I joined in on a webinar on charity and philanthropy in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS countries). Because of the interest and value to ministries and churches, I decided to post the powerpoints presented and resources mentionedRead more…
Local traditions and global context: understanding Arab philanthropy
Studies on global philanthropy indicate that cultural traditions, religious norms, political histories, and the economic strength of individual countries have profoundly shaped giving in individual countries and geographical regions, creating a rich and diverse global philanthropic landscape. However, some commonalitiesRead more…
Philanthropy has more intrinsic benefits than you think
Children are hungry. Polar ice caps are melting. Injustice and inequality run rampant. The education system is broken. Natural places are diminishing. Arts groups are folding. The list goes on. Any objective person recognizes the urgent need for philanthropy, asRead more…
How Truly Generous People Give More Than Money
Last night, I was at a charitable event on Wall Street. I watched as the people who create money from their brains gave incredibly generous amounts for a great cause. The charity event was for Matt’s Promise, a 10-year-old nonprofit determinedRead more…
Giving It All: Alan Barnhart and his brother Eric owned a $250 million company. Owned. Past tense. Because they gave it away.
In 1986, Alan Barnhart was 25 and planning to go into business with his brother. An evangelical Christian, he wondered what Scripture had to say about the profits he hoped to make. So he combed the Bible for whatever adviceRead more…
Stop Medicating Your Church
A couple of years ago, one of our girls came home with a troubling look on her face. She was flushed and downcast. Her typically joyful seven-year-old attitude was gone. “Daddy, my throat started hurting at lunch time and it’s stillRead more…
Transforming Scrooge – How do you shift the culture in a church from greed to a way of generosity?
During the last Christmas season I reacquainted myself with Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge, one of the nastiest, mean-spirited old men in English literature. He’s found, of course, in A Christmas Carol(published 1843), Dickens’ short novel about a man addicted to moneyRead more…
6 Types of Stories that Spur Giving
As a fundraiser, you aim to change how people perceive your organization’s work and cause, then motivate them to give. Connection is the lubricant for this conversion, but the deadly dull way so many organizations discuss their work frequently getsRead more…
Progress & Challenges in Africa
Africa made significant progress the last 20 years, but there are still significant challenges for the African church to engage with. The infographic that can be downloaded through the website gives an insight into these challenges. Modeling generosity in theRead more…
Antidote to ‘Neknomination’ – random acts of kindness
BBC News has been hearing from the man behind ’RAK Nomination’ – the act of carrying out random acts of kindness. Luke Cameron got fed up with drunken teenagers filming themselves in so-called ’Neknomination’ games. I hope this story willRead more…