the admin fee, which, combined with what Modern Day calls its "large gift policy," brought the average missionary's effective admin fee down to about 4.28% in 2025. EquipNet doesn't publish an equivalent coverage rate, and its FAQ notes that donors who want to cover the separate card-processing portion have to calculate and add that amount manually.

Winner: EquipNet, on sticker price. It's cheaper on both card and ACH gifts and doesn't charge an application fee, though Modern Day Missions' donor-coverage habits may narrow that gap in practice for some missionaries.

Ways to Give

Both platforms cover the same core ground: credit and debit cards, ACH or eCheck bank transfers, mailed-in checks, and gifts of appreciated stock, both organizations settle stock gifts through a Charles Schwab brokerage account.

Winner: Tie. Donors have essentially the same menu of ways to give on either platform.

Payout Structure & Access to Funds

EquipNet deposits funds automatically twice a month, batching donations from the 1st through the 15th for payout on the 20th, and the 16th through month-end for payout on the 5th of the next month. Its public materials don't describe a cap on how much a missionary can receive in a given period.

Modern Day Missions pays out monthly, processed by the second business day with funds typically arriving by the fifth business day, plus an optional mid-month payment for missionaries with a gross balance of $1,000 or more in a US bank account. The notable catch: a monthly disbursement cap of $4,000 for single missionaries and $5,000 for married couples. Anything raised above that cap is held and released the following month unless the missionary has a budget increase pre-approved.

Winner: EquipNet. More frequent payouts and no published cap on how much a missionary can receive in a given month.

Who Can Join

EquipNet requires an existing accountability relationship (through a mission agency, local church, advisory group, or team), two references from spiritual leaders, and affirmation of a detailed evangelical Protestant statement of faith. Independent applicants without an existing EquipNet ministry partner go through a phone interview before enrollment can proceed.

Modern Day Missions describes its process as three steps: pray, apply, and begin, with most online applications reviewed and approved within about two weeks. Its own materials don't describe a requirement for an existing accountability relationship or reference letters, and one missionary quoted on its site specifically highlights not having "to go through a denominational certification or ordination process" to join. Modern Day Missions does have its own statement of faith that applicants engage with as part of onboarding.

Winner: Modern Day Missions. A faster, simpler path to approval that doesn't appear to require an existing sending relationship already in place.

Which Platform Is Right for You?

• Missionary who wants the lowest published fees and the most frequent payouts: EquipNet.
• Missionary who wants third-party financial accreditation and a faster application without an existing sending relationship: Modern Day Missions.
• Missionary who expects large or irregular one-time gifts: EquipNet, since Modern Day Missions holds anything raised above its $4,000 to $5,000 monthly cap until the following month.
• Missionary who wants to give or receive appreciated stock: Either platform supports this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Modern Day Missions accredited? Yes. Modern Day Missions is an accredited member of the ECFA, a third-party body that evaluates member organizations on financial accountability and governance.

Which platform has lower fees, EquipNet or Modern Day Missions? On published rates, EquipNet is cheaper on both card and ACH gifts, and doesn't charge an application fee. Modern Day Missions' effective average fee can run lower in practice thanks to donor fee coverage and its large gift policy. All figures sourced from each organization's own published fee pages.

Does EquipNet or Modern Day Missions cap how much I can withdraw? Modern Day Missions caps monthly disbursements at $4,000 for single missionaries and $5,000 for married couples. EquipNet's public materials don't state an equivalent cap.

Do I need an existing sending agency to join either platform? EquipNet requires an existing accountability relationship and references. Modern Day Missions' published application process doesn't describe that same requirement.

The Bottom Line on EquipNet vs Modern Day Missions

The two split the difference. EquipNet is cheaper on paper and pays out more often with no published cap, which matters most to a missionary managing larger or less predictable gifts. Modern Day Missions carries ECFA accreditation and a simpler path to approval, which matters most to a missionary who doesn't already have a sending relationship in place. Neither is a bad choice, but neither is built to be the obvious best option either.

A Third Option Worth Comparing: Sowfund

Before committing to either platform, it's worth putting Sowfund side by side with both. We've already done the detailed comparisons:

• Versus EquipNet: Sowfund is cheaper on card donations (2.2% + $0.30 versus EquipNet's flat 3%), gives every missionary a fully customizable profile with a QR code and short link instead of a directory listing, and doesn't require an existing sending organization to apply. See EquipNet vs Sowfund: Which Is Better for Missionary Fundraising? for the full breakdown.
• Versus Modern Day Missions: Sowfund has no application fee, no monthly disbursement cap, and about 85% of Sowfund donors choose to cover the full fee at checkout, compared to roughly 25% on Modern Day Missions. See Sowfund vs Modern Day Missions: Which Is Right for Missionaries? for the full breakdown.

Whichever of EquipNet or Modern Day Missions you were leaning toward, it's worth running the same comparison against Sowfund before you commit. Between lower card fees, on-demand withdrawals with no monthly cap, a fully customizable profile, and no requirement to already have a sending organization in place, Sowfund is built to be the more practical choice for most missionaries raising personal support today.