Written by Spencer MacCuish
for
www.aewealth.com
This presentation is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation for advisory services.
We recognize that people have the incredible opportunity to put God’s generosity on display through their generosity. Once this position is realized, however, there is often a question of how to give and where to give. We aim to help people be good stewards of the gifts they are giving, and to assist in this, we have created this resource to help people evaluate giving opportunities rather than telling people where to give.
Have you prayed through this? Have you asked the Holy Spirit where you should give? If you have clarity, do you have the courage to have risk-taking faith?
Where is your heart in financially supporting an organization - Kingdom growth or?
Does committing to financial support mean out of your excess, sacrificial, or both?
Are you passionate about what the organization is doing?
Are you, as a donor/investor, aligned with the mission?
If passionate, will this be a one-time gift or planning long-term?
If long-term, what would be your exit strategy when it is no longer a passion?
How have you tested your passion with due diligence, prayer, and discussion with others?
Is the organization accomplishing its mission?
In other words, are they doing what they say they are doing?
How can they demonstrate effectiveness? How are they measuring their impact?
Where is this organization having an impact? Is it clearly defined?
Who is benefiting from the work of this organization?
Who is leading the organization? Is it an individual who reports to a board (if so, what accountability structures are in place)? Is it a board that appoints an executive to accomplish the mission (if so, how do they clearly articulate expectations)?
How long has leadership been in place? What is the succession plan for board members or executives?
Do you understand the leadership structure, especially a 501-c3, and how it operates (volunteer staff)?
Are you funding something that will require ongoing support?
Or is this a one-time capital expense?
What is the plan to secure long-term funding if it requires long-term support? (Is the mission something that will never be solved and requires ongoing support: orphans, widows, issues of justice that will never be solved this side of eternity)?
We want to avoid funding a cult or some heretical organization, so it is important that you understand the biblical/theological position of the organization you are funding. It does not need to be a Bible-forward mission, but it should not contradict Biblical principles.
Is there clarity for how the gift will be used? Is this simply funding the annual operational budget?
Is it funding a capital project? (Clarifying and understanding how the gift will be deployed is important so that there are no misaligned expectations).
Are they audited or approved by an outside entity? (Candid, Excellence in Giving, Charity Navigator, or ECFA).
Does the organization have financial transparency? Do they have audited financials?
No, this isn’t a mistake, we have this section on here twice to stress just how important this step is!
Have you prayed through this? Have you asked the Holy Spirit where you should give? If you have clarity, do you have the courage to have risk-taking faith?
Have you prayed through this? Have you asked the Holy Spirit where you should give? If you have clarity, do you have the courage to have risk-taking faith?
Are you passionate about what the organization is doing? Are you, as a donor/investor, aligned with the mission?
Is the organization accomplishing its mission? In other words, are they doing what they say they are doing?
Where is this organization having an impact? Is it clearly defined? Who is benefiting from the work of this organization?
Who is leading the organization? Is it an individual who reports to a board (if so, what accountability structures are in place)? Is it a board that appoints an executive to accomplish the mission (if so, how do they clearly articulate expectations)?
Are you funding something that will require ongoing support?
Or is this a one-time capital expense?
We want to avoid funding a cult or some heretical organization, so it is important that you understand the biblical/theological position of the organization you are funding. It does not need to be a Bible-forward mission, but it should not contradict Biblical principles.
Is there clarity for how the gift will be used? Is this simply funding the annual operational budget?
Are they audited or approved by an outside entity? (Candid, Excellence in Giving, Charity Navigator, or ECFA).
Have you prayed through this? Have you asked the Holy Spirit where you should give? If you have clarity, do you have the courage to have risk-taking faith?