BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
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If you’re like me, your deep love for people can make knowing where to invest your time and financial resources overwhelming. Too many needs. Too little time and resources. 

That’s why I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what a true return on charity investment should look like.

I’ve been reminded of a story about a man approaching seventy. For the first time in decades, he was worshipping in church alongside his grown daughter. As they sang, she watched tears fall from his face while he declared, “Yet not I but Christ in me.” After years of living in and out of addiction-driven poverty, Christ enabled him to do what he could not do on his own: move closer than ever to a flourishing life.

That is impact — and a true, eternally-significant return on investment.

To unpack the story further, throughout his life, his family received many forms of charity. Electricity bills were covered. Vehicles were repaired. Disability payments were provided.

But often, that charity unintentionally fueled his addiction instead of helping him find freedom. The real change came only when restored relationships entered the picture — specifically with God and his family.

Stories like this remind us that not all mercy ministry is truly merciful. Some forms of charity can unintentionally harm the very people and families they aim to help.

Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do more harm than good. I sometimes unintentionally reduce poor people to objects that I use to fulfill my own need to accomplish something. I am not okay, and you are not okay. But Jesus can fix us both. – When Helping Hurts

That means for faith-driven philanthropists or churches looking to partner with charity organizations, where you give — and what kinds of efforts you give to — matters.

Here are five questions you can ask an organization before financially supporting it:

1. What does success look like for the people you serve?

Effective organizations articulate their goal and align their efforts to meet the spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of people created in the image of God — in other words, those who have the capacity to contribute to society.

2. Are you asking people closer to the problem to help out first? 

People closest to the individual should do their part before other people and institutions step in. That starts with the individual themselves, then extends to family, friends, churches, nonprofits and, if necessary, the government.

3. Do you prioritize genuine, reciprocal relationships?

Good ministries seek to foster and maintain mutual relationships with the poor and to connect them to new relationships, which help them increase their social capital.

4. Do you empower clients to NOT need you in the future?

True charity is not done “to” someone, but it empowers a person to support themselves in the future. Even if someone doesn’t have the capacity for full financial independence, good programs help those people grow in other ways.

5. Do you measure long-term outcomes in the lives of the people you serve?

Great programs track meaningful changes like improvements in housing, employment, education, and relational health. Measuring activity like “groceries given” or “clients served” doesn’t prove those organizations are making a difference.

Indiscriminate charitable giving makes financial philanthropy the endgame. Yet while our contributions should serve as a spark, they must be made to boots-on-the-ground organizations that ignite lasting life transformation in those they serve. 

If you’ve been searching for a place like that, where you can give with the confidence your dollars will make an eternally significant impact, consider partnering with True Charity. We are a nationwide team of over 265 nonprofits and churches who understand ineffective charity is harmful. Instead, our multi-faceted approach equips organizations to build transformational programs and influence policies that lead to a more flourishing life.

For more information on True Charity and how you can be involved in financial efforts that create a different, eternally significant ROI, visit us at truecharity.us.

AVERY WEST
Member Engagement Director
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This article was originally published by the Human Life Review.

America’s twin epidemics of isolation and low birth rates intersect in the heartbreaking experience of new mothers in America. 

In my short time as a mom (we have two toddlers and another on the way), I have spoken with women at libraries, pregnancy centers, churches, and parks. Regardless of background or status, their universal narrative is the same: Mothering in the “little years” is defined by a deep love for their children — but also isolation and a debilitating anxiety about “doing it right.” Many new moms are the only women they know having children. Some have never even held a baby. 

Sadly, women in poverty, whose babies are most at risk of being aborted, have even less social capital (community connections) than their middle and upper class counterparts. 

In other words, American motherhood is broken — but marriage and babies aren’t the problem. Fewer women are having babies and Americans are more isolated than ever, so new mothers can’t follow in anyone’s footsteps. They don’t know what happens to a woman’s body postpartum, how much to expect of an 18-month-old, or what a happy mothering experience looks like. The typical American woman today lacks a village — a community of women who will support her with not only meals and pediatrician recommendations, but also a late-night phone call when she’s crying alongside the baby, or a prayer in the parking lot when her husband is away for business. 

