Building For the Future

At 1MISSION, we know that every dollar entrusted to us represents the sacrifice and generosity of our donors. We take that seriously – and we always will.

For more than a decade, 100% of public donations to 1MISSION have been automatically designated to fund field projects. We were able to do this by using build trip fees – and designated gifts from businesses, churches, and individuals – to fund our administration and fundraising costs.

Thanks to your generosity, more than 950 families in Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua have gained access to safe, secure housing. They have earned these houses by serving a combined 200,000 hours in their communities.

Because poverty is multi-layered and complex, our work constantly requires us to learn, grow, and get better at what we do. However, there is probably nothing that can prepare you for a global pandemic, and last year was a reminder that vulnerable families tend to be hit the hardest. In Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, a city dependent on tourism, the border closure had an immediate and devastating effect on family incomes.

For 1MISSION we’ve always known that the possibility of an unexpected disruption to build trips (and trip fees) was an area of vulnerability for us. Although we had prepared for a short-term loss of revenue as a result of something like a temporary border closure, we hadn’t anticipated that loss of revenue continuing for the better part of a year. It’s difficult to express the appreciation we feel for the generosity that our donors displayed this past year in ensuring that we were able to continue to meet the needs of the people we serve.

As we look to the future and a return to normal, we’ve taken a fresh look at the sustainability of the organization and our ability to continue to fulfill our mission. After much consideration we have made the decision, effective July 1, to remove our own self-imposed restriction of automatically designating 100% of donations to field projects. This move will allow us to keep fulfilling our mission should a similar emergency occur in the future.

What does this mean to you as a donor? The short answer: it shouldn’t impact you very much at all. For one thing, we anticipate build trips returning to normal capacity this fall. Looking ahead, we will continue to establish our annual budget based on field project goals, and trip fees will again cover the cost of our administration and fundraising.

Also, as a giver, you will continue to have the ability to designate a gift to a particular project of your choosing. Designated gifts will continue to be used to fund specific designated projects.

Thank you for your trust and support. As president of 1MISSION, my pledge to you is that we will always strive to lead with transparency and accountability. To that end, if you have any questions or concerns about any of this, don’t hesitate to shoot me a note at greg@1mission.org

Greg Yochim
President