Cover Story: Faith-based Fundraising

Such altruistic giving brings its own rewards, to be sure, but that does not mean it needs to be easy or painless. Giving is, by definition, costly.

Faith-based givers are not apologetic about this. Their sense of generosity is rooted in the belief that human beings are created in God’s image, and God, whom they see as the supreme donor, is thus to be emulated. Therefore, to give of oneself generously, joyously and sacrificially is, for the believer, theosis — a matter of living united with God. Generosity is “godly,” and godliness is the goal of human life. We give not just because someone else needs what we have, but because we need to be generous in order to be fully human.