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Now What? 3 Questions to Intentional Generosity

3 days ago By Jessica Winter

“So now what?” My husband and I started asking this question about our generosity this year, and it has led us down many new paths. We love the opportunities we have to live generously, but that itch of something more has been following us around recently. I started asking people about their experiences, and I heard so many interesting stories. One woman would simply divide up the requests and send out her checks at the end of the month. Another person told me about how they were committing 20% of their business profits for the rest of the year. A…

Story

Cause Over Dollars: The Giving Circle Impact

1 week ago By The Signatry

“We encourage women to partner together and experience the joy of giving by supporting Christian ministries in our community that serve those in need and proclaim the gospel.” – Debbie Ochs If you have not heard of a giving circle, here is a brief overview: A giving circle is simply a group of people who gather together to pool their financial resources and multiply the charitable effect they can have. There are many different ways to structure giving circles, and many tend to be led by women. One Hundred Roses, now in its second year, is one such giving circle…

Ministry

4 Keys to Foster Major Donor Relationships

2 weeks ago By Kristin Hammett

I am a farm girl. Well, that may not be completely accurate. I grew up on a family farm in rural Missouri, where my dad and grandpa raised livestock and grew row crops – corn, soybeans, and wheat. My family jokes that I really am a city girl who was raised in the country. Nevertheless, I learned a few things about farming in my 18 years watching my dad work. I remember the day he bought a new field cultivator. He would pull it behind the tractor to prepare the soil for planting and sometimes use it after planting to kill the weeds. When I called my…

Story

To The Ends of the Earth

3 weeks ago By The Signatry

Rickey Strickland has traveled the world for Christ. He has slept on tarps, lived in hostile cultures, and walked countless miles through some of the remotest places on Earth. He has seen miracles performed and lives transformed. But despite all of the adventures—and there have been a lot—much of his life has been spent waiting. Waiting for connections, waiting for funding, waiting faithfully for God. He traces his calling back to a mission trip to the Soviet Union in 1977. A college student at the time, Rickey knew he wanted to dedicate his life to mission work. So, when he…

Family

Growing a Generous Family

1 month ago By Bill High

If you are reading this, you are already in process with thinking about how to create a generous legacy. I use that term intentionally—generous legacy. In our Western culture, we’ve tended to focus on pre-transition planning. This is the work of estate planners, financial planners and life insurance planners. There, the focus is on the financial assets and how to transfer them. In contrast, a generous legacy is focused on post-transition—how to transfer legacy to children and subsequent generations. In legacy planning, the focus is on the children and the kinds of assets that can be transferred to them. It…

Family

What Are You For?

1 month ago By The Signatry

Our world is full of division and hurt. Injustice surrounds us. This is nothing new, it is the fruit of the fall—the curse of sin—manifested around us every day. So what should be our response to these things? As the church and as individuals, we must examine when to fight injustice and where to grow deeper into God’s justice. This is part of whole-life generosity. A sacrificially generous lifestyle will stand up for those in need, for what is right. We must live out what we are for. It is not enough just to say we care about a cause…

Ministry

Potential in the Middle

1 month ago By Kristin Hammett

Whether it is middle school, middle age, or the middle of the year, the middle of anything indicates something critical: potential. The middle suggests something is not finished. It is continuing along the path. Unfortunately, in donor development, the “middle” donors are often forgotten. While mid-level donors may not represent a big segment of a ministry’s database, although sometimes they do, they do present an opportunity for relationship, engagement, and growth. Who are they? The definition of a mid-level donor may vary, but it is safe to say that these donors do not make the major donor list but give…

Family

Fathers for Generations

2 months ago By Len Urbas

As Fathers Day appears on June’s calendar, it can stir many emotions and feelings inside of us. Some have the benefit of a deep and continuing relationship with their fathers, while others may have never met their father. But fatherhood is not limited to biology or earthly definitions – it is about so much more. It is about what God intended for family, lessons learned, experiences shared, spiritual relationship and legacy passed down. We spoke with Len Urbas Jr., our Rocky Mountain regional president, about his experience with his father and as a father himself. Len described his relationship with…

Advisor

Innovate with Real Estate Gifts

2 months ago By Evan Lange

Real estate is one of the best charitable gifts an individual can make, and you can use these two main strategies to educate your clients on the opportunity. For a concise summary to share with clients, see our real estate fact sheet here with the details of these strategies, but below are the basics of how to make real estate gifts a reality for your clients. Strategy #1 – Gift Before a Sale Gifting all or a portion of a piece of property before the sale occurs. Key Points: The gift, meaning actual transfer of ownership, needs to occur before…

Now What? 3 Questions to Intentional Generosity

Cause Over Dollars: The Giving Circle Impact

4 Keys to Foster Major Donor Relationships

To The Ends of the Earth

Growing a Generous Family

What Are You For?

Potential in the Middle

Fathers for Generations

Innovate with Real Estate Gifts

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