In an article for the National Christian Foundation, Heather Larson expounds on effective charitable giving. Larson uses the story of a pool construction project as an illustration. The CliffsNotes version:
- A sincere donor gives funds to build a pool for an orphanage in South America. The pool was a blessing to the orphanage, but due to cultural differences, it was used infrequently and became a burden for the organization to maintain. Eventually, the pool was converted to a fish pond and is a source of sustainability for the orphanage today.
It appears this pool story is included in the article to encourage effective generosity. Givers are admonished to ask questions and listen to the people on the ground where the work is happening. Outreach organizations should be inquired to determine buy-in on the proposed funding and what it will fund. Potential donors should raise questions about the sustainability of the proposed project.
We wholeheartedly agree with Heather's assessment. In fact, the action items outlined in the article are all integrated within our Project Vetting Process. Our project team conducts focused due diligence on every project, discerning buy-in, sustainability, and long-term mission. Mite coordinators are trained to ask questions. The first question we ask is, “How can we help?”
Rather than throwing out uninformed, unfounded ideas, Mite’s team discovers whether if there is a place for Mite and our donor community to help our partners accomplish their mission. We start there, and by the time we finish, we have determined if there is a good fit between our partner and our donors.
Our Program Process is a critical component of Mite’s service to donors in philanthropic advisement and thoroughly vetted, impactful project coordination. Through this process, Mite unites donors and ministry partners in trustworthy, first-class global humanitarian outreach. The effort we put into this process provides the Mite donor community with confidence that their charitable giving is making a beneficial difference and will do so for many years to come. To experience the Mite process, join our donor community by Giving Your Mite today.