The Stewardship of Wealth and the Ministry of Giving
By Joseph J. Bilello

      While generosity describes the quantity and the self-sacrifice of our philanthropy (how much we give), there are several other equally important dimensions that relate to the quality of giving, that is, how well we give.

      In my 20 years as a financial advisor, I have worked with hundreds of families on the accumulation, preservation, and multi-generational transfer of wealth. I have also had the privilege of advising and assisting them in their philanthropic ventures. I have noticed that people approach giving from several different starting points
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      There are a great many who give consistently with little concern for acknowledgement or even a tax receipt. For them, charity has nothing to do with guilt, prestige, or anything they might get back in return. Their generosity is motivated purely by compassion for others.

      Conversely, there are those who treat charitable contributions like all other business transactions, driven primarily by tax deductions, business exposure, and social rewards. These are very efficient givers who maximize their giving dollars but with no real passion for their philanthropy.

      Regardless of the passion or efficiency of philanthropy, there is a third dimension of giving—how effectively donations are put to work. Effective philanthropists give proactively according to set purposes and perimeters rather than reactively in response to urgent appeals. They think like venture capitalists, looking for ways to use capital investments to elevate an organization to a higher and sustainable plateau of service.

      The fourth dynamic of giving is meaningfulness. It doesn’t matter how passionate you are for a cause, how efficiently you manage your tax deductions, or how strategic you are about funding. The bigger issue of stewardship is how you have used the funds of which God has put you in charge. Does the cause correspond to your own purpose and values? Does it have eternal value?

INCORPORATING A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
      Periodically we are faced with giving opportunities that will not rate well in any of the above categories. It does not seem to be an efficient, strategic, or even a meaningful use of giving dollars. Maybe it is simply a handout that might be spent on liquor. Perhaps the gift is for a person who may not be as needy as claimed.

      A woman once came to Jesus, broke an alabaster bottle of perfumed anointing oil, and poured it over His head. Because it was a very expensive gesture, the disciples complained that it had been a waste—an inefficient and ineffective gift. But the Master stopped their complaining and said that what the woman had done would be spoken of in her memory wherever Christianity spread because she was actually anointing Him for His burial. Shortly afterward He was betrayed and crucified.

      Our determination to be faithful stewards in our giving has to be tempered with the idea of simply doing what we are uniquely called to do. When you follow those little unexplainable giving impulses, you never know what they will eventually accomplish or how meaningful they will turn out to be.

Joe Bilello, ChFC, CEP, RFC, is certified by and a charter member of Christian Financial Professionals Network (CFPN) and is President of Avanti Wealth Management and can be reached at 407-331-7330 or info@avantiwealth.com.