Holding the Rope: The Essential Role of Donors in Global Missions
Convinced that no one should live and die without hearing the gospel, SIM USA partners with Christians sent by churches to make disciples where Christ is least known. Our vision is to plant Christ-centered churches among all peoples and to bear a faithful witness to His love in places where He is least known.”
By faith, we see the redeemed from all tribes, nations, and tongues worshiping Jesus in eternity.
But we can’t do this alone. Fulfilling the Great Commission takes more than just those who go—it also depends on faithful donors whose support makes this work possible. Without their partnership and generosity, none of this could happen.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
In 1793, renowned missionary William Carey preached throughout England before departing for his mission work in India. Carey, along with his friend Andrew Fuller, firmly believed that every Christian is commanded to participate in global missions, though in different ways. While some are led to serve overseas, others are led to support those efforts from home through prayer and financial donations.
Before leaving for India, Carey famously told Fuller, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.”
Fuller replied, “I will most certainly hold the rope.”
As Carey shared the gospel in India, Fuller “held the rope” by traveling across the British Isles, rallying financial and prayer support to sustain Carey’s mission.
This model of support remains vital in global missions today. Ministry simply wouldn’t be possible without the faithful generosity of donors. Each year, SIM USA depends on dedicated supporters as we partner with missionaries and strengthen the church worldwide.
How Can I Donate to SIM USA?
Every gift given to SIM USA plays a crucial role in making disciples where Christ is least known. Whether you’re passionate about strengthening our global mission as a whole, walking alongside individual missionaries, or investing in specific projects, your generosity helps share the hope of the gospel with those who have little or no access to it.
When you give to SIM USA’s Send More Workers Fund (the General Fund), your donation helps our U.S. office recruit, equip, and care for workers serving around the world. This fund covers essential missionary recruitment, training and support, plus the behind-the-scenes services and administration that keep global ministry running smoothly.
If you choose to give to a specific missionary, your gift directly supports the people God has placed on your heart. You help meet their unique needs, whether that’s funding outreach programs, Bible study materials, community development, or covering daily living expenses. This kind of giving creates a personal partnership that encourages and sustains missionaries.
Giving to a specific project, meanwhile, lets you invest in a particular ministry or initiative you’re passionate about. Whether you’re helping provide clean water, supporting medical clinics, translating the Bible, training leaders, or developing communities, your gift goes straight to making that work possible. Project giving meets real needs and opens doors for the gospel. A small percentage of each gift helps cover necessary service costs.
No matter how God leads you to give—whether to the Send More Workers Fund, a missionary, or a specific project—there are simple and secure ways to make your donation. SIM USA offers several giving options to fit what works best for you.
You can make a one-time or recurring gift online through our secure donation page or mail a check to SIM USA with your gift designation included. Many supporters choose to set up an automatic monthly donation through electronic funds transfer (EFT), making consistent giving easy and convenient. You can also give non-cash gifts, such as stocks and bonds, which may offer tax benefits while fueling gospel work around the world. For those who want to leave a legacy, planned giving options help ensure that Christ is made known for generations to come. However you give, every gift plays a vital role in the Great Commission.
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:24-25
The Vital Role of the Send More Workers Fund
To give you a clearer picture of how gifts to the Send More Workers Fund (the General Fund) are making an impact, here are some key highlights from our most recent annual report. These statistics showcase how your support helps recruit, equip, and care for missionaries, sustain vital ministry operations, and advance the gospel around the world.
Last year, SIM USA’s Send More Workers Fund (General Fund) received $4,960,977, enabling us to send nearly 50 new workers into cross-cultural ministry.
These contributions made it possible to host five special events at our Charlotte campus, where we welcomed 133 guests, engaging and inspiring potential missionaries and supporters alike. These events are crucial for mobilizing, training, and supporting new missionaries as they follow God’s leadership.
We walked alongside 56 individuals discerning global missions. The Send More Workers Fund support allowed us to provide these new workers with training, cross-cultural preparation, and connections to teams overseas.
Additionally, these gifts ensured personalized care for each global worker, prioritizing their emotional well-being, preventing burnout, and supporting long-term service.
Our annual goal for the Send More Workers Fund is $4.5 million. This funding allows us to recruit new workers, provide thorough preparation before they enter their country of ministry, and offer ongoing support to sustain them throughout their service.
