Well I don't know how it is in your house, but in our house, the blitz has begun...we are once again flooded with year-end requests for financial giving, from just about every non-profit we've ever supported. 'Tis the season of the perfect storm, where the spirit of giving in our hearts, meets the logistical reality of getting in those tax-deductible donations, meets the weird pseudo-guilt of realizing that you're going to have to make some space in that attic/garage/living room as a new wave of gifts finds its way under your evergreen of festiveness. It's giving time, and thank God for it. But it may also be time to do a gut-check on how and why to give. So without further ado, let's talk about a few principles of effective charitable giving.
1. With material donations, ALWAYS call first. So, during seminary, I managed the "free table", where students and faculty dropped off all sorts of items--food, toys, books, the works--for others to pick up at will. It was a wonderfully valuable ministry, and a saving grace for a lot of students who were barely making it. But despite a lot of great intentions, it was also where a lot of stuff went to die. I'm talking about used underwear. Broken toys. Expired food. I once came back after a long weekend, during which the building had been locked, to discover a garbage bag full of day-old bagels, that had been rained on.
Now, I say this as pastorally as possible, since I have never had anybody do this with anything but the best of intentions, but...your church/synagogue/local nonprofit is not a dumpster. If you cannot envision any way in which you can continue to use/reuse your item, do not assume that your congregation is more creative or resourceful than you. Now, there are obviously nonprofits that deal in this stuff all the time (Good Will, Salvation Army, etc.) and while they may present moral/theological quandaries of their own, they know how best to reuse/recycle stuff they can't use. And churches often will have yard sales (we have a great Marketplace every year) where they can turn our stuff into money for mission. But we can't handle it 365 days a year. Just give us a call! We might have a great need for your exact toy/piece of furniture/electronic item, but maybe not. I know our intentions are pure, but if it just comes down to not wanting to be the one to throw it away, then we're not helping anybody. Again, as pastorally as possible, maybe the best time to think about the landfill is when we buy new stuff in the first place...
2. Cash is always best. I know it sounds crass to say it, but I've heard it over and over again from every nonprofit I've ever encountered, and churches are no exception. I know it often feels better, more concrete, to give stuff. It's easier to imagine someone actually receiving that thing you gave, and enjoying it. But the fact is, I guarantee you your local food pantry knows where to buy food for half what you spent on it, just for one example. A lot of nonprofits will ask for SPECIFIC materials (usually new), and if they're asking, by all means, give it. But if you believe in their mission, and are able to trust that it will go where it will do the most good, write them a check. (and if you're not sure, charity navigator is a great website that rates nonprofits. Check it out.)
3. The best giving is wind for the sails--not pressure on the rudder. In a free-market economy, we are used to "voting with our dollars." We spend money at the store that sells what we want. We invest in the company we think will be profitable. But speaking from my experience as a pastor, sometimes money with strings attached--i.e., designated gifts to your church--can cause as many problems as it solves. Now, I don't mean this as a blanket statement. Now and then when a congregation begins a project, or feels a call to start a new ministry, the Spirit will blow in the right designated gifts at the right moment. It's exhilarating to watch, and it's stuff like that which helps us determine that we're really doing what God wants us to. But I've also heard of too many congregations that have more than enough money to fix their roof, pay their pastor, and feed the folks who keep knocking on their door, but they can't, because 50 years ago, that money got tied up in an endowment for organ upkeep. Mind you, I believe every parishioner should have a voice in directing the congregation's mission. We can do that by showing up at annual meetings and at worship, serving on mission teams, coming to our congregational leaders when something's bugging us (or, dare I say it, with words of praise?), or even running for congregation council if we feel called. But when we "vote with our dollars", offering more money when we like the direction things are going, less when we don't, we forget that giving is not optional for Christians: it's part of our mission, it's one of our most effective ways of bringing good news to all (especially the poor), and it's a faithful response to a God who blesses us whether we're screwing up or not. Exercise some trust: let your giving energize your congregation's mission, not steer them in the exact way you think they should go.
4. If any of the above makes you less likely to give, forget it all! Look, the most important principle of giving is the now-cliche Nike principle: "Just Do It!" I think I can safely speak for a lot of nonprofits and congregations when I say: when in doubt, give! I would a thousand times rather our congregation have an old couch we can't use, than be empty-handed when we're helping a homeless person furnish his or her first apartment. I would much rather have money for a project that we wouldn't have thought to do, than go right on living without ever having known somebody wanted to help. Yes, everybody values communication, and it always helps to talk with somebody from your church or chosen organization to see what's most helpful, but even if it's a small gift, or you're not sure they'll go for it, make contact! You just might be God's helping hands for someone this season!
So, I hope you'll take these reflections in the spirit in which I offer them: From one disciple of Christ, seeking how best to forward His Mission, to others with the same goal. In celebration of God's greatest gift to us in Bethlehem, let's be gifts to one another.
