Please help me give my money away! [UPDATED]

/ Paul Burkhart

As I said the other day while introducing Lent this year, the Lenten season has historically been marked by three practices of those that participate in it. Prayer and fasting tend to get most of the attention, but almsgiving is another component of a Lent-historically-done-well. Almsgiving is the ancient term for giving materially of your resources for the purpose of charity, love, and grace.

I have never been good at giving my money away. Tithing has always been difficult for me to practice; giving to the homeless has been hard; and I always have a good excuse why I’m not able to give to some cause greater than myself. Sure, I’ll talk about the organization or even write a blog post in support of it, but it’s hard for me to part ways with my money.

This season, however, I wanted to try an experiment to fight against this and hope and pray that God meets me in it and grows me in deep, lasting ways.

This Lent, I want to give away some of my money everyday. For Monday through Saturday (the Church considers Sundays Lent “mini-breaks”), I want to give some amount of money to a non-profit or charity that can use it to help others.

But I need help.

If you have a non-profit or charity or social justice organization that you particularly like, could you leave a comment below telling me what it is?

I don’t know of 40+ separate organizations I can give my money to (I’ll probably eventually do some repeats, but I want to diversify as much as possible!). In your comment, it would be nice if you included a link and a description or story as to why you like it, but don’t feel like that’s necessary. They don’t have to be religiously-based either, and can do any variety of things to help exalt those they serve.

Please, tell your friends about this initiative. I need lots of help. Retweet, re-post, reblog, share, Digg it, StumbleThis, Like, +1, and “Pin This” to your heart’s content (you can find links to do all these things below).

Here is a list of those organizations I’ve given to so far, and a list of those I plan to give to. I’ll try and update this list throughout Lent to let you know how it’s going. Thanks and may God bless you and meet you in this Holy Lent.

Organizations I’ve given to:

Organizations I plan to pick from to give to:

Feel free to check these out and give of your own resources to them as well. Let this be a community effort! Use the links below to spread the word about this. And thanks for the help.

28 thoughts on “Please help me give my money away! [UPDATED]”

  1. Hey Paul!!!

    Hope all is well. I hope you remember me. Im Barbara that use to go to Epiphany. But I just got accepted to go to Uganda to help the ministry called Covenant Mercies to participate in the Covenant Mercies June 18-30, 2012. The trip isorganized by Covenant Mercies, a nonprofit Christian organization associatedwith Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.

    CovenantMercies has partnered with a local church in Nagongera, Uganda, to assist inrelief efforts for orphans in the region through an Orphan Sponsorship Program.This program is currently assisting in providing necessary health care,nutrition, housing, education, and Christian upbringing for over 500 orphanedchildren.

    Duringthis trip, we will be continuing to invest in our partnership with the localchurch members and the community of Nagongera by constructing a Sciencelaboratory for New Life School. This school will provide CovenantMercies’ children and others in the community with a quality education supported by a strong foundationof Christian values, with a goal to equip these children to become leaders inthe church, community, and the country.

    The construction project is being funded by Covenant Mercies’fundraising efforts. However, as a team member I am responsible for raising funds for my ownexpenses which will total approximately $3,200 (including airfare, lodging,meals, etc.). If you would like tomake a tax-deductible contributiontoward this need, please make your check payable to “Covenant Mercies” with “Barbara Verneus” – “Uganda Construction Team”in the memo line. Any funds Iraise in excess of my expenses will be applied against other team-relatedcosts. Checks can be given to me,or mailed directly to:

    CovenantMercies
    OneFellowship Drive
    GlenMills, PA 19342

    If youwould like more information about this trip or about Covenant Mercies ingeneral, please feel free to contact me. You could also visit their web site atwww.CovenantMercies.org. Whether you are able to support mefinancially or not, I trust that I can count on your prayers as I travel from June18th -30rth. I am very aware of my need for God’s grace, and equally confident that hewill give it abundantly as we ask for it.

    Thank youvery much for considering this opportunity to serve the orphans of Uganda!

    Sincerely,

    Barbara Verneus
    267-601-2898
    bverneus81@gmail.com

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  2. Home of Hope in Houston TX. Houston is the largest “importer” in human trafficking, in the states. Home of Hope is an outreach that actually rescues these women and ministers to them fully. This would be an opportune place.

