The Art & Ethics of Fundraising
Evangelical relief agencies raise money to help hurting people. Critics say they manipulate donors. Agencies say they highlight the most telling truths. Who is right?
Ken Waters | posted 12/03/2001 12:00AM
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Ultimately, then, God calls both donors and communicators to accountability. Those who seek our funds to spread his kingdom grapple daily with applying biblical principles to how they use resources. Our responsibility is to cooperate with those agencies, not only questioning them when we feel their communication tactics have slid down that slippery ethical slope, but also heeding their call for help.
Ken Waters is a professor of journalism at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. During the 1980s, he served as a communication executive with World Vision International.
Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
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A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.
Christian relief agencies are currently debating how to use the September 11 terrorist attacks in appeals.
See the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability for the "Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship."
More Money, More Ministry
is available at Christianbook.com.
Jonathon Benthall's Disasters, Relief, and the Media is available at Amazon.com.
See the official Web sites for Christian relief agencies mentioned in the article:
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