Throughout history, the Church has risen to meet societal needs on a large scale. Monks established the first hospitals. Sisters founded schools across the world to educate impoverished children. Priests started cooperative businesses to create jobs in the wake of the Spanish Civil War. These solutions weren’t just short-term outreach programs or “serve days.” They were — and are — sustainable institutions. 

Indeed, as the Church advocates for a culture of life, She can make it possible — attractive even — by helping facilitate that village. 

When my second child was born, I was lucky enough to benefit from a church village that was all about giving and receiving. Over the years, they brought me weeks of meals, offered eczema creams and tips on what to do when my baby was covered in red spots, and comforted me through my miscarriage. And when it was my turn to give, I dropped off meals, watched kids during doctors’ appointments, and, alongside my dear friend, coordinated our weekly “New Mom Community Night” for two and a half years. With a commitment to authentic relationships, we were able to create a space where mothers cried over past abuse, whispered timid dreams about the future, and rejoiced as they were baptized alongside their children.

We were committed to each other. During different seasons (Christmas, the summer, the time half the group gave birth within two weeks), we discussed taking a break. The response was always, “No! This group is the highlight of my week. I couldn’t survive without it.” When our church wasn’t able to support us with meals and childcare anymore, we willingly switched to a potluck model and rotated hosting the group in each others’ homes.

I was shocked that something so life-changing could be so simple: a few moms, meeting every week, talking about highs and lows, and sharing some food. That’s it. 

Of course, the mother’s group isn’t a new idea. MOPs and similar groups have been blessing church communities for decades. However, I believe we need to start thinking of these groups not just as growth opportunities for committed church members but also as an outreach for mothers at risk of abortion, i.e., as a pro-life ministry.  

In the modern Church, we often separate those two facets of Church life: internal ministry and external outreach. Yet mothers’ universal needs (e.g., postpartum depression and anxiety, isolation at home or work, dependence on Instagram for parenting advice, resentment for their husbands) span socio-economic spheres. That means the Church has an incredible opportunity to meet the desperate relational needs of all women—whether they bought a $5 thrift store crib or a $1700 self-rocking bassinet. 

Of course, a mother dealing with poverty does often bring extra needs to the table: underemployment, unreliable transportation, or a dangerous boyfriend. Yet, where better to learn about new jobs, used cars, and respectful relationships than a loving community? 

This isn’t all theory, either. Several women who attended our group had overwhelming needs. Of course, no charity program has a quick fix, and often, you only see changes when looking back after years. Even so, beautiful stories from our community emerged: A very young mom with no transportation eventually made friends in the group who took her grocery shopping and drove her and her baby to the hospital one night. Another friend, who had no example of what order in a family looked like, began weekly finance and planning meetings with her boyfriend after learning that this system helped another woman in the group stay on the same page with her husband. And one mom, after learning her abortion was not something she should “just get over,” experienced profound healing at a Rachel’s Project retreat she learned about through the community. 

None of this “ministry” was part of our regular programming. It’s just what you do for your friends. 

A mother’s support group is not just an outreach ministry that tells someone about Jesus and hands out some food or clothing: It welcomes struggling individuals into the culture and family of the Church.

So, how to begin?

In order to facilitate this pro-life ministry in your church, you’ll need to start with two or three welcoming, nurturing leaders deeply committed to the value of relational ministry. I’d suggest each group leader take a training course like “Beyond Volunteering,” or read through Becoming Whole. Resources like these enable a  fundamental shift in one’s image of charity from filling another’s empty bowl to walking alongside them for the long-haul. 

These leaders also need husbands who are committed to this important work.  They will be the ones to comfort their wives after hearing a particularly heartbreaking story, to encourage them to persevere with a mother who seems hardened to the world, and to take the children to the backyard so moms can discuss sensitive topics.  

