Costs and Finances

FinACE: Overview

• Volunteer Home
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• Crew Fees
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• Minimum Budget

More than 1,500 crew members from around the globe serve with Mercy Ships annually.

In order to allow every donation given to better provide for the mission of Mercy Ships, crew members are asked to cover their own expenses.

Crew members typically fund their service with Mercy Ships through one of the following means:

• Raising ongoing support through various donors, such as friends, family, churches, service organizations, etc.
• Being self-funded by using money they have saved specifically for their time with Mercy Ships
• Being self-funded by using money from a pension, retirement fund, or other source

Room & Board on the ship is categorized as crew fees, which are paid by the crew member to Mercy Ships on a monthly basis. Use the link above for current Crew Fees, based on the time of service and nation of origin. Short-term crew members may join for two weeks up to two years, while long-term crew members are considered to have made at least a two-year commitment.

Crew members pay for their own transportation expenses to and from the ship and any personal expenses they may incur.

Mercy Ships also requires all crew to have adequate insurance coverage for their time with us. Emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance is included in the fees for short-term crew. Long-term crew are required to obtain their own medical, emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance. See the Insurance section for more information.

In order to help plan your time with us, budget guides are available. Please reference the chart below to determine your appropriate category. By definition, Tier One Nations have a GOP over $10,000, according to U.N. listings. Tier Two nations are those not listed in the chart. Please reference the Minimum Budget link above to help with planning.

For those who are accepted to serve with Mercy Ships, the FinACE Department will work with you to refine your budget and assess your financial need. Please review the Personal Support Raising section as well as the Processing Funds through Mercy Ships section for more details.