How to Increase Your Giving to Help Denver Area Youth
Posted on Friday, December 4, 2015 by
It’s that time of the year again. The season of Gifts. I love this season. It is about the greatest gift anyone has ever been given – Jesus Christ, who was sent by a loving father to reconcile his children for eternity. It is also about gifts to and from family and friends, special moments of celebration, and if you’re anything like me… the season to be asked by every charity you have ever been in contact with for a year end gift. I love giving…and if you were to look at my mailbox this time of year you would see the dilemma I face. To who? How much? For what purpose? Where do you want me to deploy your resources Lord? How can I give more? It can be exhausting.
Don’t get me wrong. It is the job of every ministry to ASK! If they are not asking, they are not doing their job well, but there are so many ministries doing wonderful things in the Denver area alone…not to mention throughout the nation and international work. I want to give to everyone…I want to give more…but how you might be asking? I’m already giving everything I can!
If you can relate, you may appreciate the following thoughts on ways to increase your giving…maybe even way beyond the capacity you thought you had in the first place.
1. Define how much you need to keep.
The first step to knowing how much you can give away is to get an accurate baseline on what you need to keep. If you haven’t thought, prayed about and put on paper an appropriate yearly burn rate (what you consume financially in a year) then you will never be able to determine if your net worth is surplus or merely savings for a future need.
This is a decision based on your earnings, consumption and the promptings of the Holy Spirit… there is no need for lifestyle police. The Lord is faithful to answer anyone who earnestly seeks out what HIS plan is for their life…including the resources he has given them to be good stewards.
After you have determined your burn rate, you multiply for expected lifespan, adjust for possible changes, hedge/increase for unforeseen changes… and the result is what you need to KEEP for your determined lifestyle needs. If your finances are complicated or abundant, you may need help with this process in order to ask and answer all the necessary questions but the overall process is the same.
2. Ask yourself – Are you able to multiply the resources at a greater return in the future than a Kingdom return today?
I hear this all of the time. I work with many families, some who are in need and others who have abundant financial resources. If it is determined there is wealth beyond what they need to keep the thought sometimes becomes… “I have been doing a pretty good job multiplying the resources the Lord has given me. Shouldn’t I continue to multiply them so that I have a greater amount to give to Kingdom Causes in the future?”
My answer always will be to take that question to the Holy Spirit to see exactly what His plans are for His resources? Perhaps that is the case…but I caution anyone who has not sought that counsel to rest on this decision without contemplating… Can I make a greater return in the future than the Lord can make eternally with this resource today?
3. Charitable Planning
When you focus on giving, everything can increase:
a) what you keep
b) what you pass on to heirs
c) what you give to ministry
Sound too good to be true? It’s not. There are over 95 different estate trust formats that when used in the right combinations and based on your goals can produce these results. All your advisors, lawyers and accountants should be included, and approve changes in your estate plan – make sure they are included in the process. Eliminating taxes should always both ethical and legal - make sure you are only utilizing tools that abide by both of these rules.
Click here for more information on maximizing your giving...
By Joe Sturniolo, Kardia Family Legacy & Estate Planning Services
Joe Sturniolo believes that stronger families are the vehicle God uses to bring about significant impact for His Kingdom. Sturniolo is an educator, author and speaker with a bold goal to maximize the ability of high-capacity Christians and their families to model Jesus’ love through better stewardship and increase their impact for Kingdom causes. Kardia Family Legacy's unique process helps Christians and their families eliminate estate and capital gains taxes, pass on an appropriate inheritance to their heirs, maximize their giving to worthy Christian charities, create healthier family relationships and leave a lasting family legacy to impact God’s Kingdom while maintaining their present lifestyle.