The topic of money within marriage can be a tricky road to navigate. In fact, money is the number one issue about which married couples argue. 1 But there is a different narrative when couples discuss charitable giving together. According to a report by Fidelity Charitable, giving is a source of agreement among couples.
According to the study, 8 out of 10 couples discuss charitable giving decisions as a couple. Of those couples, 76% discuss which charities to support, and 70% decide how much they will give to charity together. 2
When married couples discussed charitable giving decisions together, they agree 60% of the time. When compared to other financial decisions couples disagree 51% less frequently when it comes to charitable giving decisions. 2
How do couples find common ground when it comes to charitable giving?
When it comes to giving, it is a couple’s shared set of values which guides their decisions.
Half of couples say they give because they value the organization or cause which they are giving. 44% say giving aligns with their family values and 42% say giving creates a sense of gratitude for the blessings they have in their lives. 2
How to get started
As you and your spouse engage in discussions about charitable giving, here are three tools to help guide your conversation and align your passions as a couple.
Create a family mission statement
A family mission statement will help guide you as a family and will open the door to discover what causes and organizations you, your spouse, and children are passionate about. Click here to start crafting your family mission statement.
Include your children
Generosity is the training grounds for passing on values to the next generation. When you discuss charitable giving as a family, it is an excellent primer to discuss things like: the value of money, how to be a responsible steward, and how money can be a tool for the Kingdom of God. Here are a few easy conversation starters that may help you in the discussion.
Build a giving plan
After your family has created a mission statement and identified what causes and organizations they are most passionate about, the next step is to build a giving plan. Having a giving plan creates a precedence for charitable giving and helps facilitate future giving conversations. Click here for three keys to building a giving plan.
Starting the conversation about generosity with your spouse is a beautiful way to discover the God-given passions in your hearts. A donor advised fund can help foster the conversation about both the resources a family can give and which ministries and charities to support. A donor advised fund can help couples and families plan their charitable giving over time and track giving. Click here to learn more about donor advised funds.
(2) https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/content/dam/fc-public/docs/insights/how-couples-give.pdf
About The Signatry
The Signatry seeks to inspire and facilitate revolutionary biblical generosity across generations. Through donor advised funds and other innovative tools and resources, families are empowered to live generously, modeling biblical values for future generations and making a greater impact for causes that align with their passions. Since 2018, The Signatry has facilitated sending over $2.8 billion to organizations around the world that are dedicated to solving the world’s greatest problems.
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