By David Souders
It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2012 and I’ve been asked to pen some words for
Christian HELP’s monthly e-newsletter. The topic – Year-End Giving. Why ask me? As
a financial advisor with Ronald Blue & Co., I have the privilege of encouraging my
clients in philanthropy. I spend much of my time on the donor’s side of the table as they
wrestle with making giving decisions. At the same time, I am also a board member of
Christian HELP. Simply put, I love this ministry, and I believe the Lord has placed me
here to provide more than just a financial contribution, but I trust my thoughts on giving
should be helpful, regardless of where you give. Let’s focus on three critical giving
questions: Why? Where? How?
Why? – Why should we give? I am not going to preach at you…at least not in this article.
Instead, I will presume you are reading this because you’ve already experienced the joy
that comes with being generous. You probably already know that giving is a practical
way of acknowledging God’s provision, is a tangible way of meeting the needs of others,
and helps us find freedom in our finances when we are able to hold our treasures with an
open hand.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we
give.” Reading into this a bit, I would add that we can change someone’s life by what we
give. Time for a brief ministry plug: This people impact is why my wife and I have made
Christian HELP a part of our giving and where we volunteer our time. We have seen the
faces and know the names of real people who have experienced real help through the
ministry of Christian HELP. It’s not just a ministry name without meaning. However, this
is just a part of where we give, which leads us to the next question…
Where? – Oftentimes this is the most complicated of the three questions. Your time and
resources are in limited supply; however, it seems there are an unlimited number of
opportunities for where we can give. Where do you start? I would encourage you to be
strategic and prayerful in your giving decisions. Begin by developing criteria for where
you give, rather than reacting to emotional appeals or relying on past giving history.
I was sitting in Starbucks a few months ago and overheard two men lamenting that every
time they sent in a donation to a ministry or their alma mater, they were bombarded with
telephone calls or “thank you” letters that were essentially masked requests for a followup
gift. In their words, this kind of “sucked the joy” out of their giving. Since this is a
common concern of mine and many of my clients, I diplomatically asked if I could join
their discussion and trade insights. We concluded that donors value personal, authentic
relationships with the ministries they support. Hands-on involvement is desired, if
applicable, and fruit/results that are consistent with the vision of the ministry and align
with the donor’s areas of interest are critical to engaging the donor’s heart. They are not
interested in more mailings, inefficient duplication of ministry efforts, or aggressive
pursuit of follow-up gifts. They want to see a ministry which is innovative, growing, and
accountable for results.
What criteria are important to you in evaluating a ministry? Seek God’s counsel and
make a list. Once you have determined where He would have you invest in His kingdom,
you are ready for the next question.
How? – Finally, a practical application question with many great solutions. Space limits
this discussion to gifts of financial resources. (Besides, this is supposed to be an article
about year-end giving, right?) The default response for most givers to the “how”
question is cash, but another source worth your consideration is giving non-cash
appreciated assets.
Let us assume you have some stock you bought for a low price and now is worth much
more than you paid for it. Sell that stock and you would owe capital gains tax on the
increase. In 2012, that tax rate can be as high as 15% with potentially higher rates in
2013. By giving the stock directly to a qualified charity, neither you nor the charity has to
pay taxes on the gain and you can likely claim a tax deduction for the gift while
maintaining your current cash reserves. The charity can sell the stock for fair market
value and use the proceeds for ministry purposes. It is a “win-win” for both you as the
donor and the recipient charity. This is not just a year-end strategy; it can be done
anytime and with many kinds of non-cash assets, including real estate. (Yes, some people
actually have real estate that is worth more than they originally paid!)
If you have someone assisting you with managing your investments or providing tax
advice, ask them to help you identify if you have appreciated assets suitable for this
charitable gifting strategy. Alternatively, you can contact Jackie Normand at Christian
HELP, and she can put you in touch with someone who can answer your questions.
As noted earlier, I am writing this with Thanksgiving on my mind. Before setting pen to
paper, I read from 2 Corinthians 9 when Paul exhorted the church of Corinth in their
generosity with these words, “This service you perform is not only supplying the needs of
the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (NIV)
As you engage in the Lord’s work by giving of your resources and time – whether to your
church, ministries, or Christian HELP in particular – know that lives are being changed.
Please be encouraged that those being served by these ministries give their thanks to God
because of you. On behalf of those who are invested in the ministry of Christian HELP, I
assure you we join in that thanksgiving whole-heartedly.
