Planning or Failing to Give

It's that time of year! What time of year, you might ask? It's the time of year when, as an owner/decision maker and pastor, your inbox and your mailbox is FLOODED with donation and partnership requests, of course!

As a faith forward leader, this can bring a mixed bag of emotions, and we don't talk about it enough. Now if you have a plan of attack and read this with excitement, good job! My guess is, however, that there are a significant amount of you reading this who experience a myriad of emotions when Giving Tuesday rolls around ranging from anxiety over finding how much to give and where to send it to shame over not feeling generous enough to frustration (followed by shame) over everyone coming at you with their hand out. Any of this feeling relatable?

Your organizations giving strategy (or lack thereof) can feel like a roadblock of pain and failure or a roadmap to successful partnerships and engagement.

Why does your plan for giving make it feel that way? That's right. I said "plan" for giving. Just like anything else, your charitable strategy requires a framework. Framework is a critical part of the approach because your team needs to understand your focus areas, have preset and planned giving and selected partners, but also set aside some funding for impromptu opportunities like disaster relief or even an effort someone on the team gets involved with that you'd like to support.

Without a plan, chances are you risk feast or famine mentality- giving just a little to everything that comes across your desk and hitting a burnout wall that leads to saying no to everyone going forward.

A giving strategy allows you to decide where you're going, align your giving with vision and include your team by selecting partnerships that allow for service opportunities and giving matches.

You can be generous. You can model it for your team and encourage their generosity, but just like every job in the kingdom, your organization and role allows for maximum impact in a few areas, but not in all of them. So take the time to gain clarity and plan to be generous. Run hard toward the yes items and when something does not fit, you will find the answer clear for things that don't fit: "We give in the areas of x,y, and z, and we are fully committed in these areas currently." No one is shunned or ghosted.

"Ok, great," you may say, "but I still need a stinking plan!" Look at the steps below to get your own plan of attack or download the simple Philanthropy Checklist at the end of this post, and find your organization becoming the example of "cheerful giving" you've read about!

1️⃣ Clarify Purpose & Alignment

Tie giving to your personal calling and the company mission.

Ask:

• What causes align with our values, industry, and story?

• What brokenness do we feel responsible to help restore?

• Who are we uniquely positioned to serve?

Example focus areas:

• Workforce development if you’re in construction

• Environmental stewardship if you build physical products

• Housing security if you’re in real estate

Output: 2–3 giving priorities that create coherence and clarity.

2️⃣ Financial Stewardship Strategy

Define the portion, the pace, and the plan.

Options:

• Fixed percentage of revenue (e.g., 1–10%)

• Profit-based giving tiers

• Matching employee giving programs

• Donor-advised fund (DAF) for tax-advantaged impact

Key: Give from conviction, not leftover emotion.

3️⃣ Portfolio Design: Diversify Impact

Think like an investor in the Kingdom.

Sample allocation model:

Category	Description	% of Giving
Strategic Partner	Long-term, aligned organizations	50%
Community Needs	Local urgent opportunities	25%
Innovation & Start-ups	New or relational causes	15%
Employee-Driven	Causes your team cares about	10%

Balances legacy, responsiveness, and culture-building.

4️⃣ Governance & Decision-Making

Create a structured way to say “yes” or “no.”

Consider:

• A small internal giving committee

• A simple application or criteria checklist

• Annual review rhythm with quarterly disbursements

Decision criteria examples:✔ Aligned to focus areas✔ Clear impact / measurable outcomes✔ Financially healthy organization✔ Recommended by trusted relationships

This reduces guilt-based or reactive giving.

5️⃣ Engage & Empower the Team

Move from my giving ➜ our impact.

Ideas:

• Volunteer events aligned to giving strategy

• Company match for employee donations

• Spotlight partners at all-hands or internal comms

• Paid volunteer days

This creates ownership and identity around generosity.

6️⃣ Storytelling & Transparency

Share the “why” and celebrate impact.

Communicate:

• What you gave to

• Why it matters

• Stories of transformation

• The shared sacrifice it took to do it

Public transparency builds trust and inspires others.

7️⃣ Measure What Matters

Track real change — not just dollars out.

Metrics examples:

• Lives served

• Jobs created

• Homes built

• Growth in volunteer engagement

• Employee belonging and retention

Then evaluate annually and refine the strategy.

🌱 Putting It All Together

Framework Step	Output
Purpose & Alignment	Giving priorities
Stewardship Strategy	% model + structure
Portfolio Design	Balanced allocation
Governance	Decision criteria & rhythm
Engagement	Team participation plan
Storytelling	Internal & external comms plan
Metrics	Impact dashboard

A Biblical Foundation for Leaders

• Stewardship over ownership (Psalm 24:1)

• Generosity as worship (Proverbs 3:9)

• Doing good through business influence (1 Timothy 6:17–18)

• Justice and mercy as leadership responsibility (Micah 6:8)

A business leader’s giving becomes a testimony of kingdom-minded leadership.

Philanthropy Starter Kit.pdf

Download PDF • 385KB