Telemarketers and charities—follow the money—it goes to the telemarketer

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/13/when-charities-let-telemarketers-gouge-donors_partner/

This article by OSU professor Brian Mittendorf can help you sort your way through the good, bad and ugly, mostly ugly, of those phone solicitations you receive for worthy causes.  Police.  Abused animals. Women’s needs. Veterans. Cancer.  CAUTION!  Two problems:

“One is legal: State and federal authorities have a limited ability to regulate charities and their fundraisers.

The other is cultural: Charities fight new regulations, arguing that they can police themselves. Yet, they are reluctant to call out their peers who abuse the public trust.”

Charities are making things worse by not policing themselves and by becoming dependent—I guess they figure 10% of the take is better than nothing.

You the donor can police what you do.  I try to know the organization and donate directly.

Giving Tuesday is out of control—at least in my e-mail

It’s about 1:00 p.m.  (updated at 4:30) on Tuesday and so far I’ve received e-mail requests to donate for “Giving Tuesday” from these entities/organizations. At some point during the year, I probably get a news notice or information from most of them, but to hear from all in one day is a bit overwhelming. There are maybe 3 or 4 I’ve never heard of so there must be a “sucker” list going around.

This one from Stop Predatory Gambling was interesting.

"Americans are expected to lose $118 billion of their personal wealth to commercialized gambling in 2018. Many of these citizens, some of whom are your family, neighbors and co-workers, suffered life-changing financial losses.

When you look at the bigger picture, the American people are on a collision course to lose more than $1 trillion of wealth to government-sanctioned gambling over the next eight years.

This is happening at the same time that around 50 percent of the US population has zero or negative net wealth, meaning their debts equal or exceed their assets."

I think Ohioans voted down casinos many times, but we have them anyway. Was supposed to help the schools. Ha!

So far, I’ve had about 50 appeals, counting the double and triple appeals:

McConnel Arts Center

National Police Foundation

CBN (twice)

Wycliffe Bible Translators

The Catholic Thing

Greater Columbus Right to Life

Word on Fire

Wounded Warrior

Hillsdale College

Center for Education Reform (3 times)

Stand with Us (twice)

Prager University

University of Illinois

PDHC—Pregnancy Decision Health Center

Presidential Prayer Team

Lakeside (4 notices)

Black Swamp Bird Observatory

Media Research Center

Human Coalition Center (twice)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Ohio Right to Life

First Things

Ohio History Connection

Columbus Museum of Art

My Jewish Learning

Genetic Literacy Project (twice)

Hymn Society

Judicial Watch

Pope Paul VI Institute (twice)

Patriot Post

EWTN

Mercy Ships

Charity Navigator (4 requests)

Lifetime [Fitness] Foundation

Washington Post—ProLiteracy

Stop Predatory Gambling

American Spectator

Living Water International

Worldwatch Institute

Ohio History Connection

Sister Accord Foundation

How the Clintons became so wealthy and powerful

An article from 2015 reminds us of how the Clintons became fabulously wealthy--and powerful. "Clinton Foundation has basically been a foreign money-laundering operation. The scheme works like this: collect millions of dollars in foreign money, dump it into a foreign charity, pretend that the law prohibits you from ever disclosing the identities of those foreign donors to the foreign charity, then have the foreign charity bundle all the cash and send it to the Clinton Foundation. Then, when the time comes–whether it be a Clinton Foundation conference or a lavish Clinton Foundation trip overseas–make sure those individuals get some me-time with the Clintons."

http://thefederalist.com/2015/04/29/is-the-clinton-foundation-just-an-international-money-laundering-scheme/?  Good links.

Other people's money

It should be amusing, but isn't. The liberal media and the social media are pretending that they've just found out foundations use "other people's money." It was a big story in Washington Post today.

Of course. That's the whole point of those laws. I could find a cause, like a school or clinic in Haiti, set up a 501c3 with my "wealth," and ask you to contribute. You get a tax break, after IRS approval, and I get to shelter my wealth for my family legacy.

Then my 501c3, which can't be for a political cause, could set up a 501c4 to support my ideological views. All these laws were set up by our government to protect the wealthy, especially the wealthy in government, and to buy influence. Some do a lot of good; others just launder money for return to their party. Planned Parenthood which kills the unborn (for a good cause--population control of poor and black) gets money from private donors, other foundations, and from the government, then in return, it supports those candidate, mostly Democrats, who support legal abortion. The Gates Foundation has many good projects (better to give it away than pay the government outrageous taxes), but "population control" has been one of the requirements for accepting the help in Africa. Controlling black populations, regardless of country, seems to be a liberal cause. 

However, the Clintons have something to sell; Donald Trump doesn't. Did Washington Post, which is currently investigating Trump's foundation, investigate Obama's brother Malik's foundation which had no problem getting 501c3 status from the IRS while conservative groups waited years, his "charity" seems to be funding his wives--he's a Muslim polygamist like his father.

