At what level do you (will you) give?

At what level do you (will you) give?

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 14:12

Charitable giving is an American tradition! Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political thinker of the 17th Century, once made an extensive visit to the United States studying our democratic system and our way of life.

Later in 1835 he wrote about that visit in his book "Democracy in America" where he states "These Americans are the most peculiar people in the world..... in the local community, in their country a citizen sees there is some need which is not being met. What does he do? He goes across the street and discusses it with his neighbor. Then what happens? A committee comes into existence and then the committee begins functioning on behalf of that need.....all of this is done by private citizens on their own initiative."

As my wife and I travel abroad, we have often been made aware of the fact that other countries and cultures are just beginning to introduce and understand this concept of charity. Of course there are many good and charitable people in other countries, but the fact remains that we, as a nation, are by far and away the most charitable people in the world. Surveys consistently find that between 65 and 85 percent of U.S. families make charitable donations each year, and we give away more than twice as much per capita as the citizens of even the most generous European nations. The average American family that gave to charity in 2002 donated $ 1917. It can be safely assumed that this amount has increased over the past 8 years. As impressive as these numbers are, there are still about 30 million American Families that do not give to charities because, as a survey suggest, they are fearful that their contribution will be used inefficiently or that they feel they can't afford to give.

All of the reasons for giving or not giving to charity are also part of the fabric of Eastern Christian School. We are a school community of parents and supporters who are part of a mix of social and economic groups who respond to a financial need in very different ways and at different times. We have been most fortunate to have a good balance of donors, all who give out of a love for the school and at levels which are appropriate for their personal circumstances. Can we do more? No doubt some can, while others feel they have done enough. Henry Doorn, the Executive Director of Barnabas Foundation, in a recent article entitled "Finding "enough" in God", states "one of the most challenging questions Christians face as they plan their financial future is "how much is enough?" While the answer to that question will legitimately differ among believers, it is an important question to resolve. In doing so we can fulfill the vision of 2 Corinthians 8: 13-15, using our plenty to supply the needs of others.

It is a fact that if an individual values the organization that is requesting his or her financial assistance, the motivation for giving is equally increased.

There are a number of giving related questions that have been authored which can help us understand what motivates people to give. Some of the more prominent one's are:

1. Why do you give—what motivates your giving?
2. Was there someone in your life from whom you learned the importance of giving?
3. Of all of the gifts that you have given, what gift has brought you the most satisfaction?
4. Why do you support our mission?
5. Among all of your charitable priorities, where do we rank?
6. How do you determine what initiatives you will support and at what level you will give?

I imagine you can see where this is heading --- getting to know you the donor better so that we can begin a serious dialogue in the near future regarding the potential of a larger and more significant gift to Eastern Christian School. Together let's plan to discuss what a significant gift from you would mean to our school!