Tyndale Bible Translators (TBT) is a faith-based mission, whose missionaries raise their own support/sponsorship. TBT issues legal W-2s, not a 1099, and ensures that you do the mission activities you asked donors to financially support.
A 1099 self-employed status is what many home office mission agencies do to ‘pass along’ funds to you. Along with them, you file self-employment taxes using the 1099 form. This self-employed 1099 status is legally questionable for non-profit missions to function as ‘pass through’ agencies without the accountability the IRS requires for non-profit donations.
Tyndale’s ministry assessment as your sending agency for 2018-2019 is 5% for missionaries. This covers TBT’s overhead costs, like website, bookkeeper, and taxes that TBT does on your behalf. We assess 10% for website-listed projects, to ensure gifts go where we promised donors and to pay for shipping. (Note that many larger missions now assess 12.5-40% overhead on gifts given to missionaries and projects.)
Donations that are designated for specific missionaries or projects will be used as designated. If a specified project or missionary family no longer has a need, TBT will contact the donor. TBT does greatly appreciate gifts to use ‘where most needed’.
(Note, some missions state: “If [our mission] cannot honor your preference, your gift will be used where most needed,” which does not comply with the IRS directive that non-profit agencies are accountable to use gifts according to donor preference.)