The leaders can coordinate potluck-style meals and where the group should meet (i.e., a church nursery, outdoor playground, or in a group member’s home). If the church has extra resources and volunteers, it can even provide meals and childcare (though those things aren’t necessary). We learned that authentic connection is the most important element. 

To help kick off conversation, you can bring in outside experts (we had everyone from financial planners to lactation consultants) or work through a class like Faith and Finances or Love and Logic together. 

To get the word out to the broader community, we partnered with local pregnancy resources centers and nonprofits, hosted advertising events like “maternity clothing swaps,” and even messaged women who posted about their loneliness on local motherhood facebook groups.

This kind of ministry taps into an extremely underused volunteer base — mothers. Moms of young kids often can’t volunteer at pregnancy centers or other ministries because they aren’t allowed to bring their children along. This ministry actually thrives when the host’s children are running outside with everyone else’s. 

Just earlier this week, I was speaking to a neighbor pregnant with her first baby. She shared her anxiety about losing time for hobbies, going back to work after a short maternity leave, and a changing relationship with her husband. I asked if she had a support system. “I have you” she replied hopefully, “and I was thinking I should join some kind of moms group, but I have no idea where to find one.”

Little did she know that within walking distance, St. Mary’s hosts a weekly get-together of mothers, where moms discuss everything from prayer life with a newborn to passing down old toddler coats. Sadly, the group hadn’t advertised outside the church walls, so if I hadn’t been there to tell her, how would she have known? 

A village of Christian mothers is an immense gift that we can share with a world desperate for connection. Let’s not hide our light under a bushel. 

The True Charity Network exists to help you learn, connect, and influence in the realm of effective charity.  Learn more about the Network here.

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In the past century, goods and services offered by businesses have improved dramatically. In every industry — finance, transportation, retail, etc. — quality and affordability have increased. Sadly, that’s far less true in the nonprofit world. Despite advances in supporting technology, case management and soup kitchens aren’t producing dramatically better results than our great-grandparents saw.

Why is that the case? 

It’s not a lack of funding, which has increased on a per capita basis several times faster than inflation. Instead, the answer lies in understanding “information environments” — which refer to the natural systems of information and feedback we use to make decisions.

Some are what behavioral scientists call “kind” environments. They are characterized by immediate, accurate feedback and consistent information flow, analogous to using a GPS to navigate a city with clearly marked roads: It’s easy to see where to turn next; and if you take a wrong turn, your GPS will recalculate and get you back on track. For instance, astronomy operates in a relatively “kind” environment. The movement of stars and planets follow predictable patterns, quantifiable rules, and offer crystal clear feedback on predictions.  Consequently, astronomical events like eclipses can be forecasted to the second and astronomers’ opinions tend to converge over time.

Other information environments are like navigating a trackless desert with no roads, signs, or cell signals. It’s easy to veer off course and never know it. This is called a “wicked” environment and is characterized by delayed or inaccurate feedback and inconsistent patterns of information flow. For instance, political pundits prognosticating about a new government policy can be influenced by extraneous factors that make it easy to post-rationalize any outcome as a success (or failure). This “wicked” environment explains why pundits have not converged in their views like astronomers have. 

If we apply this framework to business and nonprofits, we see that most businesses receive rapid and accurate customer feedback. If it’s ignored, someone else will take their customers. This drives the industry to produce better products and services over time — even if a given business isn’t operated effectively.

Nonprofits have no such auto-correcting features. They can stay afloat for decades by engaging donors with occasional success stories or feel-good volunteer experiences, ignoring whether charity recipients truly benefit. And since handouts will often be received with gratitude, even client feedback surveys may be insufficient to redirect a nonprofit to address root causes. This means many ministries are fully insulated from information that could help them improve their programs.

The good news is there are ways to mitigate this difficulty. Most of the medical field operates in a “wicked” information environment. When the town doctor of old listened to your heart and prescribed a bottle of pills, there was often no way of knowing whether his diagnosis was correct. Since patients often didn’t come back after treatment, he might not know if the patient improved or declined. Even if he knew his patient’s condition over the weeks and years following treatment, he would have never known for sure what role the medicine had on the outcome.

