How Generous is an Impractical Donation?
Posted by C. Holland on Jan 08, 2009One of the churches where we help out here from time to time was gifted with a large amount of brand-new desktop computers almost four years ago. The donor from the States took it upon himself to decide that the church needed not only computers for staff use but a computer lab was necessary. On the surface, this was a great idea that made the donor feel that their money was being well spent, plus it most likely sounded impressive and generous to those in his circle (I happen to know the specific donor and his personality would bear this out). Then the donor disappears.
Fast forward a couple of years later to us entering the service of the church and offering our technical knowledge to help with the computer lab which by then was, simply, a mess. What we found was an unsecured wireless internet, viruses (or is it virii?) running rampant, and at least half of the computers rendered non-functional. It took us quite some time to clean up and lock down each computer, and acquiring security/anti-virus software ended up costing the church. After some rudimentary training of the staff on computer security and maintenance, the church computers were in much better shape.
Fast forward one last time to 2009, and the computers are nearing their planned obsolescent end-of-life. The staff have become dependent on the office computers for ministry, so the lab computers have been slowly repurposed as each office computer gives up the ghost. In fact, the lab no longer exists because there are no more computers left for it. Meanwhile, several office computers are making the sounds and signals of impending failure. The church, already financially struggling, may not have the finances to replace any of the remaining computers.
The donor just made a timely reappearance, but instead of asking the church what it needed (replacement computers, or maybe even cash to pay the heating bill), they were “gifted” with banner printers. That need a supply of ink. And a computer to run them.
Of course, this selective donation happens in the States, too. A good pastor friend of mine badly needed the roof replaced on the church. Instead of taking this basic (read: boring) need to heart, the church’s key donor decided that he wanted the bathrooms refinished. Bathrooms that were admittedly dated, yes, but still very functional. Though it could have waited the bathrooms were refinished, so the pastor was left to fundraise for the roof. And another friend who worked at a secular non-profit assured me that they faced similar difficulties with donors who would rather donate to a glamourous-sounding project than the most practical need.
So how generous is an impractical donation? In the bathroom scenario, basic need was ignored in favour of the donor’s opinion. In the case of the computers, there was no training, security, or maintenance provided to keep them useful. Additionally, a dependence was created on something that must be replaced every five years (if you’re lucky) at considerable expense which currently cannot be handled without another donor stepping up to the plate. It feels like in both cases the first consideration is the donor’s desires, and perhaps it is allowed because of the perceived generosity involved.
Donations are the lifeblood of mission work, and we are truly grateful for those who have listened to what we need instead of deciding what our needs are. The examples above are not specific to the problem, as I’m sure that computers or bathrooms may be a viable need in some circumstances. So I offer the following if you’re considering donating to mission work:
1) Pray about the need
Sometimes it’s painfully obvious that the donor is not of the same mind on need and has already chosen what they think is required. God knows what is truly needed.
2) Be willing to listen to feedback
The bathroom donor had decided what he was going to do, so even when the pastor politely informed him of the roof, the donor wasn’t going to be swayed. The pastor had a very good reason to redirect the donation, and if the roof repair hadn’t been necessary, the bathroom would have been the next logical focus.
3) Realise that cash donations can fill a viable need
Donors have contacted us personally with ideas about what items they think we need. Some have actually been helpful, others not so much. Keep an open mind that cash may be needed to purchase an item here in the mission field that cannot be remotely purchased, or sometimes we need to pay a heating bill. I know the brag factor is low on paying a bill as opposed to purchasing Bibles, but we appreciate it just as much.
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