Modern generosity from business to the breakfast table
IN THIS EMAIL
Cause Champions: Attainable housing for essential workers
Alternative investing for good
Find your family's giving style
Failure as a KPI
Cause Champions: Attainable Housing for Essential Workers
Jason Roberts admitted he was embarrassed when he realized that his kids’ constant movie days at school were the result of a much bigger problem.
Teachers were leaving at unprecedented rates because they couldn’t afford to live in the communities where they taught.
Jason knew this was a problem he could help solve. He determined that his most valuable contribution to the cause would be his career as an investor and home builder.
Already established as a housing development entrepreneur, he began talking with school and city officials about creating a beautiful, affordable neighborhood that would help retain essential workers. Soon, he launched Upward Communities.
The company is a private sector, non-governmental venture that builds neighborhoods exclusively for city and school employees at affordable rates.
“We’ve only sent out one email to staff, and we already have 650 people on the waiting list,” Jason said. “The demand is just so high.”
Jason's story is a reminder to keep our ears open for God’s call. He may show you a big problem, like teachers leaving your local school. He may also show you how to use your skills and abilities to be part of the solution.
“As an investor and a home builder, I can’t solve [teachers'] income problem, but what can I do? I can provide them with an amazing community that they want to live in. ... From an investment standpoint, I’ve never seen anything this emotionally beneficial.”
- Jason Roberts, Upward Communities
Alternative Investments for Good
Investing for growth and for good isn’t just for your personal portfolio. Investing can also play a key role in your generosity strategy.
The Signatry’s donor advised funds invest in a variety of alternative investments (alts), including private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, and real estate. Upward Communities is one good example of the alts our team likes to pursue: sustainable, profitable engines for good.
Many DAF sponsor organizations don’t want to dig into non-traditional opportunities like these, but our team has a bigger vision for the resources our donors entrust to us:
Sustainable growth. Diversifying a DAF’s investments can protect and sustain growth over time. What you contribute now can grow for greater impact later.
Specialized growth. Like Jason Roberts, you may know of a problem that can be solved most effectively with profitable, private-sector innovation. Investing a DAF in a company like Upward Communities is another way to fuel these beneficial ideas while growing the DAF balance for future nonprofit impact, too.
Visit our alternative investing page to learn more about how these opportunities work and how they might fit into your charitable vision.
Note: Upward Communities is not open for investments at this time; it’s an example of the type of opportunities we offer to our donors.
Find Your Family’s Giving Style
Generosity may be a call on every Christian’s life, but it looks different for everyone.
How your family gives time and money depends on your personalities, your budget, the causes you care about, and how God is calling you.
Have you ever taken a moment to think through your giving style or talk about it with friends or family? It can be a fun and fruitful exercise. Figuring out what resonates with you is one of the best ways to cultivate real joy in your generosity.
For example:
Do you prefer to give to just a few organizations, or many?
How much communication do you like to receive from the organizations you support?
Do you prefer to support time-tested solutions, or the exploration of new, innovative solutions?
You can find more questions for reflection and discussion about your giving style in our Family Giving Plan. The Giving Plan will walk you and your family through not just your giving style, but also your goals, your budget, when and how to check in on your strategy, and more.
“There is tremendous pressure to be a ‘good steward’ of the money. But are we truly stewarding resources well when we lack the courage to try new ideas that could change the world for the better?”
Is failure an important part of your story so far? Career failure, personal failure, relationship failure... I think most people would say yes.
Is failure an important part of your generosity journey so far? My guess is that the answers are mixed.
This article makes a compelling case that, even—or especially—in giving, we should treat failure “as data, not disgrace.”
I think a lot of generous givers, especially those with a business or finance background, agree in principle but, when it’s time to write a check, still struggle with risk aversion: How do I know this program will work? Will this nonprofit spend money correctly? Will they correct for mistakes fast enough?
Maybe it helps to think of our charitable dollars as this author describes: “risk capital.” Certainly, it’s not good stewardship to funnel donations toward reckless daydreamers or irresponsible ideas. But perhaps it’s also suboptimal stewardship to concentrate our giving only on preexisting success stories.
What if your generosity strategy made room to explore new ideas, validate early successes, and scale reliable solutions? Would it change how you give? Would it change how you pray?
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.