In that kind of information environment, medical advances were slow and sporadic, and widely adopted “innovations” were as likely to harm as help (e.g., mercury treatments and bloodletting). Yet, the field has steadily improved its patient results in recent decades. 

They accomplished this by combining the scientific method (to determine general best practices) with patient outcome tracking (to improve care at the local level). Think of it as using a map and compass to navigate through a barren landscape. It’s still a challenging information environment but it can be overcome with careful effort and the right tools.

This model of researched best practices combined with localized outcomes measurement can enable nonprofits to overcome challenges they face. They can proxy scientific research by learning from other organizations with exemplary results — and access well-designed experiments, too.

But even if programs are based on what works elsewhere, there’s no substitute for testing their local effectiveness. That involves more than measuring how much is given away. Measuring long-term results like stable housing, employment, education, and family reunifications should be prioritized. With the right tools and program design, it’s even possible to measure knowledge, motivation, and social connectedness. 

A common objection is that fleeting interactions with numerous clients makes measuring long-term effectiveness nearly impossible. Unfortunately, the same superficial interventions that make outcomes hard to measure make it likely a program isn’t producing much worth measuring.

The good news is that while effective measurements are a necessary cost of doing good work, they also help fund it. Donors (particularly major ones), granting organizations, and volunteers  have entrusted the organization with their gifts. They deserve to know their generosity makes an impact. When they see positive results, they frequently increase their contributions. Even paid staff will be encouraged by demonstrable results that affirm their sacrifice and service. 

Furthermore, effective outcomes measurement supports clients’ personal growth. Data collection usually takes the form of goal-setting conversations which enable clients to see positive change over time. For many, it’s the first time in years (if ever) the trajectory of their lives has been positive. Improving numbers on things like credit scores or weeks of sobriety gives them confidence their progress is real. It’s very true that in life, as in sports, people play differently when they keep score. Tracking progress and goals will inspire them to do their best.

There’s a final reason to measure outcomes: If we don’t, we may waste much of our career. None of us wants to realize that after decades of laboring in love, we are feeding the grandchildren of our original clients. But we are not doomed to wander in the wilderness. A combination of general best practices and local measurement can guide us and the people we serve to a better future.

Take your impact to the next level with True Charity’s Outcomes Toolkit, designed to equip you with actionable insights and proven strategies for effective charity.

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Ministry leaders who embrace both the agency of the individual and the existence of absolute truth often deal with a tension. For instance, on the one hand, you want to put a woman you’re serving in the driver’s seat of her own life, help her set her own goals, and achieve a destination of her choosing. On the other, her current destination of choice is to leave your program and move back in with an abusive boyfriend.

The temptation is to become paternal — that is, to assume she has no agency and needs to be told what to want and how to get it. Yet paternalism is a dreaded approach to serving the poor and rightly so. Most charity workers consider it a dirty word, preferring to help people make their own choices. And a Christian perspective can heighten the tension even more because we know that while there are numerous good choices one can make, some are unwise — and others are downright sinful.

Are people in poverty more likely to make imprudent or immoral choices? Biblically speaking, there are more admonitions given to the rich than the poor, so if anything, the middle-class and wealthy might face more temptation. However, the Bible also points out that certain vices can lead to poverty. Examples include laziness (Proverbs 6:10), wasteful spending (Proverbs 21:17), and addiction (Proverbs 23:21). Additionally, just as plenty of money can lead to temptations like pride, poverty can lead to temptations like stealing to make ends meet (Proverbs 30:7-9). Regardless of circumstance, all people, at any income level, are prone to making bad choices.

