Charitable Giving

Everyone should read this section. There are some excellent ways to increase the effectiveness of your giving and support the causes that you value.

Most of what you find at this web site deals with two essential activities in the management of money. First, it presents effective ways to spend money in support of your goals. The units on insurance and home ownership are examples of this (among others). Second, there are units on ways to invest money in support of your goals. The units on stocks and bonds are examples of this. There is, however, a third option when it comes to managing your money. In addition to spending and saving (investing), there is also giving. Good money management also involves giving some of what you earn to the charitable causes that you support; causes that enrich the lives of those around you and around the world.

Most of what you earn you will spend to meet the needs of the present. You should also save some for the future (retirement, education of your children, etc.) but beyond that you should also be giving to a variety of charitable causes. Most money management guides break it down as follows: Give 10%, Save 10%, and Live on 80%. The percentages may vary a little but generally speaking if you stick with this guideline you should do well over time. The concept of giving 10% is not limited to personal financial management. In medical practices doctors will often treat 10 % of their patients free of charge as way of contributing to society.

However, most people aren’t able to read guidelines like that and immediately implement them. If the percent that you are giving is significantly lower than the 10% mentioned above, merely reading this will not mean that you can immediately start contributing at that level. However, if you pay attention to the chapters on reducing debt and buying the right kinds of insurance, if you buy a house and establish an emergency fund, then you are in a position where you can begin to give regularly. You should start where you are and add to it over time as your circumstances improve. In the process I believe you will find it to be very satisfying.

The first step is to figure out what percent of your income you are currently giving. For example, if you make $35,000 and donated $700 last year you were giving about 2% of your income to charitable causes. When you get a raise, consider raising your percentage to 3%. Every time you get a raise, increase the percent that you give (and also the percent that you save) until you get to the guidelines mentioned above. There is no doubt that the saving portion will have a positive impact on your financial position but the good you are able to do through your giving will be equally rewarding.

The reasons that people cite to contribute or not contribute are as varied as are the people who give them. There are always alternate uses for the money that you contribute and this will not change throughout your life. At every stage there will be reasons why “this is not a good time”. The principle here is to start where you are and increase your giving over time in recognition of the ways that your life has been blessed.

We live in an incredibly beautiful world and enjoy what it has to offer. Over the last five hundred years or so we have learned ways to increase its productivity and we all benefit from that. The advances have been swift and there is nothing to suggest that they are going to slow down any time soon. These advances need to be extended to people around the world but even that is happening at an ever increasing rate. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we believe that this world is a gift from a loving God for us to use wisely. The advances that have enriched our lives are merely the application of the discovery of the science that God created. Our challenge is to use the discoveries of science and the very elements of the planet in a way that affirms humanity and all of creation. Part of this is wise spending. Another part of this is saving and investing. The final part of this is responding to what God has done for us and giving in support of those causes which seek to enrich lives.

As a church, we do this in a number of ways and in a number of settings. The primary setting is in the local congregation where we meet and worship. Some of what we give needs to be contributed so that the essential ministries of the congregation can continue to impact the lives that are part of that community. The congregation is the setting where we live out our discipleship and some of what you give needs to be in support of that community.

In addition, we are called to take the Good News of what God has done in Christ and share it with those around the world. It is what I call the “go ye therefore into all the world” part of the gospel. Not everything we give should go to benefit only those we know and worship with every Sunday. Some of it needs to be contributed so that the church can enrich the lives of people in distant places. As a church we are sent there and have the opportunity to empower ministry there through our contributions.

The fourth principle of A Disciple’s Generous Response states that a disciple shares generously through tithing so that others may experience God’s generosity. Tithes in the Community of Christ consist of Mission Tithes and Community Tithes. Mission Tithes should be the larger portion of your tithing response. Strive to share your mission tithes equally between your local congregation (Congregational Ministries) and in support of ministry in other places (World Ministries). Community Tithes, the remaining portion, provides support to other charitable nonprofits that act in support of your values. Make your contributions a part of your monthly spending plan and keep the right records for the purpose of income tax.

Be proactive. Most non-profit organizations, religious or otherwise are always in need of additional resources. Seek out opportunities to give without being asked. Check with your employer to see if there is the opportunity for matching gifts. Quite often corporations budget a certain amount each year for contributions. Rather than making the decisions themselves, they allow their employees to make the decisions through their own giving and then the corporation gives to the same cause. Charitable organizations really love this because it dramatically increases their income!

Someone once said that our checkbook was a theological statement about what we value. Many of us may use checkbooks less frequently than we once did, but our debit card expenditures, our on-line bill paying, our credit card statements, and our ATM money are also theological statements about what we value and believe. Good money management includes charitable giving that increases over time.

Start where you are and add to it as opportunity arises.

WEB SITES:

http://www.cofchrist.org/generosity/
http://www.give.org/tips/giving.asp