Author Archives: Stewardship Foundation

Gold Medal Anticipation

Posted on by

The opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics is only hours away. Those on the planning committee have been preparing the host city of London over the past four years. If you have read or seen interviews of those in charge you get the sense that the city is ready – ready to host the world.

Olympic SwimmerWe will be treated to a magnificent display of talent and pageantry. While watching the extravaganza we may fail to appreciate all the hard work that led up to this moment. The performers want you to enjoy their efforts without analyzing or adding up the hours spent by the performers. However, they know and we know their proficiency was developed and executed over time.

After the opening ceremonies we eagerly await the competitions. We will cheer for our home athletes and we will marvel at their skill. We will be treated to many stories that will trace the journey of these athletes and their families. A common theme that will emerge is that many, many hours of practice and preparation were necessary to give these athletes the opportunity to compete for the gold medal. Parents and families sacrificed much to assist their athletes in their quest for gold. No doubt we too will shed some tears of joy when our athletes successfully achieve the medal for which they dreamed. They and their families may never be able to fully express their feelings while standing on that podium. All they might be able to appreciate, as they gaze out from the podium, is that the journey is worth it. They will not feel the need to explain to us how difficult the journey was or how many times they fell, or almost failed. They will just want us to enjoy this success with them.

The legacy planning the Stewardship Foundation invites you to explore parallels the Olympic journey of those hosting the events and the athletes competing in them. Legacy planning requires that you plan for future success and the “gold” you wish to leave your family and the charitable causes you support. The decisions you make now, and the plans you implement, can have a positive affect those important to you. And like the gold medal athlete basking on the podium, you too can rejoice in the fruit of your legacy that you started today. You will not have to explain the sacrifices you made to your family or the benefitting charity; you will rejoice knowing those you love and support will benefit from your gold medal foresight.

Contact the Stewardship Foundation to start your legacy today.

 

Why the Manhattan Declaration…

Posted on by

Although the Stewardship Foundation has been in existence since 1990, (You can read about our history: www.stewardshipworks.org), Joe Finneran and I decided to shift the foundation’s focus because we were inspired by the Manhattan Declaration. read the Manhattan Declaration This declaration is a statement of belief of course, but is also a challenge issued by Roman Catholic and Protestant pastors to embrace what we share; oppose what we know that violates our Judeo-Christian heritage; and put at God’s disposal what He has given to his people.

Too often people focus on what divides us and too often people embrace relativism and inaction.  Consequently ministries are dying on the vine because they are not replenished with the necessary resources even though those resources are available through existing and future donations.

The SF is an ecumenical, Christian-based foundation that works with all faiths that promote respect for human life from conception to natural death, honor traditional families that encourage the full development of men, women, and children who are created in God’s image; and that safe guard religious freedom as a means to embrace our Creator God, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit as we understand them.

Jesus said “For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40) We believe the Manhattan Declaration enables us to see that there are more people for us and our cause than are against us.  We at the Stewardship Foundation seek to be inclusive and unite those who are not against us.  Our challenge is to build on that which we share and encourage those who share our mission to financially support those ministries in the trenches furthering the kingdom of God here on earth.

Who are Joe Finneran and Jim Kebe?

Posted on by

Joe Finneran and I have known each other for almost twenty years during which times we have discussed, prayed about, and challenged each other and our families to live the principles that have come to guide the Stewardship Foundation.  Joe is a certified financial planner with almost thirty years of experience in planned giving practices.  Joe has always been intrigued by the motivations behind one’s investing practices while simultaneously has been challenged by the directive of Jesus to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s”.

Too often that directive has been completely ignored, or muted enough that people have no clear sense of how much of what they have actually belongs to God.  Therefore, Joe believes the Stewardship Foundation is responsible to ask those who have how much should they give back to God. Joe further understands that fear is one factor that hinders some from giving God his just due.

Consequently, Joe’s philosophy in managing his clients’ money is to enlighten them about their charge to give back to God, and to educate them on the most beneficial way they can manage their assets.  Joe believes one’s first responsibility is to his or her family and, when Joe addresses this concern, he finds one more willing and able to give back to God that which rightly belongs to Him.

I have been working with church ministries and non-profits since 2000 and I am continually inspired by those who work in these areas.  Those who work in charities and non-profits usually have an unparalleled passion and zeal for their ministries and the people they serve.

Most of these executive directors and staff works are motivated by service rather than financial rewards, but their services a dependent upon donations.  Characteristically, however, their ability to serve and further their respective ministries is not matched in their fundraising efforts.  Most non-profit directors and workers do not like to fund raise and they find their ministries struggling to meet their needs month to month.

The Stewardship Foundation wants to assist ministries and non-profits in their fundraising endeavors. A reality not often understood by non-profit fundraisers is that 80-90% of their potential donor’s assets are not in cash. Yet, most fundraising efforts by non-profits focus on cash assets only.  As a result, non-profits limit themselves to only 10-20% of their donor’s potential giving pool.

The Stewardship Foundation enables non-profits to explore receiving from a greater donor resource.  And donors appreciate knowing how they might utilize their assets better thus making more money available to their favorite non-profits.