CDM Travel Guidelines and Expense Reimbursement Information
CDM Committee / Team Members / Regional Advisors / Trainers / Speakers
Thank you for serving the Lord through your ministry with CDM. We seek to be good stewards of the Lord’s resources, and we appreciate your part in helping to control our costs and consider efficiencies and economies when making your travel plans. Since our committee/team is large, travel expenses add up quickly.
Airfare:
- Please make airline reservations well in advance for the best fare and be conscious of costs when making your travel arrangements. The following are not reimbursable: airline points, baggage fees, seat upgrades, early check-in fees or insurance fees. [Exception: for some airlines, baggage fees are acceptable when the cost of checking a bag is less than upgrading to a higher fare that includes a “free” carry-on bag.]
- If you are flying from a location other than your home, submit expenses only for a trip that is comparable to what it would have cost to fly from your home.
- If your flight is over $500, please get prior approval before booking the flight.
- Depending on the flight costs, please consider driving if it is within 6 hours of your home.
- If you need help in finding flights, feel free to contact our Event Coordinator or go to flights.google.com to see options. Some have found using different airlines and/or booking one-way tickets is less expensive.
Car Options:
- At times, it is more economical to rent a car than to request reimbursement for mileage.
- Be aware of the fuel return policy (whether you need to return the car empty or full). Be sure to fill the car up before dropping it off or you will be responsible for additional charges; CDM cannot be responsible for any surcharges incurred.
- Please do not pay extra for LDW insurance; this adds considerable expense to the rental cost.
- Some choose to submit gas receipts rather than request a per mile reimbursement, which is very helpful to CDM. Others prefer to include the miles as a taxable deduction on their personal taxes rather than receive a reimbursement from CDM.
Hotels and Additional Meals:
- Our Event Coordinator will make hotel reservations, and you will be contacted about the date of your arrival and departure.
- CDM will cover your conference registration, travel, and your hotel room (in most cases we will ask you to share a room or pay the difference in price for a single room).
- We typically have a team meal together and most meals are provided at conferences. However, we ask that other meals be at your own expense if possible. (We do not offer a per diem rate.)
Churches: Sometimes churches are willing to help sponsor committee members’ travel and expenses. If your church is willing to do this, please let us know so that we can attribute a contribution and send an acknowledgement to your church.
Expense Reimbursements: All Expense Reimbursement forms must be submitted to the CDM office no later than 21 days following the event.
We realize that being a part of the team is costly in many ways, more than just financially. Thank you for helping CDM as we try to steward the resources with which we are entrusted. We really appreciate that you are serving the Lord alongside CDM.
