campaign

In June, I posted a blog regarding the challenge given by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, called The Giving Pledge. In it, Gates and Buffet challenged the nation's billionaires to pledge to give away at least 50% of their fortunes to charity, either at death or while still living.

Buffet reports that roughly half of the people approached to participate have agreed to do so thus far. Great results and we're barely two months into the challenge! The number one reason most high capacity donors share for not giving...no one asked. If this doesn't motivate you as a leader of your church or non-profit ministry to begin asking, what will? Go for it. You have nothing to lose...except a lot of charitable dollars. By the way, lots of other non-profits out there are asking - remember that you are competing for these contributions.

As of this writing, 40 have signed on with a pledge! You can view the list of donors here. You'll recognize many of the names - T. Boone Pickens (oil), Larry Ellison (software), George Lucas (E.T, Star Wars) and David Rockefeller. If you click on a name on the donor list, you can read a letter each has written regarding their pledge.

During the last 18 months I have had multiple opportunities to speak at seminars and conferences in different parts of the county. In most instances, there have been in the audience architects, builders, general contractors and other professionals who serve churches and faith-based ministries through the construction industry .

During Q & A sessions and one-on-one conversations, the prevailing discussion centers around church financing. The common reason for stalled building projects among churches relates to the client's inability to secure financing for their project. 

In 2005 - 2007, a church considering an expansion initiative would have likely had multiple lenders in line, all interested in funding the project. Much like the residential mortgage environment at that time, the church lending waters were easy to navigate and the borrowing options were plentiful. Today, that is definitely not the case. 

In what is being called one of the biggest fund raising pitches in US history, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet recently launched a campaign to challenge the nation's billionaires to give at least half of their fortunes to charity.