Every donation, no matter the size, plays a vital role in advancing the gospel where Christ is least known. Your generosity and partnership make it possible to recruit, equip, and support missionaries around the world.
“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7
Is SIM USA Fiscally Responsible?
If you’re considering donating to SIM USA, you may be wondering about our fiscal responsibility. We understand that every dollar you give is an investment in Kingdom work—you’re giving to God through us. We take that investment seriously.
At SIM USA, we are committed to the highest standards of financial stewardship and accountability. We undergo annual internal and external audits to ensure our finances are managed with integrity and transparency. We are also a member in good standing with Missio Nexus and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), which holds us to strict guidelines for responsible, transparent financial stewardship.
We invite you to review our annual report for a clear breakdown of how every dollar given is used to advance the gospel. When you give to SIM USA, you can do so with confidence, knowing your generosity is stewarded wisely for the Great Commission.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
Because You Give: Real Lives, Real Impact
At SIM USA, our commitment to wise stewardship is best seen through the lives that are being impacted every day. Behind every statistic and every dollar given are real people whose lives have been touched thanks to the generosity of our donors.
When Hannah began exploring opportunities to serve the Lord overseas, she was thrilled to discover SIM USA’s Connect event, a gathering designed to help people discern where God might be leading them. After attending Connect last year, Hannah left encouraged, equipped, and ready to take the next step by applying to serve with SIM USA.
She valued the chance to get to know SIM USA in depth before making a commitment, asking questions freely, connecting face-to-face with staff and missionaries, and experiencing the heart of the organization beyond an online interaction.
“In my visit, I was able to see that SIM is passionate about the gospel and committed to making disciples of Jesus, grounded in biblical truth. I saw that SIM is prayerfully Spirit-led and seeks to care for its staff well,” Hannah said. “I’m really thankful that SIM offers these Connect events.”
Connect events are made possible through faithful gifts to our Send More Workers Fund, enabling us to host gatherings on our campus that inspire and equip more people to step into cross-cultural ministry.
Meanwhile, Zoe, a missionary with SIM USA in West Africa, saw God’s provision through a timely donation to her ministry account. Thanks to the unexpected gift, Zoe was able to provide Bibles for all 120 children at a youth center.
When Zoe realized there were enough funds to purchase Bibles for every child, she gathered them together for the exciting announcement.
“God loves you all so much that He put it on someone’s heart all the way across the world to send money for you to get your very own Bibles!” she told them.
All 120 children stood up and began joyfully clapping. They clapped for so long that eventually Zoe had to stop them! Each child went home with a Bible of their own for the very first time.
Because of generous donors like you, we can host Connect events that mobilize new workers like Hannah and support missionaries like Zoe as they bring God’s Word to those who have never heard it before.
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11
Every Gift Carries Eternal Value
Your support goes far beyond dollars and cents. Every gift you give to SIM USA carries eternal value. Because of your generosity, people in some of the hardest-to-reach places on earth are hearing the name of Jesus for the very first time. New missionaries are being sent, churches are being planted, communities are being transformed, and lives are being changed in ways that will echo into eternity.
You can give confidently, knowing that every dollar is prayerfully and wisely stewarded. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of financial accountability and transparency, so that together we can honor God’s provision and maximize the impact of every gift. When you give, you are not just funding programs—you are investing in people, relationships, and gospel seeds that will bear fruit for generations to come. Your partnership means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with missionaries and local believers around the world.
Thank you for trusting us, praying with us, and giving sacrificially. We invite you to pray boldly, give generously, and stay connected to the work God is doing through SIM USA. Together, we are sending and supporting faithful workers who are making Jesus known throughout the earth.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
Partner with SIM USA: Fuel Global Mission Work
If you’ve already partnered with SIM USA, thank you! Your faithful support makes an eternal difference. If you’re considering giving for the first time, we invite you to take the next step and see how God can use your generosity to change lives in powerful ways.
There are many ways to stay connected and see your impact firsthand. Sign up for our newsletters and prayer guides to hear stories from missionaries and learn how to pray for them and the people they serve. These resources are a great way to see how your gifts help equip, send, and sustain workers sharing Christ’s love in hard places.
Together, through prayer and giving, we can bring the hope of the gospel to communities around the world until all have heard.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Maggie Watts
Content Creator
I am a Content Creator with SIM USA. It is a joy to use writing and multimedia to glorify God and tell stories about how He is working around the world.