According to the Nonprofits Source website,thirty percent of annual giving by U.S. residents comes in the month of December. Ten percent  comes in the last three days of the year.

Is that you? Are you still in the process of deciding where to make your charitable gifts for 2018?

And if you are, are you considering gifts to nonprofits that are working to defend and renew Creation?

I want to challenge you to make the defense and renewal of God’s Creation a giving priority in your year-end giving and in your philanthropy planning in 2019.

If you are paying attention, you know God’s earth faces tremendous pressure and destruction. Whether it is poaching, dead zones, dwindling habitat, overfishing, farming practices that erode and poison, or impending climate chaos, action is needed.

We read in Psalms 50:11 that God knows all the birds of the mountains and the wild animals of the field are His. We read in Isaiah 6:3 that the whole earth is full of his glory. From John 3:16, we know that God so loved the world – all of it. We cannot love God and simultaneously allow the destruction of God’s earth.

We also know that the health of the earth has tremendous impact on the fate of people, especially the poor and the marginalized. Poisoned water poisons people and wildlife. Pollution in the air harms people, especially children. Depleted resources rob communities of economic sustenance.

Helping to defend and renew God’s earth is an important way to love God and to love your neighbor.

Changing the way you live and how you relate to God’s earth is an important way to do that.

But it is not enough.

The issues facing God’s earth, even at the local level, are complex. Collective, ongoing efforts are needed to deal with those issues.

This is where thoughtful and committed giving comes in. Supporting nonprofits dedicated to addressing environmental problems and developing solutions is a way to live out your whole Christian faith. Will you make that commitment?

Tips for Giving to Nonprofits

Are you new to philanthropy in this area? The following are some tips I’ve put together, based on 15 years in the environmental nonprofit world and with more than ten of those years in fundraising

Start small: Unless you already know a nonprofit well and know of its effectiveness, I’d suggest starting with a gift of $50 or $100. You can then build that giving over time as you gain confidence in the work and impact of the non-profit.

Expect good communcation: Look for nonprofits that communicate clearly what they are doing on a regular basis and what are the challenges they face. They should express their thanks to you efficiently and fairly promptly. Stop giving to non-profits that only communicates with you to ask for money

Be cautious about direct mail solicitations: A good nonprofit does want to build its base of donors, and direct mail is a way to do that. But a good appeal should be based on clear communication of the group’s work and impact along with the inevitable emotional appeal. When they include cheap gifts or return address stickers, that’s not a good sign. And don’t decide to give just based on a direct mail letter. Check out their website. Talk to people in the field.

Be patient: You should understand that bringing about change for God’s earth is no easy thing. It is often an uphill, David-vs.-Goliath battle. As you begin paying attention to nonprofits and their work, don’t expect quick fixes or that even all of their strategies will work. It is not easy working against whole systems that are built on using up and exploiting God’s Creation.

Follow your particular interests and sensitivities: Feel free to give to the issues and efforts that most resonate with you. I would suggest thinking about supporting a mix of local, regional, national, and international organizations over time.

Look for mission-focused organizations: You will want to support non-profits that in every way are focused on tackling a pressing issue or set of issues. A good nonprofit is a vehicle for you to make an impact on that issue. A nonprofit that gives too much attention to itself as an institution and takes exclusive credit for efforts that were actually partnerships has revealed that it is too self-centered.

Prioritize your giving: Over time, if you find a non-profit that is doing really good things in a strategic, effective way in regard to an issue you care about, give more to that non-profit and perhaps see if there are other ways to get involved. Don’t be surprised if they reach out to you in more personal ways as you give more. Good ones will do that. Manage that communication in a way that feels right to you. That personal contact offers the potential to learn much more about the issue and the group’s efforts.

Please feel free to contact me with questions and ideas related to your giving plans.

I hope and pray 2019 is full of many blessings for your and your family!