Is Your Church the Best Place
to Give?
Churches Must Learn to Compete with
Other Non-Profits
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Greetings!
This electronic message is a monthly communication to pastors from your United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana. We hope you will find the articles useful and informative. Feel free to print or forward electronically the information in these messages to members of your congregation.
Each issue will give you pertinent articles on annual giving, capital campaigns and/or planned giving. |
Is Your Church the Best Place to Give Money?  Churches Must Learn to Compete with Other Non-Profits
Why the church instead of World Vision, Oxfam, Scouts, or the state university? We must be prepared on a daily basis boldly to answer that question. |
| Read on |
Upbeat Focus
Survey: Businesses say La. economy steady
A survey of 500 Louisiana businesses found that nearly half say economic conditions in the state are holding steady. The report by Capital One found that 35% of small businesses and 39% of large employers said economic conditions were improving in the third quarter. That's up from the 18% of small businesses and 16% of large businesses that said that economic conditions were improving in the first quarter. Thirty percent of large businesses say they plan to increase spending on business development or investments, and 40% plan on hiring more workers within the next six months. Thirty percent of small businesses plan to hire more staff and 21% plan to make investments in the next six months. The survey also found that access to credit isn't an issue for most companies: more than 83% of large and small businesses say they were able to get financing.
Vast majority of Americans plan to donate to charity
Nearly 90% of Americans say they plan to donate to charity during the holidays. The American Red Cross survey of just over 1,000 adults finds that 62% of people plan to donate $25 or more this holiday season. Charities that help the poor are the most popular, 83% of the people who plan to give say they will help the needy, while 58% say they plan to give to groups that help members of the armed forces.
Research Notes
- Fifty percent of those who plan to give the same amount as last year indicated they would make sacrifices in other areas of their lives to do so.
- Eighty-seven percent who have pledged multi-year gifts will honor those commitments
- Thirty percent don't know what impact the economy will have on their giving
- Just 17.5% intend to give less-- and those who are giving less will give smaller gifts rather than halt support altogether.
- More than 40% of respondents had lost jobs or seen reductions in their income.
U.S. Jobless Rate Falls
The unemployment rate fell to 10% in November as employers cut the smallest number of jobs since the recession began. The Labor Department says the economy shed 11,000 jobs last month, an improvement from October's revised total of 111,000. That's also much better than the 130,000 Wall Street economists expected. | |
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The Blessing and Temptation of the Permanent Endowment Fund |
Every church should establish at least one permanent endowment fund. They are a marvelous blessing, but they can also create dangerous temptations. Read on |
 December Stewardship Sermon |
PastorBlast!
