Try, try again Using leverage to focus on guilt
Bill Irvin
Can life possibly get any more hectic? Can there be any greater demands on our time, or our charitable inclinations?
These sentiments are shared by all of us from time to time, as we try to pack into the 24 hours allotted us each day all of our good intentions about working hard, being a good family person, supporting our church, helping the needy and reaching out to share the story of salvation. And, no matter how hard we try, we can't help but feel that our efforts are lagging behind our intentions.
So, I decided a few years ago to focus on leverage. How can I make the same hour or dollar of charitable contribution, multiply many times over and over?
Ministering to Ministers has been a great vehicle for leverage! The time and dollars I give are used to empower and energize pastors that otherwise might have left the pulpit. They, in turn, are reaching thousands to spread the truth of salvation through Christ. No other organization I give time or money to can reach the same numbers!
As former Chair of the Board of Trustees and the current Chair of the Development and Endowment Committee, I now realize that my efforts are multiplied many times over and over!
I have watched annual contributions grow from $27,000 to more than $70,000 since 1995. Another $200,000 or so of in-kind gifts can be added to that.
As we strive to meet our budget goal of $150,000 in 1999, I can only anticipate eagerly, the number of clergy we can save for the ministry, and therefore, the number of individuals to whom those clergy can minister.
By reaching out to masses of Christians who might enjoy leveraging their money and time the way I have, we can get to a broad base of public support. That support will insulate our mission from the politics and vagaries of organizational budgets.
All it takes is to spread our success stories to Christians everywhere, and ask for a small annual contribution. The donors will find they have been blessed many times over by their small gift . . . perhaps more so than any other gift they could have made.
Bill Irvin, a Richmond, VA attorney, is Chairman of the MTM Development and Endowment Committee