REACH Vitamins

February’s giveaway is from REACH Vitamans. My good friend Tim Sandlund and I talked about this idea over tacos two years ago. He has taken that dream and turned it into reality. Every purchase of REACH Vitamins provides 5 children with life-saving nutrients for a year. If your like me you take a multi-vitamin everyday, why not have it do good for children around the world? You can find REACH in some pharmacies and online.

You can learn more about REACH through these avenues:
Twitter
Facebook
or contact REACH: hello@thereachinitiative.com

I’ll be giving away two bottles of multi-vitamins from the REACH initiative. You can enter the drawing by submitting your email or using Facebook. Additional entries can be gained  by  tweeting out giveaway  info. or liking the REACH Initiative on Facebook. Giveaway will end Monday at 10 AM.

I do not keep email address or automatically subscribe giveaway participants to my blog. If you want to subscribe you can do that here. 

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Financially speaking, here are three things to do to ensure you die well… and die broke:

1. Take care of all your debts
Psalm 37:21, “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”  Be prepared to take care of all your debts. Have sufficient insurance or assets to cover outstanding loans. Owe nothing to anyone. Doing this alone will be a blessing to your heirs.

2. Have a clear will
Even famous people fail to put together Estate Plans. Doing so can create rifts in families and even end in ugly court battles. Plan, plan, and plan. Plan your funeral. Plan how to distribute any assets you will have left. Make your intentions clear. You can find many resources online for creating a will, or visit a local attorney. It doesn’t take that much work, and it will save your family many headaches.

3. Give it away now, not when you die
Why wait to give to your kids, your church, or your favorite charities till you die? The temptation is to hang onto your money as a security blanket. Trust God and start giving. If you have responsible adult children, and you have the resources to do so, start giving them their inheritance now. They likely need it more now than they will later.

Again, if you have the resources, start giving generously to your church and/or favorite charities. Have the blessing of seeing your gifts at work now. This doesn’t mean you can’t give out of your estate, but why wait? Don’t store up treasures on earth. Store up treasures in heaven by blessing people NOW.

An added benefit of giving in this manner is your children will not view you as a dollar sign. I’ve heard older folks say they feel their kids can’t wait for them die because that’s when the inheritance will come. Don’t let them wonder what might be, start giving it away now!

Story Time

This whole idea of dying broke was recently exemplified to me by my wife’s Grandpa Hueni. Grandpa passed away last month. He was a very successful business man, started 2 churches, and raised 8 kids. When it came to money, he lived frugally and gave generously. All his children and grandchildren will tell you about his generosity toward them. He believed anything he had was because of God’s goodness, so he wanted to give it all away before he left this earth. By all estimations, last year he gave away more to churches and missions than he took in through investment and pension income.

He planned meticulously for his passing. He ensured his affairs were settled. He gave all of himself and his possessions to God and others. He has a long legacy because he was humble and generous. Like Grandpa Hueni, I want to give it all away.

The post Planning To Die Broke appeared first on drewflamm.com.

Here is my simple answer: tip enough to ensure your testimony and the gospel are advanced. This likely means you will tip at least 15%. Often it should mean you tip more. Many probably wonder, like me, what happened to the 10% tipping rule? I don’t know, but it’s gone. Expectations are now different and as Christians we should be leading the pack in generosity.

What are some other things you can do to have a positive testimony with your waiter/waitress?

1. Speak to them by name.
2. Thank them.
3. If food service is slow or food is poor. Be nice. Likely it’s not there fault.
4. If they do a good job, tell their manager.

If you are like me and didn’t grow up doing things and going places that involved much tipping, here is a guide.

Psalm 112: 5: It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

What is your tipping rule? How else can we deal generously with those in serving us in there jobs?

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I WON’T WATCH

  This month’s giveaway comes from I Won’t Watch. I Won’t Watch supports children in poverty around the world by selling really neat watches. My college roommate and his wife, Tyler and Sarah Anderson, are also selling these watches to raise support to go to India as compassion workers and help kids and teens. I’ve got two watches I’ll be giving away: one is black and the other pink. You can enter the drawing twice: once by submitting an email or signing in with facebook, the other by tweeting out information to your followers. Contest will end Monday at 10 AM.

