Philanthropic gifting criteria

Last August I wrote a brief outline of what one might want to include in a Gifting Criteria Statement.

As I was picking through a pile of papers on my desk on Saturday, I came across the actual document our family has at the moment. I thought you might find it interesting and, possibly, useful–at least as a discussion-starting model for your family’s statement:

Holzmann Family Philanthropic Gifting Criteria
Priorities

A. Evangelical Christian mission efforts among the world’s Unreached Peoples (90%+ of our giving)

GOALS: Our primary interests have to do with evangelism, discipleship and church planting ministries and other ministries (Bible translation, for example) that are necessary to lay foundations for such efforts. When we are presented with mercy-ministry opportunities that can contribute to the evangelistic, discipleship and church-planting efforts, we will seriously consider them.

HOWEVER, a) because we believe that material wealth usually follows intellectual and spiritual renewal, b) because, as Jesus implies, there is no eternal benefit if someone “gains the whole world but loses his soul,” and, c) because it seems that “everyone” is motivated by appeals for disaster relief and the meeting of physical needs, we tend deliberately to avoid any significant emphasis on mercy-ministry efforts.

WHERE WE WANT TO WORK: Among the world’s Unreached (i.e., those peoples among whom there is not yet a viable, reproducing church movement). Reason: Because we believe we should focus on those areas where the needs are greatest and the resources fewest. The world’s unreached peoples (the most spiritually needy) also represent the most physically needy–i.e., they are, in every way, the neediest. Moreover, they are those on whom the world’s (and Christians’!) attention is weakest. (99.5% of all American Christian charity goes to meet the needs of those who already have access to the gospel.)

ACTIVITIES WE WILL SUPPORT: Besides direct field ministry–which tends to be our primary interest, we have also helped fund the purchase of major capital improvements (a printing press, an airplane, a headquarters building, etc.); occasionally–and at much lower levels–basic operating expenses; and, finally, an area we are just beginning to dip our toe into: the acquisition of additional donors and additional funds. We are in the midst of a debate about these last two areas of charitable work.

AGENCIES WITH WHOM WE WORK:

Number. As stated in our Family Wealth Letter of Intent, we have decided that, rather than giving broadly, to many agencies or many projects, we will focus our efforts on, in, and through only a very few agencies, thus maximizing the impact of our gifts and permitting us to participate more fully than others in the work of the agencies we support.

Commentary: Originally, we had intended to find five agencies–one each to serve as a proxy for each of the five mega-unreached people groups (summarized in the acronym THUMB: Tribals, Hindus, Unreached Chinese, Muslims, and Buddhists).

As it turns out, we found four agencies to serve as our proxies. As time has gone on, our involvement with two agencies, in particular–_________ and _________–has expanded almost to the breaking point and we are beginning to wonder if we may need to pull back, even, from our current dedication to four agencies. Perhaps we can properly support only three or, even, only two agencies at the kind of level we support the two we have mentioned.

Characteristics. Over the years, we have discovered a few distinguishing characteristics of agencies with whom we are comfortable to work (when we are giving $50,000 and larger gifts). Such agencies are . . .

Open. No holds-barred communication. Willing to be questioned, even sharply and deeply, about what they are doing, why they are doing it, their results, and more.

Willing, able, and ready, undefensively, to confess weaknesses and/or failures if and as such become evident or occur. No excuses, but looking forward.

Willing to give us more than “the time of day.” –With each of the four agencies with whom we are primarily involved, at least one of us feels that he or she is at least a friend of the agency’s president.

Intent on more than getting money; they show themselves ready, willing and interested in helping us move forward in our own spiritual journeys. Put another way, they treat us like valued partners.

B. Other Mission Efforts

Family mission outreach. More out of a sense of familial obligation than a strong sense of calling, we have invested in various Holzmann family mission efforts (__________’s church-planting efforts in Germany and _______’s efforts toward what he calls “spirit-led technology”). We have invested between $10,000 and $25,000 a year in each of these efforts over the last many years.

Short-term “outreach” and training missions. When church members or employees tell us they are going on short-term Christian mission outreaches, we have established a policy that we will fund them at $50 per week for the duration of their ministries, whatever that “ministry” really is.

C. Other Opportunities

Beyond our overwhelming and primary focus on evangelism and discipleship ministries, we—particularly as a result of John’s interests—have also given and expect in the future to give to charities having to do with justice in the public sphere: ministries focused on right-to-life, human rights, and legal challenges.

Alternatives Pregnancy Center has received annual gifts of $5,000 (in the form of a Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd. ad in their annual Walk-a-Thon bulletin) and approximately $20,000 (retail value) in art prints.

Other agencies we have supported include Life Dynamics, Judicial Watch, Alliance Defense Fund, and others. So far, we have never given more than $2,000 at a time to any of these agencies or their causes.

How We Give

To the present, our primary method of giving has been in the form of cash. We realize there are other methods and forms, some of which can provide tremendous tax benefits, but our concern is more that funds get into the hands of God’s servants than that we acquire tax deductions. Still,

As we give gifts with values of $50,000 and more, we have found it useful to ask the proposed beneficiaries if we can create some kind of “challenge grant” and our proposals have generally been well-received.

Of course, we don’t receive tax credit for the following kinds of gifts, but, more and more, we are realizing the value to our favorite charities of our gifts of time and wisdom–donated in the form of providing counsel and critical input–and, recently, the gift of reputation and contacts–donated in the form of a direct mail campaign to Sonlight Curriculum customers. . . .

At this time, we are not looking for additional opportunities to give. If anything, we find ourselves almost feeling the need to close our ears to additional requests for help.