“Sometimes we need to be brave with our lives so others can be brave with theirs.”
— Katherine Center

MISSION VENTURE FUND

COME BUILD SOMETHING BRAVE WITH US.

Over the last century, Christianity has surged globally, especially in Africa and Asia. Never in its history has faith grown so rapidly. But for much of the world, the growth in faith has not been accompanied by compassionate action. Africa, for example, where Christian faith has grown the fastest, is home to half the world’s conflicts. People in Africa and Asia experience the worst rates of extreme poverty. Africa, Asia and the Middle East lead the world in historic levels of forced migration.

But a new era is dawning. Thousands of small, local ministries, or mission ventures, are emerging across the world. These ministry startups are led by local entrepreneurs, leaders from within their own or nearby cultures who pursue word and deed, the Great Commission and the Great Commandment together, as modeled by Jesus. They are locally trusted, innovative, culturally fluent, resilient and cost effective, with no less commitment to excellence than their international peers.

Mission ventures reach people where others cannot. They often multiply through others, rather than build cost-intensive structures. Highly leveraged, niche strategies can create outsized impact and influence, especially in hard places. Small is big for mission ventures. Call it the principle of five loaves and two fish. Or the mustard seed.

But mission ventures are stretched operationally and under-capitalized, receiving only a sliver of direct global funding, as little as 2 to 4 percent. Why? Philanthropy lacks courage, favoring international organizations in safer contexts while overlooking local entrepreneurs who struggle to access capital, capacity and coaching. As a result, thousands of mission ventures are overlooked and underfunded. 

COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS.

Imagine thousands of visionary entrepreneurs called to pioneer ministry in some of the world’s most challenging places. Unsung heroes, like Sahar, who fled persecution in her home country of Iran for Turkey, then across the Mediterranean Sea to Athens where she later started a medical clinic and Farsi-speaking church with former refugee families. Or Nicholas, who escaped the Rwandan genocide by fleeing to neighboring Congo, then returned to Rwanda to start a discipleship ministry led by former widows and orphans who grow and produce high quality essential oils.

Now imagine another group of visionaries — philanthropists, mentors, coaches — who come alongside mission entrepreneurs like Sahar or Nicholas to seed, catalyze and scale their ventures. 

How might the world change?

  • MISSION

    Strongly felt aim, ambition or calling.

    The Mission Venture Fund is for pioneers who start ministries in hard places. It is for philanthropists who want to be part of something that promises better change.

  • VENTURE

    Pioneering endeavor involving risk.

    Rather than favoring safe places, the Mission Venture Fund bridges capital with innovation in hard places, on the frontiers of mission, innnovation and human need.

  • FUND

    Resources made available for a specific purpose.

    Accompanying mission entrepreneurs can yield breakthroughs in impact, not just for individual ventures, but also the mission community in a geographical context.

MINISTRY STARTUPS IN HARD PLACES.

The Mission Venture Fund brings together mission philanthropists with mission entrepreneurs in precisely those contexts where transformational ministry is needed most. Strengthening and scaling mission ventures has the potential to release exponential impact in a world that is increasingly contested, uncertain, and conflict prone. 

The Mission Venture Fund is for pioneers who are called to ministry in hard places. It is for philanthropic partners who want to be a part of something new, who want to be involved without having to become an expert, and who are interested in getting to know others who share their passion.

SEVEN REASONS WHY.

The Mission Venture Fund discovers, strengthens and scales ministry startups on the frontiers of mission in hard places. We will be presenting a cohort of mission ventures at our inaugural partners gathering in Oxford, England later this year that will feature ministries from across the world. Click below to explore seven reasons why we are launching the Fund. Also, learn more About the Fund, How it Works, and how you can help us build something brave by joining us in Oxford, England for our inaugural Partners Gathering.

  • Capital typically flows to safer contexts. Yet mission entrepreneurs are pioneering some of the most innovative ministries in frontier places. Seed-funding, strengthening and scaling mission ventures have the potential to release significant impact throughout the world.

  • Mission entrepreneurs are trusted, innovative, resilient and agile. In much of the world, their talent is still underrepresented and often unrealized.

  • Mission ventures are often stretched operationally and under-capitalized, receiving only a sliver of direct global funding, as little as 2 - 4%. The Mission Venture Fund removes barriers to capital and capacity-building.

  • The Mission Venture Team assembles three-member, context relevant coaching teams to accompany each venture in specific areas encompassing missional strategy, pacing and growth, organizational health, resource development and impact.

  • The Mission Venture Fund creates pathways for philanthropic capital in frontier places while leveraging local resources. While capital will be philanthropic, the emerging trend toward social enterprise and blended value creation represents a paradigm shift from pure charity to sustainable impact models that integrate mission and market mechanisms.

  • The Mission Venture Fund mitigates risk through the collective experience of the Fund’s global network and by pursuing key strategies in partnership with mission venture leaders, including coaching, apprenticing, peer-mentoring and partnership.

  • Accompanying mission entrepreneurs can yield breakthroughs in strategy, impact and sustainability, not just for individual ventures, but also the mission community, or ecosystem, where ministries, businesses and organizations share a geographical context.

“A dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon, the great hope.”
— Howard Thurman