This is what this blog is about. Learning together how we can use our money to serve God and others. Thanks for participating. I’m already so excited for next month’s giveaway! Stay tuned by subscribing.

The post Monthly “Do-Good” Giveaway: January appeared first on drewflamm.com.

Old Testament and Tithing
Quite literally tithe means “tenth.” The Bible’s first mention of tithing is in Genesis 14 when Abraham gives Melchizedek, a priest of God, a tenth of the spoils from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Under the OT law it was mainly agricultural products that were tithed. Leviticus 27:30 says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”  In a few instances animals are also indicated as part of the tithe (Leviticus 27:32), though not in every instance. There is clear evidence that currency also existed during these days but money is never mentioned as a tithe requirement in the OT.

The OT also speaks of firstfruits (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Leviticus 2:14) . Firstfruits seem to be different than a tithe. The giving of firstfruits was a practice required to remind the people that everything they had came from God.

The tithe is mentioned in Hezekiah, Malachi, and other places throughout the OT. A tithe was a requirement given under the law of God. The people of God were to recognize God as the owner and provider.

New Testament and Tithing
The tithe is only mentioned three times in the NT. During Jesus ministry he corrects the Pharisees who tithe but neglect justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42). The only other mention is in a Hebrews 5 in a recap of Abraham’s life.

While a literal tithe (10%) is rarely mentioned, giving is mentioned often in the NT.

So What Is Required Now
I believe tithing (10%) is no longer a requirement of God and the Bible. Instead giving is a heart issue. We are to give out of a response to the overwhelming grace provided through Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the OT law. That said, Jesus did not come to lower the giving bar. He didn’t die on a cross so we could give less. Instead he gave EVERYTHING and our response should be to do the same.

The tithe (10%) is a good barometer. It doesn’t all have to be given to your church, but the whole of scripture would indicate your church should be the priority. Some of us should be giving much more than 10%, others of us are in situations where it will be much less. No one should feel guilty if we can’t give 10%, but all of us should feel guilty if we are not giving generously, even sacrificially.

If you want more of a guide on HOW to responsibly plan your giving, check out my recent post on Preparing to Give.

Do you interpret tithing differently? Do believe your church should be the priority in giving?

The post What is a “tithe?” appeared first on drewflamm.com.

Over the past few weeks I have talked with a few different people whom I consider to be generous givers. I asked them about there decision process when it comes to giving. One common theme emerged, they made a plan to give.  It’s at the end of  year that my wife and I put together our giving plan for the following year. Here is the process we go through:

Step 1: Figure Out How Much We Have To Give
As a part of my budgeting process each year I approximate how much we will have to give. I figure up both the percentage of income we plan to give as well as an approximate dollar amount. Life change can always bring income change, so I find it best to have  both percentage goal as well as a dollar goal.

Step 2: Write Down the Charities We Want to Give To
We write down where we plan to give and then put it order according to which charities we think we want to give the most to down to the least. Here is a rough sketch of what that looks like for us:
1. Church
2. Alma Mater (college)
3. Local Charity #1
4. Local Charity #2
5. Alma Mater (high school)
6. Missionaries

Step 3: Create A Spontaneous Giving Category
We like to create a spontaneous category foropportunities that just come along. It’s a joy to be able to meet a need on the spot and know you have the funds available.

Step 4: Write A Dollar Figure Next to Each Charity
Let’s just say you have $1,000 dollars to give.You may spread your giving out like this:
1. Church- $400
2. Alma Mater (college)- $200
3. Local Charity #1-$100
4. Local Charity #2- $100
5. Alma Mater (high school)- $50
6. Missionaries- $50
7. Spontaneous Giving- $100
Total= $1,000

Step 5: Pray Over Your Giving Goals
Ask God to bless your plan and the organizations you are giving to. Ask Him to give you opportunities to spontaneously give. And ask Him to point out if there are any changes that need to be made to your plan.