Give locally; know your charity

 No one benefits when you drop your used clothing in a Planet Aid box. And it also gets millions from the U.S. government (that be us).

"Reveal and NBC Washington dug up IRS records showing that Planet Aid makes up to $42 million per year. That money is supposed to be donated to needy communities in places like Malawi and Mozambique. But in an FBI file on Planet Aid’s parent organization also obtained by NBC, investigators wrote that “Little to no money goes to the charities.”

Planet Aid seems to be controlled by a Danish organization known alternately as Tvind or The Teachers Group, which was founded in the 1970s by a man named Mogens Amdi Petersen. According to Danish court documents, Tvind is a kind of secular, ostensibly humanitarian cult, in which members are instructed to live collectively, “transfer all their available income to joint savings,” and “forgo their personal rights, such as the right to start a family to their own wish.” Petersen himself is an internationally wanted man, having allegedly committed fraud and tax evasion and his home country, and the NBC report speculates that he may be hiding out in a $25 million, 494-acre compound in Baja, Mexico."

 http://gawker.com/planet-aids-yellow-clothing-donation-bids-are-part-of-a-1778611205

https://www.charitywatch.org/charitywatch-articles/planet-aid-39-s-34-recycling-34-program-debunked-/88

http://metrovoicenews.com/is-planet-aid-scamming-you/

 http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Behind-the-Bins-What-Did-Planet-Aid-Do-With-Your-Taxpayer-Dollars-380333921.html

I donate to the Discovery Shop (cancer), Volunteers of America, and to our church's resale shop and food pantry.  There are so many scams and non-profits so poorly checked, that you really need to do your own investigation.

Donor beware

" A morbidly obese man hailed by Michelle Obama for setting a good example for Americans by slimming down turns out to be a sex offender. A race-obsessed Black Lives Matter activist turned newspaper columnist insists he’s African-American even though he’s not. A holier-than-thou Latino actress aims to politically empower fellow Latinos – but only if they’re Democrats. These three people have all created or had connections to sketchy non-profit organizations."  Foundation Watch

The Clinton Foundation

Does the Clinton Super PAC, aka The Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation have special guidelines for transparency and taxes? Charity Navigator has them right up there with Al Sharpton's charity. How desperate is the Democrat party which in the last two decades has moved so far to the left it is unrecognizable to me, a former Democrat?

“From 2005 through 2011 investors in Uranium One reportedly donated to the Clinton Foundation. In 2010 Bill Clinton took $500,000 from an investment bank to give a speech in Russia. The bank had a “buy” rating on Uranium One stock and connections to the Russian government. Eventually the Kremlin gained 100 percent control over Uranium One through a subsidiary of Rosatom, a corporation owned by the Russian government.

Secretary Clinton was supposed to disclose the millions of dollars that the chairman of Uranium One gave to her foundation through his family foundation while various agencies within the Obama administration were reviewing the deal.

So now the expansionist successor nation to the Soviet Union, which seeks to revive its old empire, controls a large swath of American uranium that is needed to produce nuclear weapons. Multiple federal agencies apart from the State Department signed off on the deal, so it is inconceivable that President Obama did not know about the circumstances that led to the Russian takeover of Uranium One. And remember that Obama, who is now working hard to help the Islamic Republic of Iran get nuclear weapons, was caught on a hot mike at a nuclear summit in March 2012 assuring then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, “After my election I have more flexibility.” “ http://www.frontpagemag.com/2015/matthew-vadum/the-clinton-cash-for-favors-program

White privilege?

I like to shop at Volunteers of America.  Today I got a "Baby Boom Box" radio (about 7") for 90 cents, a Charles Dickens novel on cd for 90 cents plus a 10th ed Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary for $2.93.  Checking out I heard the door alarm go off and a customer came back--there were multiple apologies between clerk and customer as her bag was checked.  The customer, a white 30-ish woman, then announced that now she realized how poor and minorities feel who are subjected to this suspicion "all the time." She was giving a "white privilege" mea culpa rant right there where you can buy a coat for $2.00.  The Asian clerk who had limited English looked a little puzzled. The woman next to me who was buying a nice cookbook for $1 just rolled her eyes.

Charitable giving

Jesus preaches and teaches more on money than any other topic. Liberal Christians will remind you, if you forget. However, he never asks believers/followers to take money from others and pretend it's their own generosity. Nor does he ever suggest they ask Rome to respond to their responsibilities. Nor does he ever promise you will end poverty or change lives if you give--except maybe your own. Although Americans are the most generous in the world--giving to charity more than the GDP of some prosperous countries--the lowest income and least educated Americans (bottom fifth) give beyond their capacity. The wealthiest give proportionately the least. Giving helps your health, your happiness and even your looks! The giving season is coming--don't be stingy. http://online.wsj.com/…/SB100014240527023043374045792143334

http://www.aei.org/publication/arthur-brooks-to-unveil-new-research-on-charitable-giving/

http://allchristiannews.com/less-tithing/

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/05/19/68456_americas-poor-are-its-most-generous.html?rh=1

HIV, Ebola, and spending

This is government speak to absolve individuals who spread this disease of all responsibility.

