Funding your Uganda short-term ministry trip is one of the most important parts of the entire process for two reasons. Not only are you seeking funds to enable you to go to Uganda for the purpose of ministry, but you are also demonstrating the ability to build a support base that will stand with you in prayer as you go. In fact, the prayer base is more important than the financial. The financial base can only get you there and back. The prayer base empowers the entire trip.

The actual cost of a given mission trip will depend on the following factors:

• Time of year (see best travel times)
• Number on the team (9 or less fit in a single van minimizing transport costs)
• Length of the mission determines room and board costs, the basic costs to travel to and from Uganda is fixed no matter how long the mission lasts
• Number of ministry venues and the distance between them
• Type of venue (confernece, youth, medical, etc.)
• Number of participants at the venue

The illustration below is based on a mission with a budget of $3,500 per team member

Ministry Budget of $3,500 per person (experience gives the following breakdown of

• $1,300 to $1,700 airfare to Uganda and back
• $300 to $600 for accommodations, food, and travel in Uganda
• $1,500 to $2,000 used for ministry in Uganda (see note)

Note: Most of us are accustomed to having guests come and minister in our home churches. In such cases, the host church provides travel expenses, lodging and meals, and typically gives an honorarium. The Ugandan church is very poor (average annual family income is less that $400) and as such, could never cover such costs. Therefore, we cover our own expenses and raise additional funds to provide scholarships, travel funds, food and lodging for Ugandans to participate in the events we conduct.

A number of changing factors make it necessary that we lists a cost range rather than a fixed breakdown. Such factors are the actual costs of airline tickets, number of events we sponsor and the number participating. Our pledge is to use funds to their maximum for God's glory. The salaries of the Ugandan ACTI coordination team is paid from designated funds and a small portion of ministry teams funds. The more a ministry team uses our staff in Uganda, the more it cost. However, our policy is never to access any team member more than $100 for this purpose. Therefore, the maximum we would charge any team members $3,500 is 2.9%. (Most financial oversight groups allow up to 20% administrative fees) Those who oversee ACTI efforts in the United States are all otherwise engaged in full-time employment (pastors, doctors, dentists, accountants, etc.,) and their work with ACTI is on a volunteer basis. They even pay their own expenses to ACTI meetings. ACTI is totally committed to both the work of ministry in Uganda and financial integrity for every dollar God entrusts to us. See also Financial Accountability.

Additionally, you will need to pay for your immunizations and any supplies that you take with you. You should also take some funds for buying gifts etc.

We provide sample letters to help establish prayer and financial support to those raising funds to minister in Uganda.