Generous and Wise Giving

During the holiday season many Americans give generously to a wide variety of causes. Americans make up 4 percent of the world's population, yet we use of 50 percent of the world's resources. From that perspective, it makes sense that we would want to give away a portion of what we have. My challenge to people this year is to make sure that we are giving to organizations that are truly working toward transformation. Sadly, many nonprofit organizations start out wanting to help people and they end up in the business of raising money to retain jobs for people doing work that is not really working to empower the people being served. I see this all the time in my work with at-risk youth. Most money that is intended to help children living in urban poverty actually never makes its way to the kids. It gets used up by the adults in power who live outside the community before it ever makes its way to the kids. If the resources do make their way to the kids in need, it often gets used on programs that do not lead to a process of transformation in the lives of the kids. That's just an example, but my point is that as Christians in America we are responsible for how we steward our money, time, and influence. It's important that before we give to any cause, we investigate that cause or organization to make sure that they are being accountable to deliver on the mission of the transforming the lives of the people being served. We need to give generously, and we also need to give wisely.