That’s why healthy relationships involve challenging the beliefs and plans of those we care about. It also involves simultaneously letting them take ownership of their lives while warning them against critical mistakes. That’s especially true if you’re in a case management or mentorship role, so here are a few things to keep in mind:

1.   Know the difference between facts and opinions

Ground yourself in what the Bible says about the right way to live but realize it leaves a lot open for personal application. Educate yourself on real stories of success for people in poverty. Don’t confuse your experience, denominational bent, or cultural preferences with absolute truth. You’re not the authority, but that doesn’t mean there is no authority. Evaluate on the basis of the following continuum: morality (e.g., not abusing illegal drugs); a general but not universal truth (i.e.,  getting a high school diploma/GED is a wise choice for most people); and personal preference (moving to seek a better opportunity elsewhere, which has pros and cons).

2.    Listen before you share

When people set goals, it’s distinctly possible they’ll come up with a bad idea — but they’ll doubtless come up with good ones as well. Give them the courtesy of determining the direction of the conversation and listen intently. Focus on what’s good about their goals and be quick to praise it.

3.    Be content with significant but intermediate progress

A client may have set some good goals — but you wish they would set more. For instance, they’ve built a budget and are saving money —  but you want them to save even more by not smoking a pack a day. As long as progress is significant, it’s better to encourage it than to pile on more expectations. And it’s wise to avoid unnecessary disagreement — you’ll do more good as a coach than a life planner.

4.    If you must disagree, point back to absolutes

Suppose someone you know plans to work for cash “under the table” to qualify for welfare benefits. This is both unwise and immoral. Rather than relying on your own wisdom as the rationale for explaining why it’s a poor decision, point to scripture. And be sure to point out how scripture has challenged your decisions in the past. Remind him or her it is an authority to which we all must submit — and defying it is to our detriment.

  5.   Demonstrate respect for experience

In addition to moral absolutes, there is also wisdom in respecting others’ experience  — especially those who’ve lived a long time (Job 12:12). While it may not be possible to impart it to your clients immediately, you can begin by showing interest in areas in which they have skills and consult their opinions on matters in which they are specialists. Also, seek input from others in your own decision-making; and share with clients how many of your best decisions came about through others’ wise counsel and not merely your intuition.

While we must avoid getting in the driver’s seat of another adult’s life, there’s no need to be apologetic about sharing the rules of the road because in most cases, the people you’re serving are looking to you for assistance. We can — and should — simultaneously respect their agency and capacity to engage with truth.

The True Charity Network exists to help you learn, connect, and influence in the realm of effective charity.  Learn more about the Network here.

SONYA STEARNS
Network Manager
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Media coverage of the devastation wrought by recent hurricanes alerted us to the awful conditions many Americans suffered. The images of isolated communities without help for days and testimonies of hopelessness have been heart-wrenching.

Reports of outstanding organizations and private companies offering relief through funding, personnel, and supplies are inspiring. Yet recovery in many areas will take months and years, not days or weeks. Collaboration between local nonprofits and churches will be pivotal in providing the ongoing assistance needed for individuals to thrive again.

Hurricane survivor scenarios are very similar to those experiencing poverty during normal weather conditions. Many struggle to make ends meet because they have been devastated by family, medical, or employment storms. And while government, private agencies, and churches and nonprofits can be outstanding sources of short-term relief, few of them will help with long-term recovery. Individuals are often left isolated to clean up—personally, financially, and communally. Instead, they need a functioning social network to help them strive toward independence and flourishing. 

Many True Charity Network Members do an excellent job of building programs that provide the relationships and opportunities to make that happen. These nonprofits and churches do so by avoiding the pitfall of making individuals dependent on their services. Instead, they walk alongside the people they serve to help them become independent, self-sustaining contributors to their communities. How can you do that, too?

Here are five suggestions for helping people after their “storm.”

1. Educate your people so the proper foundation is laid 

Serving people well takes time. Most of us recognize that having a 10-15 minute training conversation with a volunteer or staff worker before they start serving is sufficient for short-term relief but probably insufficient to make a long-term difference. So how do you comprehensively train staff, church members, and other volunteers to serve individuals with long-term success in mind?

