Those were the words of a woman none of us had ever met before, out in the middle of what I would consider nowhere. We had traveled 5 hours by truck over rough, rocky roads and stream crossings in rural Honduras, going slowly through mountain switchbacks, when it...
When people ask me for advice about raising support, I ask them to consider why people give. In my experience, there are four reasons why people give: 1. Because they have a relationship with you 2. Because they believe in the vision 3. Because you have a clear...
Many years ago, Janet and I were foster parents for to a 14-year-old girl from the inner city. At that point, she had spent more time in foster care than she had with her mother. I felt like Janet and I were giving and giving and giving… and not getting anything...
A man I work with in the transitional living center recently wrote a letter to me and Janet asking for $100. Our policy in environments where we volunteer is that is that we don’t give money directly to individuals, but we do give time and training to them. That’s the...
Today I don’t want you to read my blog. I want you to read this entry by Tom Nebel. It highlights the importance of living out the values of what you want to reproduce. That’s true not just for individuals, but also for groups, churches, and movements. Read it here:...
Giving to organizations is easy. When individuals have needs, it can be more difficult to discern what to do. We can be hardened by the many who are not sincere, who are swindlers or con artists. Yet some people do have legitimate needs. We need to rely on guidance...
Did you ever have one of those times when you wish you could go back and do something differently? A while back I was walking out of a Quiznos and a woman was there asking for money. I don’t give out money on the street, but I do sometimes buy people a sandwich or...
Which is harder for you to give—your time or your money? In a lot of cases, time is the more precious resource. I’ve often found it easier to give money than time: “Why do I have to spend four hours washing cars at this youth group fundraiser? Can’t I just write a...
The entry below is part of a week-long series by Steve Fitch. Eden Reforestation Projects is one of the best, if not the best, in the world at: • Employing thousands of desperately poor individuals who • plant and protect whole forests • at 10¢ per tree $10 per month...