Step 6: Work The Plan
Be sure not to wait until next December to do all your giving. It will be HARD to write all those checks at one time. Instead spread your giving out. We give to our church every week. Others we mainly give to on a quarterly basis.

What does your plan look like? Anything you do different?

The post Prepare to Give in 2013 appeared first on drewflamm.com.

Ti’s the season donors will be giving (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Are you ready to make them willing (fa la la la la, la la la la)

Don your site with a give now buttons (fa la la, la la la, la la la)
Get your mail piece in their muffins (fa la la la la, la la la la)

Integrate both mail and web (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Inspire them so they’ll say yep (fa la la la la, la la la la)

Call and visit your top donors (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Make them feel like they are owners  (fa la la la la, la la la la)

Call soon after and thank them kindly (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Collect the funds and use them wisely (fa la la, la la la, la la la)

Make sure your’e generous as well (fa la la la la, la la la la)
Do this and your Holidays will be swell (fa la la la la, la la la la) 

3 Keys to A Successful Year-End Campaign

1. Get your mail piece out on time: The rule of thumb is to have your year end piece in the hands of donors by December 1st. Yes, your message must be compelling. It must “pop”  for someone to actually open it, BUT most importantly actually get your piece sent. If it doesn’t actually arrive in donors hands until Christmas…you are in trouble.

2. Treat current donors differently: Often we send the same message, via mail or email, to all current and potential donors. DON’T DO IT!  Current donors want to know what impact their gifts are making. Non-donors want to be convinced why you deserve their gift. It’s a different message. Ensure your closest supporters get personal interaction from your organizations top leaders.

3. Be generous yourself: Donors are perceptive. If you don’t give to your organization it’s because you either don’t believe in the mission or you are not a generous person. If you don’t believe in the mission, find another job. If you are just not generous, find another career. Nonprofit/church work should only be done by generous people who love the institutions they work for. Donors will notice.

So, what’s your plan for your year-end campaign? 

The post Tis’ The Season Donors Will Be Giving (fa la la la la) appeared first on drewflamm.com.

Most of us have a political party we generally vote for, and that’s fine. But we must also remember we are voting for people. So we should be concerned with how these people live…and give. As a fundraiser I was particularly interested to study up on the candidates giving history. This is by no means a deciding factor in my vote, but it is a factor.

Here is the data:

Tax rates and charitable giving in 2011

President Barack Obama:
       Income: $790,000
       Federal taxes: $162,000
       Tax rate: 20.5 percent
       Charitable donations: $172,000
       Percentage of income: 22 percent

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney:
       Income: $13.7 million
       Federal taxes: $1.94 million
       Tax rate: 14.1 percent
       Charitable donations: $4 million
        Percentage of income: 29.35 percent

Vice President Joe Biden:
        Income: $379,178
        Federal taxes: $87,900
        Tax rate: 23 percent
        Charitable donations: $5,500
        Percentage of income: 1.46 percent

Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan:
        Income: $323,416
        Federal taxes: $64,764
        Tax rate: 20 percent
        Charitable donations: $12,991
        Percentage of income: 4 percent

 A few thoughts, questions, snide remarks:

1. Both candidates are personally generous. Both were much more generous in 2011 than in previous year. Make sense, right? According to the Washington Times, since 2000 Mitt Romney has given 13.45% of his income to charity and Barack Obama just under 7%. Romney also has a much larger income and a lower tax bracket.

2. Joe Biden needs to step it up. He gave just 1.46% of his income in 2011. In the last election cycle it was reported he gave, on average, .3% of his income each year.

3. Does religious affiliation play a role? Certainly for Mitt Romney. The Morman Church believes each member should give a tithe (10%) back to the church. Both Biden and Ryan are Catholics, which doesn’t tell us much about their giving habits. Obama is protestant, though he is not currently a member of a church. You can read more on there religious beliefs here.

