The Three T’s of Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others, as expressed by the donation of money. While “charity” solves short term problems of the needy, “philanthropy” solves long term needs. A popular acronym is “The Three Big T’s of Philanthropy” — Time, Talent, and Treasure. 

The 3 T’s promote the spiritual well-being of the individual giver and the financial and human needs of the poor.

The word steward first appeared in language during the Middle Ages as a “job description” — a steward, or manager, of a large household. Over time, it was used more broadly to describe management of others and activities outside the home, in business, courts of law, and organizations. Nowadays… 

A good steward builds good relationships with others in order to earn their loyalty.

You may recall the biblical story of the “good steward” in Mathew’s Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The story teaches us that to those who are entrusted with much, whether it be money, assets or non-financial riches, much is expected.

Stewardship has become more than the time, talent, and treasure of an individual, and today includes all of life: mind, body, and spirit, material possessions, friendships, relationships, and attitude about our ourselves and our place in the world and the responsibility this entails.

The acclaimed author C.S. Lewis once said: “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”

How can the Stewardship Foundation help you practice the “Three T’s of Philanthropy” to build a better world while at the same time building a safer financial future for you and your heirs? We advise; you choose. Call (614) 800-7985 for a conversation.

Stewardship and Discipleship

his Own AlreadyWhen we think of stewardship, we think of taking care of something. Stewardship could be defined as: where the concept of faith, works and economics intersect.

In the book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote:

Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.

So what does stewardship look like in our modern daily life? We often refer to Deuteronomy 8:17-18 where we are reminded not to say, “It is my own power and the strength of my own hand that has got me this wealth…” but “the Lord, your God, for he is the one who gives you the power to get wealth…”

We find our strength in Colossians 3:23-24:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

On our journey to be good stewards of our opportunities, we also strive to be good disciples by reminding ourselves that all that we do, we do for Him and that all we achieve with our clients’ investment choices are, in a sense, His own already.