Bringing the Path into Focus: An Innovative Tool to Simplify Your Ministry’s Next Step in the Fight Against Poverty

BETHANY HERRON
Vice President of Education
Read more from Bethany

Listen to this article:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth …

Robert Frost isn’t the only one who has lacked directional clarity. Does any of this sound familiar?

“Should I refine our benevolence ministry?”
“Is it time to implement relational case management?”
“Now that we’ve refined our programs, how do we get the community on board?”
“Which path will make the biggest difference in our fight against poverty?”

If you’ve ever wished someone would come alongside you, link arms, and help you answer tough questions like that, I have good news for you.

The wait is over.

True Charity network members now have access to The Path to Effective Charity, an innovative tool that redirects over a century’s worth of well-intentioned but misapplied charity practices. In many cases, those practices have hurt more than they’ve helped and created enormous confusion for nonprofits and churches seeking clear, trustworthy guidance for questions regarding their specific phase in charity-related ministry.

To fully appreciate the value and impact of The Path to Effective Charity, it’s worth …

A Quick Look at the History of Charity in the U.S.

Family and community-driven. Relational. Empowering.

One hundred years ago, these principles characterized charity best-practices that enabled many to break the chains of poverty. The path to that end was clear and ministry workers knew it, as evidenced by these comments from the early 1900s:

Charity organizations responded by instructing all volunteers to work hard at “restoring family ties that have been sundered” and “strengthening a church or social bond that is weakened.” The prime goal of relief, all agreed, was not material distribution but “affiliation.”

Affiliation and bonding, categorization and discernment–when the process was working well, the next key element was long-term employment of all able- bodied household heads.”

(from The Tragedy of American Compassion)

Tragically, over the next few decades government welfare programs stepped in and the community stepped out. Personal responsibility and relational engagement was replaced with impersonal, distant aid. Dependency replaced empowerment. Consequently, the clear, well-marked path to effective charity became choked with bureaucratic weeds. Fewer and fewer people thought the trip down that path was worth it.

However, in the last few decades, trailblazers around the nation have quietly invested their blood, sweat, and tears to recapture the past and accomplish a nationwide resurgence of effective charity.

In that spirit, the True Charity Network is a nationwide coalition of trailblazers who believe people are made in the image of God and therefore have the dignity and capacity to live flourishing lives. Through the nationwide efforts of our brave, compassionate members, the path to effective charity becomes clearer each day.

What Does This Mean For You?

Since 2018, network members have shared best practices with anyone wanting to do charity better. Their open-handed approach has resulted in a growing library of resources that provide guidance on fundraising, food cooperatives, residential life transformation programs, advocacy, mental health, trauma, transitional housing, benevolence programs, transportation, outcomes tracking, and so much more. In addition True Charity provides opportunities for connection through online learning experiences and at our annual Summit.

Specifically, after years of observation, we’ve noticed most network members journey through five phases:

Phase 1: Get Started
Phase 2: Build Buy-in
Phase 3: Program Design
Phase 4: Launch & Refine
Phase 5: Influence Others

Where Do I Start on the Path?

Our team has created a simple quiz to help you discover your current location on The Path to Effective Charity. After you take the quiz, you’ll be placed within one of the five phases listed above. Then, you’ll receive recommended resources to help you succeed in that phase.

As a bonus, you don’t have to be a network member to access this quiz. However, be aware recommended tools are reserved for network members.

So if you are looking for a clearer path ahead, we invite you to discover your suggested next steps today by taking the The Path to Effective Charity quiz. We pray that with the Lord’s help, it will make all the difference in your ministry.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

For more information on effective charity and how your organization can implement programs that deliver long-term results to those being served, visit truecharity.us/join.

Already a member? Access your resources in the member portal.