True Charity has easy-to-follow video courses designed for group viewing or individual engagement. True Charity University (TCU) offers many free courses, including the foundational Seven Marks of Effective Charity. Anyone can create an account, complete each course, and receive a certificate of completion. Other courses are available to the public for a nominal fee. (Network member organizations receive everything on TCU free of charge for up to 10 people.)

True Charity’s Volunteer Engagement Toolkit, which features the Beyond Volunteering Video Series, is an excellent training resource. Many nonprofit organizations report using it as the basis for their volunteer and staff training.

Network members also have access to a webinar library covering topics like Program Design, Best Practices, and Community Collaboration. Most True Charity live webinars are free to the public.

2. Inventory your outreach programs while planning for the future

What services are offered by other organizations in your area? Try not to duplicate them — but if you do, take heart! That means you probably have the personnel and resources to craft other programs or classes that meet deeper developmental needs.

Decide what should be scaled down or cut altogether. This is hard but necessary. Some programs have served your community well for years, but their time is up. Others simply need to be tweaked. Regardless, just about every program will thrive better with some changes.

True Charity’s Program Refinement Toolkit (PRT) walks nonprofit and church workers through a comprehensive plan to evaluate their mercy ministries and outreach services. Accompanied by a workbook, the PRT is easy to implement with a staff, committee, or group of volunteers.

3. Build sustainable programs and classes focused on development and long-term outcomes

Just as communities devastated by hurricanes need months and years to recover, individuals in poverty need ample time to recuperate from what may have been years of dependency and hopelessness.

That type of recovery and development requires persistence on your part and commitment to the process on theirs. “No-strings-attached” hand-outs of food, clothing, and other material items do not meet those sustainability and development requirements.

Veteran charity and church workers understand that individuals are more likely to succeed when they realize they are capable of developing their own solutions — and are willing to do so. True Charity teaches that every person is created with the capacity to contribute and create. Those capacities might have been buried or damaged by life’s storms long ago, but they lie waiting to be uncovered. When we function under the belief every person is created in God’s image (the Imago Dei), our long-term results will be measurably better. 

True Charity Network members can access detailed program plans through the Model Action Plan (MAP) library. Each step-by-step guide is designed to help an organization or church of any size begin a specific program suited to their community’s needs and context. Examples include starting or improving a Christmas Market, Food Co-op, Childcare Program, Mentoring Program, Work Shuttle, Benevolence Ministry, and temporary housing programs.

A thoroughly researched Recommended Client Classes and Programs Library on the network members’ portal can help nonprofits and churches determine which classes to offer and what resources they need to get started.

4. Regularly evaluate and revise your mercy ministry or benevolence program 

Just as no person is perfect, neither is a program or organization. We can all improve!

Have a plan for analyzing and comparing your outputs (including volunteer hours and fiscal expenses) to your desired results (outcomes). Ask pertinent questions of your volunteers, committee members, or staff every quarter. One question you must consider is, “In 2, 5, or 10 years, where do we want this individual or family to be financially, relationally, and spiritually?” Another fitting question is, “How can we help this person or family live independently (i.e., not needing outside assistance —  including ours)?”

If your mercy ministry keeps individuals and families dependent on you for the long term, it’s time for a change. A well-executed and regular evaluation plan will always propel you toward better results!

True Charity’s Outcomes Toolkit can help you identify and measure desired long-term outcomes. As mentioned earlier, the Program Refinement Toolkit has several resources to help you inventory your results.

5. Collaborate with others and plan for broader community impact

A sense of community is pivotal for individuals and organizations. Join forces with other churches and nonprofits. Communicate regularly with community leaders.

Purchase software to share pertinent information about the people you serve in common with other service providers in the area. Establish regular meetings and training opportunities so the entire community can move toward flourishing.

Network members can host a full-day TC Community Workshop or a TC Gathering to build buy-in with their community. Organizations can also invite a True Charity staff member to speak at a community event, fundraiser, or gala.

