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December 8, 2008
Get Rich Slowly champions charitable giving in tough times
Get Rich Slowly talks about Why charitable giving is even more important is tough economic times. Below are excerpts from the post.
I would enourage you to read the entire post and look for ways to incorporate his ideas into the presentation of your church's ministry to your membership. Reminding people of need and how they can meet that need is vital when it comes to charitable giving.
As the people in your pews become more selective about the organizations and causes they support, remember - for many - the church is just ONE option rather than the ONLY option. And the responsibility falls to the church leader to ensure every member understands that the church is the best place for their dollar.
People on the "edges" are impacted more. People who are already struggling are impacted more by rising costs or the loss of income. You might feel like you're barely making ends meet, but chances are that if you're reading this, you are not sleeping in the back of a van with your kids (like a family I saw here in Seattle last week), or raising children in a part of the world where clean water and electricity are a distant dream and low-wage work represents your only opportunity to put food on the table.
Charities are struggling to meet basic needs. Charities run on a shoestring, doing as much as they can each year to help people in need. This year, things are particularly tough. Donors are cutting back, and at the same time, need is increasing dramatically.
A chance to teach. My own children are too young to realize that we're cutting back on holiday gifts this year, but they're not too young to understand that they should help people in need. We have already started finding concrete ways to show them that they can have an impact.
Give your skills. Writing a check isn't the only way to give, and it is not always the most effective. If you have a marketable skill or hobby, you can use it to help someone in need.
Work your network. Don't be shy. Spread the word about what you are doing, you'll be surprised at how many people will want to help out, sometimes in bigger ways than you would have imagined.
Posted by bstroup at December 8, 2008 10:11 AM
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