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  3. Hey Paul!

    Well written. I work for and recommend the Yahweh Center. It helps abused, neglected, and at risk kids 5-12 through residential treatment, out patient services, and child placements. I began volunteering here 7 years ago and started work almost 5. It does good work.

    P.S. 10 bucks goes a long way.

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  4. Hey Paul,
    Thanks for the reminder that Lent includes alms giving. Also it is a great idea to get a list together of some great places to donate.

    I would like to include on the list: Mosaic Family Services (http://www.mosaicservices.org/)

    A Dallas based legal, counseling, and health services provider for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking – primarily in our growing refugee community. They have a multicultural staff of case workers and attorneys as well as a shelter in which they house women while they transition out of abusive relationships. My wife is the development director for them so I can attest first hand to immense amount of on the ground work they do day in and day out. Great organization though they aren’t well known outside of the local refugee community – makes you wonder how many small organizations are out there trying to make our cities better places to live.

    Thanks for keeping up your blog.
    -Jacob

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  5. Hi Paul,
    I’m always an advocate of giving to public radio (WHYY locally, of course!)

    Through my years running United Way workplace campaigns, I got to know more about a few local organizations whose missions positively impact our local communities (and I learned my non-profit coworkers had a great passion for their causes as well)…here’s just a few:

    Philabundance
    ActionAIDS
    Project H.O.M.E.
    Big Brothers Big Sister of SEPA
    Living Beyond Breast Cancer
    Girls, Inc.

    Awesome idea, by the way!
    -Lisa

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  6. Paul, at liberti church we are also challenging folks for lent not only to give up something but to give out what we save in love. We are delivering 1,000 meals (so you can also give your time), and digging three wells in South Sudan to provide 6,000 people clean water for 20 years.

    Starting this Sunday for a week, every dollar given will be matched, which is an awesome opportunity.

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  9. Ashley, you’re so right! How could I have forgotten. And thank you everyone else that replied. I will definitely be giving to these great ideas!

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  11. Perhaps because I’m a protestant and have never really dug any deeper, I wasn’t aware of the almsgiving aspect of Lent. This is something that more of us ought to do. As far as charities go, my suggestion was one that you’ve already given to: International Justice Mission.

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  12. I’d be remiss not to add Lemonade International (http://www.lemonadeinternational.org/) to the mix, an org working in Guatemala City, in the largest urban slum in Central America. This is the one Katie and I supported at our wedding, and as two people working in relief and development, we love what they’re doing – small, relational, strategic, inspiring, holistic and pointing to Christ.

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  13. Hey Burkhart, a missionary friend of mine works for an obscure part of Cru called 100% Sent that affirms and helps provide support to ALL Christians after they leave their college ministries (not just those that go into “full-time” Christian vocations). If you’re interested in hearing more I can have him shoot you an email or give you a call.

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  14. I would give to Lemonade Intl, but Tim already mentioned that! A few other orgs I like: MCC (http://www.mcc.org/ ), Hope International (http://www.hopeinternational.org/ ), World Relief (http://worldrelief.org/ ), Food for the Hungry (www.fh.org ) and of course there is always CCEF! 🙂

    Love this Paul, thanks for your honesty about how difficult it is to give. I pray for a fruitful Lenten season as you consider the physically, spiritually and emotionally poor among us.

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  15. I love what you’re doing Paul. Tangentially, did you know Words with Friends doesn’t consider “alms” to be a word?

    And the pitch:
    Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia provides free, one-hour counseling sessions to needy clients. Often, these sessions are followed by pro bono or reduced fee work, or follow-up free counseling to coach the client to self-advocate. It is a blessing to be able to use our legal training to assist clients with their current needs while also addressing spiritual and eternal issues. Check us out: http://www.clcphila.org/wp/
    (Donation link: http://www.clcphila.org/wp/donate/)

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  19. Blessings, Paul,
    Logos Guildworks Ministries-iABRAHAM is a Christian-based ministry to the Abrahamic faiths. We invite our Jewish-roots brothers and sisters, and our Islamic cousins to enter into the Grace possible through acceptance and experience of Jesus Christ, and to take those direct experiences through design arts, Ministerial and arts Fellowships, Moving Image, Sculpture and Music and evangelize through the fruits of the Spirit, from a true ground of reconciliation in Christ.

