Over the last twenty years of ministry in Uganda, I have had a number of faithful friends who have helped the ministry there with their prayers and financial support. From time to time I have been asked why I do not have any online links whereby people can make a contribution to my ministry. The simply answer is I have always found it hard to believe that a total stranger would just make a contribution to this ministry without some kind of understanding of who I am and what I do. Most folks who have given know me personally or know someone who has gone to Uganda with me. Either way they have first hand information of the validity of what I do.

Having said this, I have been happily surprised over the years to have some folks who have simply found my website and had a desire to help in some way or another. But even with this, I still prefer the personal contact of exchanging emails and even telephone conversations and then a check in the mail.

Therefore, if anyone reading this would like to help support the village ministry in Uganda (or any other project I can verify is legitimate) please send me an email and we can build a friendship about ministry in Uganda. I am an officer in the Africa Christian Training Institute and you can see our financial accountability policy below.

You may send snail mail to:

Africa Christian Training Institute
P O Box 15621
Panama City FL 32406-5261

Financial Accountability

The Africa Christian Training Institute (ACTI) ensures Financial Accountability by the following:

• Governing Board: ACTI officers and board members...
  • Are personally involved in third world ministry (mostly in Uganda) and understand the issues in such ministry
  • Serve without remuneration and pay their own expenses to attend the annual ACTI board meeting
  • Approve the ACTI/ACTM working budgets and review the annual financial reports in the USA and from Uganda
• Bookkeeping is done by a Certified Public Account with commensurate integrity and accountability
• Funds received are used as designated by the donor to underwrite ministry in Uganda. Funds are raised for teams and/or ministry projects and not individuals as per IRS rules
• Administrative Costs are generally limited to less than 1% of funds received by ACTI and most of that supports staff in Uganda (ACTM). All functions of ACTI in the United States are handled by volunteers
• ACTI is recognized by the IRS as a 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt Organization and gifts to ACTI are tax deducible. Africa Christian Training Ministries (our Uganda arm - ACTM) is a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered by the government of Uganda

A Note about funds wired to Uganda for ACTI related ministries:
Please note that a gift given in the US will not be that exact amount received in Uganda for the following reasons:

• US banks charge wire fees and Ugandan banks charge exchange fees
• ACTI & ACTM are missionary organizations and must deduct some funds from each wire to cover these costs. We attempt to group wired funds to minimize such fees, but we must recover our cost in providing this service
• If ACTM Uganda personnel must deliver funds, even their transport must be covered (fuel in Uganda has been over $5 per gallon for the last twenty years)

A note about membership in financial accountability organizations:
Our books are kept by a Certified Public Accountant (volunteer) and he has advised us the cost of being part of an organization such as the highly respected ECFA would for us outweigh the benefits for a number of reasons:

1. Virtually 100% of the funds we receive are designated and ACTI is the channel through these funds are transferred to our various teams and ministries
2. In almost every case, the donors know the teams and/or projects they are donating to and communicate with them via email that funds are on the way. Any donor who got word that donated funds did not arrive, would quickly contact us to find out why. This provides a high level of accountability
3. Most of our supporters are repeat donors and know ACTI is trustworthy
4. We are not a big organization that makes mass appeals for general, undesignated funds, but a small group of men (and some ladies) who work together and know each other and what each other's teams are doing and this provides a check and balance
5. Funds raise are for teams and projects mostly from friends, family, and churches that know the teams or projects the funds are being raised for and and typically receive reports by way of emails and blogs during the ministry and even personal reports to groups and churches after the team returns (cf Acts 21:17-20a)
6. Funds wired to Uganda are handled by two of our staff which ensures that no single individual has unaccountable access to funds
7. Our funding chain:
   • Donors send funds to ACTI and typically email recipient that funds are on the way
   • ACTI notifies donor of receipt of funds and wires them to Uganda or to a few other countries where our teams also minister
   • ACTI also notifies the recipient that funds are on the way
   • Two staffers in Uganda handle funds upon arrival and distributes them to recipients
   • Recipient is asked to email ACTI when funds arrive, the amount received and the current exchange rate
8. Finally, the cost of membership in such organizations would have to be deducted from funds received by ACTI which would diminish the effectiveness of the funds given
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