Category Content: External

Can my charity use MTN if we have no web site?

  • Yes, Meet The Need is a software provider. All of our volunteer management, shared case management, drive scheduling and other systems can be used to manage all of your charitable activities regardless of whether your organization has a web site to show your needs.
  • Also, a charity can post needs and provide a link to its church and business partners for them to show the charity’s needs on their web sites
  • Some churches have a liaison who works with a particular charity to post needs on behalf of that charity to show those needs to their members or to others outside the church (if they post the needs publicly).
  • Churches and charities can also attach links to their Facebook pages (if they have one) showing their current volunteer, resource and family needs.

Is Meet The Need available to all churches, companies and charitable organizations?

Yes. However, our Statement of Intent for companies and charitable organizations makes clear that Meet The Need works extensively with Christian churches and charities. MTN asks those organizations to indicate their willingness to work within a network that includes many Christian churches and ministries. Because Meet The Need is membership-based and exists in large part to share needs across organizations, we also try to ensure that the majority of our members are comfortable working with each other. In other words, including an organization in the network that very few organizations would choose to connect with does not contribute to the network.

How does MTN screen organizations to determine who should be included in the network?

MTN works with partners in each city, such as city reaching groups and large churches, to see what organizations they would like to invite to join the MTN network.  MTN does not have offices in each city, so we rely on partners to vouch for local organizations. Since MTN is a membership organization, if our partners don’t work with (or want to work with) a certain charity, there is no pointin including it in the MTN network because other local organizations would not show their needs on their web sites and would likely choose to “hide” their needs.

Why is MTN “behind the scenes”/private labeled?

You want to show your constituents and your community how important caring for others is to your organization.  So you want to provide a means for people to find out how they can serve those in need and do so directly, not through another (outside) organization.  You are the face of help and hope to your community. It does not matter if people in your city think MTN cares about them – it matters that they think you care about them. Therefore, all of our systems look like your web site and all emails (although sent out by/through MTN) are addressed in your name, not ours.

For a church, there are a number of reasons we make MTN look like your web site:

  • If you label the system Meet The Need or use Meet The Need’s logo on your site, it will appear that you have abdicated local missions to an outside organization. Because Jesus modeled the power of “caring” for sharing (the gospel), churches should follow that model and not leave the impression with anyone that it has outsourced local missions.
  • Members will be reluctant to go “out” of your web site to a separate organization. They will be far more comfortable finding opportunities through their own church’s web site. In other words, fewer needs will be met if you use MTN’s logo and name.
  • In addition, churches have the pastors, the buildings, the programs and the people to help lead people to Christ – MTN does not.  So we want to empower the Church and let them see your heart for serving others – not ours. Therefore, MTN should stay behind the scenes and let your members, visitors and the community see your brand and not “MTN’s”.  We recommend you call the MTN section of your web site something that fits your church (e.g. “Calvary Cares”, “Building Bridges”, “Serve”).

 

MTN houses individual contact information. Will MTN use that to solicit contributions from them to MTN?

No. That information is only used to administer the MTN program.  Our philosophy is that those involved with your organization should never hear the name “Meet The Need”. Our mission is to empower you, so we stay “behind the scenes”.  You are the face of compassion and Christ to your community, so it would go against our philosophy and approach to solicit contributions (or reach out directly for any purpose) from individuals associated with your organization.

What information is collected about our church’s members, company employees or charity volunteers and who can see that data?

We collect minimal information about individuals when they sign up to meet a need (name, city, state, zip, phone number, and email address).  That data can only be seen by Key Contacts of your organization and Key Contacts of organizations where that individual has signed up to meet a need (so that organization can connect with that person about meeting that need). For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

How is the privacy of families in need maintained through our Shared Case Management system?

Privacy is key to the operation of MTN.  See our Privacy Policy. There are three levels of access to family information:

  1. Administrators of Organization who Loaded the Family in MTN – Can see all personal information they entered into the system about the family
  2. Administrators of Organization who did not Load the Family in MTN – Will see limited information to verify whether the individual or family is likely the same one who is asking them for help (based on the search criteria they entered into the search form)
  3. Individuals who Want to Meet The Need of a Family – Will only see an anonymous description of the family in need so they can decide whether they would like to help the family

Why aren’t there any needs for money posted through MTN?

  • MTN is about getting people out into the community to serve in Jesus’ name, giving of their time, talents and belongings, not writing a check from home
  • Giving money is more subject to abuse by recipients
  • Because MTN looks identical to a church’s web site, many churches do not want local charity and family needs for money within their web sites
  • It is difficult for anyone to determine who is truly in greater need of money

Can we upload our current database of members (for a church) or volunteers (for a charity)?

In some cases, yes, but keep in mind that if we upload the database then you will want to have them all sign a “Terms of Use” agreement (which happens automatically the first time someone logs in to MTN).  The “Terms of Use” was written in a collaborative effort by a legal assistance organization, Meet The Need’s attorneys, and a mega church.  It protects your church, company, charity and Meet The Need in case anything goes wrong when an individual or group provides items or services to an organization or a family.