Overcome the Fear of Giving to Make an Impact

If you have $10,000 and give away $2,000, you have $8,000 remaining. It’s simple subtraction, right? Often people want to give generously but having less money for other expenses can cause concern, hesitation and even fear. It is legitimate thinking but what if it’s not a subtraction problem and instead is a multiplication equation? I’m not pulling funny math on you here as you will read about in the Youth Venture story below. Parting with money for the causes you care about can be an exercise in overcoming fear. Once you can move past this fear, you will have the joy of seeing the compounding impact of charitable dollars at work.

Youth Venture is a popular and impactful ministry organization in San Diego’s East County. From its initial setup featuring a few pool, ping-pong and air hockey tables along with arcade games all jammed into 750 square feet of space, Youth Venture now has five centers having served over 20,000 middle and high school youth. But beyond the numbers served and the skate parks, BMX tracks, and awesome events, the impact comes in the degree to which lives are changed. Many of the kids come to Youth Venture simply because it’s a safer place than home. With volunteers who demonstrate love to them, you start to see these kids turning around and helping their peers. Many of them are now adults thriving in careers and impacting their own families and communities.

Youth Venture is just one small example of a multiplication impact. One gift of $3,000 from a local businessman (coupled with a vision) launched Youth Venture. But it’s been the consistent contributions and volunteer hours infused by some larger gifts along the way that have greatly multiplied its impact.

Making a significant impact may seem like an impossible task. In working with many different families, I understand the draw of generosity and the counteracting emotional hesitancy that comes from giving your money or time. If you truly want to make an impact, take the simple steps below to change from a fearful to a confident giver.

1. Start somewhere. Find what makes you excited and give even a little of your money and time. Do something for a cause that stirs your heart.
2. Note the impact. Don’t passively wait to be motivated from afar. That’s when doubt and indifference start creeping in. Write down the life-changing results from the cause to which you are contributing. Think about what would be different and who would not be helped if that impact was not being made.
3. Coordinate your giving with your financial goals and spending plan. Your giving is no longer an afterthought but a worthy goal to build your finances around. Your practical cash flow concerns are more likely to be alleviated because of a more organized and thoughtful approach.

I love seeing families move from emotional hesitancy to confident, impactful giving. Take it step by step and don’t miss out on this exciting journey.

Turn that “subtraction” mentality into a “multiplication” perspective and do a lot of good in the process!…

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