Storms come and go, and damages vary by degree. That’s true for hurricane victims —  and non-weather “storm” survivors. With both, short-term relief is sometimes necessary, but it is always a temporary solution. If we don’t follow it with long-term developmental help, we fail to help those in poverty achieve long-term sustainability.

We can do better. We can model our mercy ministries to meet deeper needs, walking alongside others to help them write their own success stories. We can help them live flourishing lives. And we can begin today!

Need help getting started? Take the Path to Effective Charity Quiz to see which True Charity tools can help you right now in your nonprofit or church work.

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For most able-bodied adults, paid employment is essential to the long-term path out of poverty. To effect that outcome, many of our network members use a partial-exchange, intermediate-steps model that teaches the skills necessary to succeed in the marketplace. 

Such models are a means — because challenge spurs development; and an end — because the revenue generated by participants’ growing skill level allows the programs to serve more people than donations alone. 

However, while such models are generous and wise, they can appear to exploit the vulnerable. This may be a mere matter of appearance. Or it could be actual exploitation caused by imprudent implementation. In either case, this can lead not only to poor public relations but to civil or criminal prosecution. That’s why it’s important to be familiar with your state’s employment law and consult an attorney to ensure legal compliance. In addition, here are eight approaches that will help you maximize your ministry’s ethical behavior and avoid the appearance of evil.

1)   Volunteering in exchange for services should be at a subsidized rate

A good first step out of perpetual crisis relief is asking people to serve others as volunteers in exchange for things they need. Ideas include earn-it models like boxing food at a food co-op or weeding a community garden in exchange for assistance with an electric bill. 

Whenever you employ this approach, make sure the economic value of what partners receive is greater than the market value of their labor. These models typically cap the amount of partnership possible in a given time frame so they don’t become a form of regular employment.

2)    Revenue generated from clients should go directly to other clients

Any revenue generated by the effort of people in need (e.g., selling produce from the community garden) should be set aside for meeting the needs of those who have generated it. Similarly, client fees, such as the price parents pay for gifts at a Christmas Market, should go straight back to clients (in this case, credit toward buying gifts the following year). 

While that requires more accounting work than just putting all revenue into your general fund, it allows you to document that all partner contributions go directly to helping other partners — and none goes to staff salaries. This prevents exploitation since no amount of client volume will enrich the program operators by a penny. The more that comes in from these sources, the more that flows out to others in need.

3)    For unpaid work training, keep clients out of their area of specialty

In the initial phase of a residential or job training program, it’s common for a trainee to spend a couple of weeks with a coach who teaches them how to be a good employee. It seems only natural that a student with specific work skills be placed in a job where those skills are used.

Yet the caution is: Don’t do it. Yes, from the perspective of personal asset development that’s counterintuitive. However, from a legal and public relations perspective, it’s a wise move. For instance, helping a former construction worker learn new soft skills while working a kitchen internship sends a clear signal he’s in the program for his benefit. If you employ him to do some skilled remodeling, it may appear that he has been coaxed into the program to reduce the nonprofit’s labor cost. It’s also worth noting unpaid internships shouldn’t last more than a few weeks.

4)    Ensure that full-time programming involves more instruction than work

In the scenario above, the work training program should not involve more than 20 hours a week of on-the-job training. The remaining hours should be filled with classroom instruction, time for personal study, spiritual development, etc. In other words, combining work and non-work activities makes it a work training program. If more labor than training is involved, it appears students are there for your benefit versus theirs.

5)    When residential clients find jobs externally, keep pay in their names

In residential life transformation programs, students often seek employment in the community. Yet, a new cash stream for someone addicted to a controlling substance just a few months ago can be counterproductive. But if you keep their earnings (even if they are small and fail to cover legitimate program costs), students can easily feel like indentured servants with no way to leave the program.

An effective solution is to set their earnings aside in their name with limited access to the funds and deductions for agreed-upon program fees. It’s also acceptable to encourage program completion by requiring a fee refundable at graduation. People can then graduate with significant savings commensurate with their employment while in the program. Those who leave early should be entitled to their earnings, less agreed-upon deductions, regardless of the circumstances of their departure.