    We have members and participants from the “least of these”, emerging unknown folks, to globally recognized artists, but we are brand new and in deep need of financial support. Especially, as I’ve given up all my commercial work, to attend seminary, found and now direct this burgeoning ministry.

    Please, consider helping us in our desire to live into, share and feed the world through the transforming power of the arts, created in God’s image, to feed the world from fruits of the Sit.

    Pax et Bonum
    Deborah Risa Mrantz, Founder|Executive Director, Logos Guildworks Ministries

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  20. Buenas tardes, ante todo Dios te bendiga por compartir tu fortuna con el resto de las personas, si todos pensaramos igual que distinto seria este mundo. Este año tuve que cerrar Tierra de Niños, un centro recreativo en el que se dictaban talleres para niños y adolescentes. Ademas de sentirme totalmente frustrada, quede sin nada, con muchas deudas y una gran frustracion. Se que Dios siempre cierra una puerta pero abre otras y rezando llegue a tu pagina. Espero que puedas ayudarme, ya que tengo tantos problemas economicos que no se como seguir. Son mis hijos y la fe las que me mantienen en pie. Espero que esto llegue a ti lo antes posible, o a alguien que me pueda ayudame. Saludos

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  23. hello my name is lisa im a mother of 3 children hailey 6 brandon 5 and abbys whos 3. my son has autism and adhd he requires 24 hour attention which makes it very hard for me to work. i never knew how hard it was to raise 3 kids until i had to do it alone . there daddys always in jail for not paying his support oreder and hes moved all the way accross the states running.im not asking to be rich or anything i just wanna be able to pay my bills on time and have a roof over my kids heads . any amount will help me even a dollar because right now every dollar counts if you cant thats fine and thank you for taking the time to read this . if you can my email is lisaharris2089@yahoo.com thats the same as my paypal email if you can help in anyway. thank you sincerly lisa

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  24. IAM NOT WORKING EVERYTIME I GO BACK TO WORK I HURT MY BACK AND NECK I WORK FOR DEPT STORE MANAGER 2000 A BOX I LIFTED FELL TO ME FEET LIFT SEEM TO BE HARD AT TIME BUT IT PAID FOR FOOD ON TABLE FOR MY KIDS I WORKED THERE 2 YRS I HAVE RASIED MY CHILDREN AND GRANDBABIES NOW AND TRY TO GO BACK TO WORK AGAIN STILL EVEN PARTIME DOING SAME THING I GET HURT WAITING GAME FO RWORKMAN COMP OR SSI SUCKS IAM 55YRS OLD I CANT STAND TO LONG BECAUSE OF MY INJURY MY LS5 IN LOWER BACK BLUGE and neck injury from working and none ever wants to help I DONT THINK IT WILL EVER REPAIR BECAUSE DAM INSURANCE STOPPED PAYING MY INJURY NOW WITH 2 LAWYERS TRYING TO FIGHT FOR MY WORKMAN COMP AND SSI IAM A WAITING PERSON ON LINE I NEED A PLACE TO LIVE I HAVE BEEN OVER WELCOME IN MY DAUGHTER HOME NO MONEY AND NEED A HOME WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE ME HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS IN STRESS AND PAIN OF WAITING ON LAWYERS GAME AND GOVERMENT IAM WRITING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE NO WHERE TO TURN I JUST HAPPEN TO COME ACCROSSED YOU SITE WOW PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF GIVE MONEY TO CHURCHES ECT BUT CHURCHES EVEN RUN OF OF MONEY TO HELP IAM HOPING YOU CAN HEAR MY CRY FOR HELP I DONT WANT TO FEEL LIKE IAM HOPLESS AND LOST IN THIS WORLD OF ALL THE HARD WORK I DID IN MY LIFE CAN YOU HELP I JUST WANT A HOME ,FOOD ,MONEY TO LIVE. GOD BLESS YOU. THEY SAY BECAUSE OF MY AGE I CAN NO LONG DO THAT KIND OF WORK AND MORE WHAT AM I TO DO. CAN YOU HELP .THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENINGTO MY LIFE STORY.i have been a burnden to my family please help! ILL LEAVE MY EMAIL txdream47@yahoo.com 214-577-3593 my name is Darlene Soltan 2580 collin mckinney pkwy apt 2707 TX 75070:

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