But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14
On Sunday, May 16th, 2010, the Wall Street Journal had an article about nonprofits spying on people in order to secure their money. They told of tactics such as data-mining software that help find wealthy individuals who have shown prior interest in your work or work like yours so you can casually meet them and befriend them in order to one day land the big gift. It is interesting that one of the summary statements of one of the fundraisers was that it is all about establishing relationships at the point of service. Those who are trying to find money for nonprofits know that they need to establish a relationship with you in order to “get” your money.
It seems, once again, that our culture gets it wrong. Their narcissism has made relationship all about themselves. We are being trained to have relationships for our benefit, to take your money rather than for loving you and showing you Christ. In fact, the article went on to say this: “ When your favorite non-profit isn’t busy saving the whales, chances are it’s making a serious behind-the-scenes effort to know you better--using increasingly sophisticated technology. It can survey your salary history, scan your LinkenIn connections or use satellite images to eyeball the size of your swimming pool. If it’s really on the ball, the charity can even get an email alert when your stock holdings double. There is good reason most nonprofits keep these research efforts behind closed doors; “it creeps a lot of people out.”
Justifying snooping for a good cause seems to be acceptable. “At the University of New Haven in Connecticut, Advancement Services Director Carl Pitruzzello uses custom alerts that let him know when donors who are officers at public companies buy or sell stock. Medical institutions have been particularly aggressive about prospect research. Some use software to screen admissions lists; some even train doctors to identify new prospects. Once a patient is scouted as VIP, the perks roll in. At the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, some 1,200 donors and volunteers can get priority for appointments with specialists.” “At San Diego’s Sharp HealthCare, major donors receive a card with staffer’s pager numbers.” “There are virtually no limits to the snooping charities can do, as long as they follow the law.”
It seems to me that Christians often follow, somewhat slowly, what works for a Godless culture. I have been to seminars that teach us to “friend raise” and to talk to individuals in a way as to assess their net worth so that you can ask them for a gift in the range of their ability to give. I have been told, at Christian seminars, that we should get people to give us money so that they pray for us, because their prayers follow their money. In essence, if they are not giving, they are not praying. I have been told at Christian seminars that we need to make sure that our donors know how their gift will benefit them so they will feel good about giving and will keep giving in the future. I have been told that we need to find those who are “successful” and generous, and put them in places of honor in our organization, like our boards and inner circles of influence.
I have never been told at these seminars to just love God and do right. I was never told to put those who love God, and pray, and love people in places of honor or on our boards. I was never told that the widow’s small gift would be adequate, or that we should focus on our mission rather than making our mission paying our bills. I was never told that it would be a sin to treat those with money better than those who have none. I was never told that we should not encourage people to give because of need or guilt, but that we should present all things in ways that encourage people to give no matter what, because, after all, it is a Godly cause.
At Silver Birch Ranch we want to encourage you to partner with us, not because you will benefit from it or because we have a need, but because you love God and are obedient to His call in your life, and because He has laid the burden of this ministry on your heart. We will not be purchasing that fancy data-mining software that will help us spy on your portfolio or know when you are buying or selling stock. We will not present the opportunity to you in a way that will allow your gift to make your pride swell, and we will not give you special treatment because you have decided to partner with us. Our goal and prayer is to honor our God, and we are praying that we will find and partner with many who want to honor God. We cannot treat those who are poor differently than those who are wealthy. That would be and always has been a sin. We will not make a relationship with you in order to use you, but we will relate with you in order to love you so that we together can serve our King.
It is not that we do not have plans that need financing; we do. In fact, at this point in our history we have some very aggressive plans and tremendous opportunities that we are trusting God to lay on the hearts of His people in order that the needs be met. We would hope that you would consider partnering with us or talking to others who can so that we can continue to glorify God on these grounds. The Bible tells us that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and like rivers of water he moves it wherever he wishes. Our God knows the plans. We believe He gave them to us. He knows our needs and He is capable. If He tugs on your heart to help, I will look forward to your call (715-484-2742 x233).
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? James 2:1–7
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:1–3
Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he? Isaiah 2:22
Dave Wager davewager.com
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