Christmas: A Time to Give for Non-Profits? |
Dec 1, 2009 |
For many non-profits, November and December have become synonymous with year-end appeals to cover shortfall and reminding donors of the tax benefits of giving to them.
Raising funds is worthy and necessary. But instead of non-profits only asking others to give to them this holiday season, these organizations should give to other causes.
“American non-profits are constantly asking others to ‘give to us’, states Eric Foley, Vice President of Giving and Training for the Mission Increase Foundation. “They should lead by example and give financially to others.”
American non-profits should join the Advent Conspiracy.
This holiday season American consumers will send more than 5 billion Christmas cards, letters and packages through the mail, cut down more than 33 million trees to decorate their homes (enough to cover the state of Rhode Island!), and “shop til they drop” en route to spending more than 450 billion dollars.
In 2006, a small group of local church pastors examined Christmas consumerism in America, said, “Enough is enough”, and thus was born the Advent Conspiracy.
"This movement reflects an attempt to recapture the heart of Christmas that has largely been hijacked by the spirit of consumerism”, states Ted Baird, one of the founding pastors of this movement that has grown from 4 churches to over 9,000. “Our culture has taken a day of celebration when the world was given its greatest gift, and turned it into a day about receiving more, acquiring more, and spending more."
Pastor Baird goes on to explain the goal "is to return to the spirit of Jesus’ birth by worshiping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all.”
Spending less refers to reducing the family Christmas budget by an amount determined by family members while still honoring and appreciating loved ones through personal, reasonable and heartwarming gifts. According to the Families.com website, Teresa McEntire reports that the average American individual will spend $750 on gifts and accessories during the holiday season.
Giving more is the call to intentionally seek out the needs of others during the holiday season and meet those needs with the money that would normally have been spent on Christmas surplus. “Giving more” is the call to focus on others more than ourselves.
Back in 2006, four churches presented this challenge to their congregations and, together, raised more than half a million dollars for those in need. The Advent Conspiracy website states: “Jesus… though rich, became poor to love the poor, the forgotten, the overlooked and the sick. By spending less at Christmas we have the opportunity to join Him in giving resources to those who need help the most. One less gift. One unbelievable present in the name of Christ.”
Non-profits should conspire this Christmas season. They should find a worthy cause in their community not related directly to their work and give. They should contact local leadership to discover neighborhood needs and give. They should examine their donor base and as they discover personal and family needs, become a donor to their donors.
God honors this type of giving. Jesus states in Luke 6:38: “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.”
Let's make this Christmas season different!
