Giving generously, impactfully and strategically

Talking about giving is challenging. It’s deeply personal yet critically important to share. If we all band together to share our giving stories, we can make meaningful change in our communities. At the Christian Community Foundation, we’ve been carefully honing our language and defining our purpose. As we seek to create ways for our donors to share their giving philosophy, three words continue to rise to the forefront: generosity, strategy and impact.

When these three words are at the center of your conversation about giving, the message shifts from one that can come across as braggadocious to one that is engaging, enticing and motivating. It takes the focus off the giver and places it onto the process.

These three words will guide our conversations about giving through the Christian Community Foundation for years to come. We’re excited to share what they mean to us and how we talk about them so you can reflect this message in conversations with friends, family and people you love.

Giving generously.

If you’ve spoken with Rex Jones, CCF’s president, about giving (and we hope you have), you’ve likely heard him say, “God doesn’t deal in dollars and cents but in the condition of the heart.” That is the crux of generous giving. We seek for our family of donors to give in accordance to their personal conversations with God and their families. When you focus on generosity as a concept and not as a number, it makes giving accessible to all people. Being generous isn’t about the size of your donor-advised fund account. It’s about the personal sacrifices you make in accordance with your calling from the Lord. Speaking with others about giving in terms of generosity shifts the conversation from money to the condition of the giver’s heart.

Giving strategically.

When the Lord lays it on your heart to make a gift, it may not always fit within your budget, especially if you don’t set aside money for philanthropy. From a practical standpoint, giving can stretch us. At the same time, it can feel odd to put aside a pool of money for giving. But the Lord tells us to prepare our fields for harvest, and one way to prepare your financial fields is to allocate money for giving in advance. If you’re prayerfully considering your giving, it is no less meaningful to invest in a donor-advised fund at the beginning of the year to meet needs than it is to write unbudgeted checks as you’re presented with an ask. As an added bonus, when you pour money into your donor-advised fund, that money can be invested and grow tax-free.

Giving strategically helps protect the condition of your heart in the giving process and allows you to answer God’s calling when a need arises without jeopardizing your family’s well-being. When we talk about giving strategically, it removes guilt from the process and allows donors to reconcile their desire to give with the financial needs of their family.

Giving impactfully.

All giving is impactful. We believe that gifts given in alignment with a believers heart are used by God in ways we may not be able to fathom. Like we’ve said earlier, giving isn’t about the amount of money on the check. But when you give generously and strategically through a donor-advised fund, one advantage is that your money grows tax-free until you give it away. This is an incredible way to increase your impact through giving – one that excites many of our donors.

When you give generously, strategically and impactfully, you are ultimately creating an active giving process. You are prayerfully considering what you want to give away, are making financial plans that account for philanthropy and are creating opportunities for your gifts to grow. This is a powerful conversation that we believe can transform Memphis and the world for the Kingdom of God. Do you want to join us in this effort? You can start today by contacting us at 901-682-6201.

Finding the best fund for you

At the Christian Community Foundation, we have many ways for you to easily invest in the community. While traditional donor-advised funds are the most popular option, there are several options that might better suit your unique giving desires. When you’re planning to start a new fund, our team can help you identify the fund-type that is best for you. Here are the two most popular options you can pursue through CCF:

Legacy Fund

A legacy fund through the Christian Community Foundation ensures that your charitable donations live on. Upon your death, your legacy fund will continue to make charitable donations on your behalf to the nonprofit organization(s) of your choice. This fund creates more than a lifetime worth of support – it creates a charitable legacy for your family, friends and loved ones to continue in your honor. If your account is designated as a donor-advised fund – don’t worry. The parameters you outlined at the onset of your relationship with CCF will apply in the event you should pass. If you’d like to update or revise plans related to your DAF, reach out to CCF.

Scholarship Fund

Investing charitable dollars into education is one of the greatest gifts you can leave to future generations. Many of our donors choose to develop a scholarship fund at the university, college or school of their choice. We can connect our donors to the appropriate school department to manage the scholarship development process directly with the university. If you choose to pursue this arrangement, you can make scholarship contributions directly out of your existing donor-advised fund account. However, you can also create a dedicated scholarship fund through the Christian Community Foundation if that is your wish. Contact our team to learn more about this account type.