6)    Communicate expectations in writing

For participants in long-term residential programs, there should be no misunderstanding about work expected and pay received. Provide them with a resident agreement form that outlines terms in plain language — and talk them through it. After they’ve had time to review it and ask questions, they should sign the agreement to acknowledge acceptance of its terms.

7)    Full-scale social enterprises should be model employers

Some ministries establish enterprises designed to employ difficult-to-employ people, either as a stepping stone to independence or a permanent work situation. The employer-employee relationship should be clear with the enterprise providing pay, benefits, and management practices that meet or exceed industry standards. In the best case, employees should also gain transferable professional certifications relevant to their work.

8)    Any debt accrued should be forgivable

An interest-free loan can be a dignified way to help someone through a tough time (Deuteronomy 15:7-8). However, entrapping someone in long-term debt to ministries is unacceptable. All loans should specify generous conditions for forgiveness — but clearly state default may result in consequences (such as the inability to qualify for additional assistance).

Your programs exist to serve people in need and there’s little doubt every one committed to their success sacrifices to make it happen. That said, it’s important all concerned understand development means the person in need receives more than they give. Otherwise, the situation ceases to be charity and becomes a mutually beneficial business transaction. Always be prepared to explain the distinction to those tempted to think your program exploits those in need. Build your programs generously and communicate their design proactively.

And while communicating with skeptics and prospective donors is important, it’s even more important to convey to those you serve that you see their capacity and you’re there to help develop it — not take advantage of them. Most of them have experienced too much of that kind of abuse.

Network Members, be sure to check out the Earn-it MAP and Residential Life Transformation MAP to dig deeper into exchange models. 

Not a network member, visit truecharity.us/join to join today. 

Listen to this article:

Despite summer temperatures nearing triple digits, this is a great time to begin planning your Christmas outreach programs. If you’re thinking of starting a gift giveaway this Christmas or continuing one you’ve done for years, consider offering a Christmas Market instead! 

In a Christmas Market (or Affordable Christmas program) parents can shop and pay for highly-discounted gifts for their kids, which restores the parents’ dignity and strengthens family relationships. This format also allows your ministry to get to know families in your community in a way Traditional Giveaway programs do not. 

Changing a long-standing community tradition can be tough so here are five tools and templates to make the transition easier and ensure the Market’s success.

1. Donor Education Resource

Christmas Markets can only thrive with willing givers who donate their time, money, and resources. That means you must convince them their efforts will make an impact. 

Our two-page “Giving Guide” will do just that. It walks them through empowering charity basics and provides seven questions to help them assess a program’s effectiveness. 

2. Marketing Checklist

A lot of planning and detail go into a successful event. So, we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips for promoting your Christmas market, before, during, and after the event.

3. Event Flier and Donation List Template

A printed reminder to hang on the fridge is still valuable in this digital age. You can modify this flier template with your specific details and distribute it to local businesses–or hand it out around town. This recommended donation list can also be adapted for church and community members to add to their bulletin boards or to take home.

4. Powerpoint Slide and Social Media Graphics

Since we do live in a digital age, don’t forget to advertise in this space. Customize this Powerpoint slide to send to local churches for their morning announcements. We’ve also included social media graphic templates to increase community awareness and provide specific calls-to-action. 

5. Shopper Invitation Template

The goal is to encourage parents to shop at your Christmas market! You can use this template to invite them to participate. Thanks to Mile High Ministries of Denver, CO for providing the original content for this invitation. 

You can find more helpful resources through our Christmas Market Model Action Plan, available to True Charity Network members. It will give you step-by-step instructions that can be tailored to your community’s needs. It also highlights how multiple organizations have implemented Christmas programs to fit their unique contexts. All these programs share the common goal of building relationships, preserving dignity, and empowering families.

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out how it can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

Already a member? Access all your benefits through the member portal.