What service fees do you have?
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BGI receives 10% of each donation it processes as an administrative fee to help cover the expenses of running this missions service organization. The 10% received genrally does not cover all of the administrative expenses for each ministry. BGI raises additional funds to make sure the annual budget is met.
This administrative fee helps to pay for office space, the copier, postage, maintenance of the file servers, computers and printers, staffing, printed materials like envelopes, and much more. Very few charitable and non-profit organizations are able to maintain themselves on less than 15-20% of their income.
We believe we are doing well at keeping our systems streamlined so that we can keep our costs low.
Additional service fees may arise based upon your ministry's needs.
Initial Application and Account Setup Fee: $125
Newsletter Production Costs: Varies depending on the newsletter.
Ministry Trade Name Setup Costs: $250 ($175 Attorney/Filing Fees, $75 to open bank acct.)
Database Setup: Varies based upon the number of names to input.
Credit Card, Bank Draft and Online Donation Fees: 5% (in addition to the 10% to cover bank charges and merchant fees)
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How and when are funds received by BGI on a ministry’s behalf disbursed to that ministry?
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Funds are disbursed according to the needs of each individual ministry. These details will be worked out during new ministry orientation with the BGI Administrative Director. Some ministries set up wire transfers to take place at a regularly scheduled time each month. Other ministries have funds that are received transferred into their personal bank accounts. (Once funds are transferred into your personal bank account, they are considered income to you.) Another option is to submit a check request for large expenses like plane tickets. Funds from your BGI account can be used to pay bills for you while you are on the field. When we receive your bills, we pay them first with money available from your BGI account. Leftover money can then be transferred to your personal account. Generally, fund transfers are done on or near the 1st and 15th of each month.
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How are bank accounts handled?
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Moneys received by BGI on your behalf are held in our BGI general account in a fund set apart with your name. Moneys are disbursed according to the arrangements made with you at new ministry orientation. If you have a ministry trade name or are already incorporated, funds donated would be deposited into a separate account with your ministry name.
Currently, BGI does all of its banking with Arvest Bank. Most service charges and fees have been waived. We ask all of our ministries to open a personal account with them upon becoming an approved BGI ministry. This provides us with an easy and efficient means of getting funds to you for your access and use. This also applies to those for whom we set up trade name accounts.
If we set up a trade name account for your ministry, you will not be a signer on that account. This is to protect your ministry account from the possibility of overdraft. If you take funds from your ministry account and we don’t know about it, we could overdraft your account and incur penalties when paying bills for you. Additionally, because your trade name ministry is set up under BGI’s 501(c) 3, we are liable for that account’s activity and for submitting accurate records to the IRS at the end of the year. This policy is a safeguard for both you and BGI. You have access to money that we transfer to your personal account.
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How do I get reimbursed for ministry expenses?
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For expense reimbursements, you must save your receipts and turn them in to the BGI office within 90 days of the time the expenses were incurred. If funds are available in your account, you may be reimbursed for ministry-related expenses. Please allow 7-10 days for processing a reimbursement request. Many of our ministries simply itemize their expense on a Schedule C when doing their taxes at the end of the year.
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How often are checks deposited and partners receipted?
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At least once per week.
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When are bills paid and checks cut?
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Checks are generally cut on Wednesdays, which means bills are paid on Thursdays. If a bill is due too soon to wait for the next Thursday, it will be paid.
If you are submitting a check request for a major expense like plane tickets, we ask that you have this turned in by Monday. Please plan ahead. With over 75 ministries to service, cutting checks at the last minute can mean the services being provided for other ministries have to be put on hold in order to deal with your request.
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Who can help me with my taxes?
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These are some CPAs with whom our ministries currently work. They are all located in Tulsa.
Terry Mosely, CPA (918) 491-6063
Dick Locke, CPA (918) 488-0880
Sandy Sigfried, CPA with Stanfield & O’Dell (918) 628-0500
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Can I have you send email newsletters for me to an email mailing list I provide?
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Yes. We can send your newsletter to an email mailing list that you provide. You may choose to send the same letter you mail and have it sent as an attachment, or you may have a brief report. The cost to maintain the email mailing list and distribute each email newsletter is $15 for 1-100 recipients, $30 for 101-200 recipients, and so on.
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Can I take a pastor's housing allowance?
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You may qualify to designate a portion of your income as a pastor’s housing allowance if you are licensed or ordained with a church organization. We will look at this on a per person basis.
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Do you license ministers?
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No. We recommend those wanting to receive a ministry license to do so through a church or denominational organization.
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Does BGI help its ministries to raise funds?
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We only help by sending out your newsletters. You are solely responsible for raising the moneys needed for your ministry. Since the administrative fees received by BGI ministries rarely covers the cost of the services we provide, BGI raises funds to supplement those administrative fees.
And, to avoid conflict of interest and favoritism issues, fund raising remains the responsibility of each ministry.
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Does BGI help set up itinerating schedules?
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No, we do not.
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Does BGI handle funds for those going on short-term mission trips?
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Yes. There is a short version of the application form for those making a short-term trip. The application fee is still $125 (non-refundable). We can help produce support-raising letters, but they will be responsible for paying up front the costs for creating and mailing those letters. A 10% administrative fee will be incurred from each donation.
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