Charity: the voluntary giving of help, typically money, to those in need. Benevolence: An inclination to perform kind, charitable acts Too often people are charitable and benevolent because they see a need and want to help meet that need. They … [Continue reading]
Tips for Working with Grant-Making Foundations
Posted on February 12, 2013 Written by
They don't want to support salaries of employees or operations; they want to give money for programming. Their true goal is to help with the programming - the part of a non-profit that is making a difference in the people it serves. One way to … [Continue reading]
Community Foundations
Posted on February 5, 2013 Written by
Every major city has a community foundation which is where people have given money, to be held in trust, until the donor or the board of directors distributes grants. Some CFs are very, very large (think billions of dollars investments) and some are … [Continue reading]
Guidestar.org
Posted on January 29, 2013 Written by
Guidestar is an online non-profit company with one purpose. It publishes the Form 990 that most non-profits are required to submit to the IRS each year. A 990 is a legal doc which states the total expenses and income for a non-profit. It breaks the … [Continue reading]
Sloppy Church
Posted on January 22, 2013 Written by
My guess is that when you go to a fast food restaurant, you look for a clean or mostly clean table at which to eat. I avoid tables that are piled with stuff from a previous customer that wasn't considerate enough to put his trash away. I appreciate … [Continue reading]
Church Violence and Death
Posted on January 15, 2013 Written by
Every week there is a news report of violence in churches or church-related facilities (camps, retreat centers, etc.). A lot of them end in violence and … [Continue reading]
Star Trek & Star Wars
Posted on January 15, 2013 Written by
Pick one of those two space sagas - I don't care which one, choose your favorite. Okay, now, name the seven major (good) characters in each one: Star Trek Kirk Spock Sulu Chekov Scotty Uhura Bones Star Wars Luke Han … [Continue reading]
How to Calculate a Church Budget
Posted on January 8, 2013 Written by
Every church I've worked with has struggled with determining the amount at which to set the subsequent year's budget. Everyone wants to increase the budget in order to provide more funds for staffing and programming (rarely for building needs, but … [Continue reading]