Is this information important to your considerations of who to vote for, why or why not?

The post Which Presidential Candidate Gives More? appeared first on drewflamm.com.

In case you ever need it, here are some tips for saying no to giving nicely.

1. Return the phone call/email
My missionary friend told me the most frustrating part of raising support is getting people to return phone calls and emails, sometimes from his own family! I echo his sentiments. I think sometimes we are so afraid of telling someone “no” that it  just seems easier to ignore the email or phone call. In reality, this method usually only makes the relationship more awkward. It’s like in Junior High when your girlfriend breaks up with you by ignoring you (was that just me?).

If you are not interested in meeting or giving, use one of these nice rejections:

“Your cause sounds wonderful. I’ll be honest, we are strapped financially right now. I would be more than willing to hear about your cause. Then maybe down the road when we are in a better place we can give.” 

“We appreciate your organization. Right now though our giving priorities are our church, our alma mater, and we are also really passionate about cancer research. Sometime in the future we might give to your organization, but right now your cause just doesn’t make the list of what is close to our hearts.”

“I’ll be honest, I did not have a great experience with your organization. I would be willing to tell you about it if you would like, but I think visiting us would not be a fruitful use of your time.”

Feel free to say “no” to the request to visit. The person raising funds doesn’t want to waste your time or theirs. Just be respectful enough to return an email or phone call.

2. Let them know why you can’t give
Many times the ignore method is employed because we don’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings by telling them why we can’t give. Trust me, fundraisers understand you can’t give to everything.

I actually said “no” to the missionary friend mentioned above when he asked about giving monthly to support them. Here is almost verbatim what I said: “Friend, I would enjoy giving toward one-time expenses but can’t be counted on for ongoing support at this time. Our giving priorities are our church, alma maters, and an organization for which I am on the board. We are also saving any extra income for our upcoming adoption.” 

He totally understood and we are still friends.

3. Follow the golden rule
Asking someone else for money is hard. Even after doing this for 6+ years, I still get sweaty palms when it comes to the “ask.” Be gracious and put yourself in the fundraiser’s shoes. They are in a vulnerable spot and your words, even if a “no” is involved, can really make or break their spirits. If you seek to follow the golden rule of treating others like you would like to be treated, then your heart will show, even if you reject the giving opportunity.

While I specifically wrote this for dealing with those who might be doing some form of fundraising, this can apply to almost anyone who is asking you to do something for them.

Question: What are nice ways you have said “no”? What are “not nice” ways you have been told “no” by someone else?

The post Saying “No” to Giving Nicely appeared first on drewflamm.com.

So after our little talk I wrote down four goals for the rest of the week to help me keep a giving mindset. Maybe you’ll find them helpful on your vacation.

1. Spend Time With God
For me this is something I can never vacation from. If I take a day off from God you’ll know. I’m like a bear with a headache. No one ever wants to be with an angry bear, especially on vacation.

2. Don’t Worry About Work
I am one of those people who checks their email on vacation. The thought of coming back to work to tons of email is more horrifying than just checking every day. The flip side is I can become occupied mentally with work and not on spending focused time with the people I am around.

3. Ask Questions
Being a fundraiser, I ask a lot of questions and am usually pretty decent at it. I took a vacation from this essential relationship-building endeavor because it takes mental fortitude. I need to employ this skill on vacation so I can get to know the people around me and have more fun in the process.

4. Stay Disciplined
Staying disciplined over vacation entails three things. One, limiting my sugar addiction by only eating unhealthy in the evenings. Hey, you have to enjoy your vacation. Two, workout every day. Three, limit TV consumption because that turns me into a zombie. And zombies are no fun to be on vacation with.

Taking a vacation does not mean you can leave all your good, right, and healthy habits at the door. Instead, it means employing those habits toward the goals of rest, relaxation, and getting to enjoy those around you.

The post Don’t Vacation From A Giving Mindset appeared first on drewflamm.com.