Plus, using data and scripture to understand a cause; and the benefits of donating stocks. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  
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The Bottom Line and Beyond logo

a generosity newsletter from The Signatry

IN THIS EMAIL

  • What does it mean to be a godly owner?
  • Cause area explorations: Human trafficking
  • The (un)expected benefits of donating stock

What does it mean to be a godly owner?

biblical ownership thumbnail

“How do we become, by the power of the Holy Spirit, what God created us to be?” 

 

Godly ownership is not ownership at all. It's stewardship of what God owns. 

 

In this video, our CEO Steve French shares his heart for pursuing wise, biblical stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us. 

 

Stewards of God’s wealth 

God created and owns everything. He communicates this throughout the Bible, implicitly and explicitly. 

 

“For every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine.”

- Psalm 50:10-11 

 

“Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” - 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 

 

He entrusts us with temporary authority—stewardship—over some of his resources. Not unlike a wealth advisor or philanthropic advisor, our role as stewards is to use these gifts to achieve God’s goals. Scripture is our blueprint. 

 

Stewards of God’s image 

When God created the earth and everything in it, he created humans in his own image. That means we share his creativity—the ability to see a problem or gap, envision something better, and create the solution. 

 

We steward God’s image by applying his creative DNA to the needs we see all around us. 

 

Stewards for God’s kingdom 

As entrepreneurs, leaders, investors, and working professionals, we know what can happen when resources and creativity come together: wealth grows, problems are solved, and—hopefully!—people are blessed. 

 

This is our privilege as God’s stewards. When God’s wealth and God’s creativity meet, his kingdom flourishes. 

 

The world thinks in terms of ownership. As Christians, we seek God first and strive to become the good stewards he created us to be. 

Cause area explorations: Human trafficking

 

Is the fight against human trafficking one of those causes that lights a fire in your heart? Are you curious what the data says about the causes and solutions? 

 

This brief overview from Effective Altruism for Christians covers the $236 million/year industry from the perspective of a strategic problem-solver. As the author points out, correct understandings of what trafficking is and who is affected are critical to finding and funding truly effective solutions. He also identifies a few organizations whose work looks promising. 

 

One surprising and encouraging finding: Early estimates from work in India (2015-2018) suggest that it cost $126 to free one additional person from bondage. 

 

Whether your cause is human trafficking or something else, this overview is a great example of how Christians can approach the big problems God calls us to solve. 

Full cause overview

The (un)expected benefits of donating stocks 

Most charitable giving is done in cash. Have you ever tried donating other types of wealth? 

 

Donating stocks is one under-utilized strategy for tax-efficient giving that still keeps life simple. 

 

Many of our donors have been surprised at how easy it is to give appreciated, publicly traded securities straight to a donor advised fund (DAF). They’re also happy to learn that stock gifts carry several benefits for their own families and the nonprofits they love. 

 

  • Tax benefits: Donated shares generally aren’t subject to capital gains tax. That means 100% of the appreciation of your investments can go straight to ministry. 
  • Tax benefits 2.0: With the funds you saved from capital gains taxes, you can reinvest and/or give more to the causes you care about. 
  • Small nonprofits may benefit most: Donating stocks is always an option, but the ministry you want to support may not be equipped to process such a gift. Instead, you can donate your stocks to a DAF first, where they will liquidate and become available to send as a cash grant to any approved nonprofit. 
  • Spread your gift over time: You may want to complete a large stock gift before you know how to disperse it all with confidence. By giving to a DAF, you can donate stocks when you need to, then recommend grants over time.
    • This extends to recurring gifts, too! 

 

Click below to hear from one of our donors about how donating stocks allows his family to sustain a higher rate of giving. 

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This does not constitute nor does The Signatry provide legal, tax, financial or other professional advice. You should consult professional advisors concerning the legal, tax, or financial consequences of your charitable activities.