Giving away money was something I was taught to do as long as I can remember. For me this was bringing a quarter from a jar of coins that was my weekly allowance to Sunday School. Eventually, I was taught by my parents why I did this. 10% of what I made, even as a kid with a paper route and babysitting jobs, was to be given back to the giver. The giver of my money was not my employer. Rather, the understanding was that everything I have, even earned, is a gift from God and the first 10% goes back to Him. This is called a tithe, coming from a Hebrew word in the Bible meaning a tenth. I was taught to tithe each week. Thankfully this was a practice that my husband was also taught at a very young age and when we were first married and blended our finances, it was an expected part of our budget planning. This meant that 10% was donated to our church each month from our combined incomes, and if we were compelled, more was given to the church and to other charities throughout the year.
Today, over 20 years after our first joint tithe, we are in an unexpected and unique situation, maybe similar to you, in that we have more money than we need. We have decided to give away far more than a tenth. We both still view the money that is our care as a gift, having come from God. Therefore, it is also a responsibility that we spend, invest, and give generously with discernment.
We have attended more fundraisers than I can recall and have become aware of great need in our city, across Canada, and around the world. There is no shortage of charities that ask for money that are making a real difference in people’s lives. The awareness of need in this world is overwhelming and whether we choose to give to a local charity that lends a practical helping hand to refugees in our city, or to a medical clinic halfway around the world, the needs continue, each year, month, week, and day. People need help. If you are in a position to give, I encourage you to make a difference in someone's life by giving generously to charities that are meeting very real needs in our world.
I have not answered typical philanthropic logistical questions such as deciding how much to give, or picking the charity that’s right for you. Experts can help you with that! Instead, I have shared a little about why as a pre-schooler I brought a quarter to church and eagerly dropped it into a basket, and why today, we continue to give away our money. We give because we believe that we are generous recipients of the money we have, whether it be a minimum wage or a windfall from a sale of a company, and therefore we believe deeply that we should be generous with all of the quarters we now have. I encourage you to think about your ‘why’ and as a result my hope is that it will compel you to be a more generous giver.