While these are excellent options, there are many more funds to consider when you’re seeking to start your philanthropic journey. The Christian Community Foundation makes it easy for you to answer God’s call to give. If you have any questions about which fund is best for you or how you can get started, please contact us at (901) 682-6201.

15 Jan 20

How can you help others give?

When you do good for others, it makes you feel good! When we feel good about something, we like to share it with those around us. Leading others to do good will not only make us feel good but will help others feel good too. How can you help others start on their path to giving?

Spread God’s word.
God’s word commands us to give back to our communities and to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Through monetary donations or by giving our time, we are answering God’s calling.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” -Luke 6:38

Placing Christ at the center of your giving will not only help you remember the reason why you give back, but it will remind others of their calling to give. At the Christian Community Foundation, we believe in Biblical Stewardship, and honor families and individuals who choose to invest the gifts they’ve been entrusted through CCF.

Discuss the benefits of a donor-advised fund.
Sharing the benefits of donor-advised funds can change the way your friends and family think about giving. Donor-advised funds make giving easy, budget friendly, flexible and effective. They allow you the autonomy to support a nonprofit with regular monthly donations, meet an immediate need of an organization or grow your funds while you wait for an opportunity to give. You can also donate assets including cash, stocks, bonds or even real estate. The flexibility at CCF allows everyone to make an impact hassle free. Share the personal advantages you’ve had by using a donor-advised fund and help those around you do good.

Show others how giving has impacted you.
Kindness is contagious. People often model the attitudes and actions of those around them. When you share the impact you’re making on the community, the more likely those around you are to do the same. Talk about your favorite nonprofit and how it gave you a better sense of self and community. Spread kindness, and soon others will do the same!

Share Christian Community Foundation’s posts on social media.
You can find Christian Community Foundation’s pages on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with CCF and share our latest updates!

There are many ways to help others give! CCF is here to help everyone start their personal journey to giving. If you need more resources or have questions about CCF, contact us at (901) 682-6201.

How to be more generous

Memphis is no stranger to generosity and giving. In 2017, Business Insider named Memphis the most generous city in the United States, with citizens reportedly giving an average of 5.6 percent of their incomes to charity.

We encourage you to strive to be more generous: with your friends and family, with others, with your community, with yourself. But how?

Committing to monetary donations is an easy way to grow your generosity this year. When finding time to serve is challenging, and deciding where to give seems daunting, Christian Community Foundation is here to facilitate your desire to practice gratitude through generous giving. Creating a donor-advised fund through CCF affords you the opportunity to donate now and determine where you’d like to recommend grant disbursement later. In the meantime, we’ll grow your funds tax-free through wise investments.

If you don’t know where you’d like to give, that’s OK. The beauty of creating and contributing to a donor-advised fund is that your donation counts today as a charitable gift (a tax benefit), but doesn’t have to be distributed until you feel called to grant the funds. This process is perfect if you want to begin a new habit of giving but don’t feel called to support any one organization.

With that being said, if you’re looking for an organization to support now, we can help there as well. Our donors contribute to thousands of 501(c)(3) certified nonprofit organizations annually, each with unique and valuable missions that make our world a better place to live. At CCF, we divide them into three categories:

Giving for the Kingdom – giving to organizations whose mission facilitates the building of God’s kingdom.
Giving for Common Grace – giving to an organization whose mission provides essential services that positively impact lives and communities.
Giving Hope for Memphis – giving to organizations whose work is changing the landscape in Memphis.

Making the decision to give generously is challenging for many, and we recognize that giving requires sacrifice. But as a facilitator of generosity, we know that giving radically changes the lives of those who receive and those who give. We want you to experience the power of giving.

2019 is the perfect time to begin giving back to our city. Interested in learning more about what we do and how you can start giving back? Give us a call at 901-682-6201!