Introductory Training
We have a variety of trainings available to True Charity Network members, on practical topics such as outcome measurement, goal setting with clients, building a burnout resistant organization, and much more.
We also make the following foundational trainings available to non-network members. Contact us for rates.
Pillars of True Charity (2 hours)
This course outlines the foundations of compassion, charity, and justice in the world of poverty resolution. It turns the theoretical into the practical by explaining how this groundwork leads to the True Charity model of voluntarily resourced, challenge-oriented, outcome-driven charity.
Biblical Foundation of True Charity (1 hour)
This compressed version of the Pillars of True Charity provides an overview of the foundations of effective charity with a focus on the biblical roots of our model. This high-level view helps participants understand the true nature of poverty, what effective charity looks like, and how it results in transformation. It also helps clarify the difference between relief and development, outputs and outcomes and other foundational concepts. This training is designed for a Christian audience of donors, volunteers or church congregants, and other stakeholders with limited time but big impact on your organization’s direction.
Foundations Workshop
True Charity Initiative offers an all-day educational seminar that couples philosophy with practice. We’ll dive deep into the complexities of poverty as we discuss practical and effective approaches to poverty alleviation. Our full-day course is approved for 7 continuing education credits for social workers in Missouri.
The cost is $3,000, unless local (contact us for local pricing).
Learn about the driving philosophy behind True Charity Initiative and how you can implement it in your own charity work through this dynamic training. We’ll explore the 7 Marks of Effective Charity together utilizing relevant research, personal testimonials, and collaborative breakout sessions. In addition to a training led by True Charity certified leaders, each attendee will have access to discounted True Charity books and tools. The critical knowledge provided during this training is sure to be instrumental to any leader involved in charitable work who strives for effective, goal-oriented charity. We’ll spend approximately one hour on each of the following Marks of Effective Charity:
- Affiliation: Who is most responsible to help a person in need? What is the principle of subsidiarity and how does it relate to charitable work? We’ll learn the critical importance of restoring key relationships in a person’s life as they journey toward self-sufficiency.
- Bonding: It is an unfortunate reality that many people seeking assistance have often “burned all their bridges”– the vital core relationships that should be in place may be eroded beyond repair. It is in moments like these that the invaluable principle of bonding comes into play. We’ll learn about the instrumental nature of relationship building in poverty relief work as well as give practical tips on how to implement bonding into your own charity work using helpful relationship building tools like Life Deck.
- Categorization: Is giving the same treatment to anyone who asks for help the most equitable and charitable thing to do? How can we preserve dignity and enhance an innate sense of capacity within the poor? We’ll discuss these questions and more as we discuss Categorization, the Third Mark of Effective Charity. We’ll learn about work tests and self-categorization as tools to help determine a person’s willingness to help himself out of his situation.
- Discernment: Knowledge is empowering— the realm of charity work is no exception to this principle. We’ll discuss the vital importance of gaining accurate information through observation, investigation, and communication in order to achieve effective charity. We’ll also introduce two tools that are invaluable in the pursuit of prudent generosity: CharityTracker and Charity Resources.
- Exchange: The duty to enhance worth within the poor is as delicate as it is vital. Learn how an “earn-it” model of charity can be instrumental in awakening a sense of dignity and worth. We’ll explore the fundamental connection between work and happiness and learn about the dignity-depriving and dependency-inducing nature of handout models of charity.
- Freedom: What is learned helplessness? What’s the difference between Economic Freedom and Experiential Freedom and why does it matter? How can well-intended charity enslave a person? We’ll discuss these questions and more as we look at the oppressive consequences of handouts and welfare—for both the giver and the receiver.
- God: All the best programs, principles, and theories cannot replace the last fundamental piece to effective charity: Faith. Research has shown that faith in God makes a substantial difference in a person’s rebound from poverty. We’ll consider the importance of faith in poverty relief work using recent studies and personal testimonies from those who have successfully broken the cycle of poverty within their own lives.