"Creating an AIDS-free generation will require shared responsibility, including that of partner governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector, civil society, and faith-based organizations, among others."

Yet when a nurse who gave her best to help a dying Ebola patient comes down with the disease, SHE violated protocol.

-------------------------------------------

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife announced Tuesday they are donating $25 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control foundation to fight the Ebola crisis. Wow. That's spitting into the wind. Why not give it to a church or charity who actually do something like building hospitals and training local medical staff, or to pharmaceutical R & D companies developing a vaccine or cure? WHO estimates that between 40% and 70% of African health facilities are the property of or managed by Catholic churches. I'm sure they could use some help now that treating Ebola is interfering with other health concerns like malaria, TB and AIDS. Or, since so many Liberian doctors and nurses have died from Ebola, perhaps he could fund their replacements. $25 million for CDC is chump change.

-----------------------------------------------

Think we spend too much on other countries' health problems? When asked, many Americans guess 28% of our budget goes to foreign aid, but it's actually less than 1%. G.W. Bush really pushed the envelop increasing U.S. global health funding from $1.7 billion to $8.2 billion; Obama? Not so much. It's at $8.7 billion. But let's say it's roughly $9 billion. Sounds like a lot on my pension, but that's out of $4 TRILLION, or less than 1%. The largest amounts go to Africa, and most is for HIV ($4.9 billion); very little for "neglected tropical diseases" like Ebola. Also, since the Democrats came into power, some foreign aid is dependent on those countries accepting our anti-family, birth control programs. So don't believe all the hate ads you're seeing from the Democrats that stingy Republicans are to blame for Ebola. The CDC share of the health budget actually went up. (Statistics from Kaiser Family Foundation, published in JAMA, April 23/30, 2014; editorial comments are my own)

http://kff.org/infographic/visualizing-health-policy-a-snapshot-of-us-global-health-funding/

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/facebook-founder-mark-zuckerberg-kicks-25-million-ebola-n225381

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2007/np05/en/

Kicking a gift horse in the teeth

Last year Wal-Mart donated $3 million to New York City charities, including $1 million to the New York Women’s Foundation, which offers job training, and $30,000 to Bailey House, which distributes groceries to low-income residents. It’s donated some $22.5 million all across New York state. In 2011, it donated $4 million to a city program that offers summer jobs to young people and since 2004 it has donated $16 million to the city’s charter schools. But corporate good will flies in the face of progressives' agenda so NYC Council has order Wal-Mart to stop. Meanwhile, unemployment and poverty in NYC is way above the national average, and under the leftist regime of De Blasio I suspect will get worse.

http://247wallst.com/retail/2014/06/07/new-york-city-ensures-no-good-deed-wal-mart-does-will-go-unpunished/#ixzz3447pq2rV

Wal-Mart the company and foundation gave more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions during 2012, a record for Wal-Mart or any retailer. If De Blasio doesn't want the money, maybe your organization could use it.

http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/local-giving

Is there really a compassion gap?

Nicholas Kristof wrote about one child and one mother for a story, and got 3 comments which he calls an "outrage" and "compassion gap" and then segues into criticism of all conservatives/Republicans--who actually have a much better record for compassion than liberals in all studies. Plus they believe a job is better for poverty than handouts and marriage is one part of the solution to generational poverty!!

He also equates affluence with being Republican, which is just catering to his base—liberal Democrats. Most who read the first story, didn't comment. During the recession, poverty (line) increased by 16%, but food support increased by 58%. And the recent decrease we heard about was because ARRA temporary funding came to an end 4 years after the end of the recession. There is no compassion gap, but the entire nation is getting weary of the liberals' excuses and their failed programs which keep the poor tied to and dependent on politicians.

And where does he come up with this? The liberals propose abortions and close charter schools that help poor and minority children.

“To break cycles of poverty, we have the tools to improve high school graduation rates, reduce teen pregnancies and increase employment. What we lack is the will to do so.”

Like most liberals, he doesn’t break out charitable giving by faith—and whether rich or poor (the very wealthy contribute by far the most,  just like they do taxes).  And although he notes the importance of marriage in getting out of poverty, it’s just a throw away line, almost a straw man so he can criticize conservatives who promote it. Even his formula isn’t correct:  it’s 1) marriage before having children, 2) finish high school, and 3) a job—any job. He lumps unmarried moms, drugs and crime together.

“Critics [this came out of the Clinton administration]  note that if a person manages to get through high school and avoid drugs, crime and parenting outside of marriage, it’s often possible to escape poverty. Fair enough. But if you’re one of the one-fifth of children in West Virginia born with drugs or alcohol in your system, if you ingest lead from peeling paint as a toddler, if your hearing or vision impairments aren’t detected, if you live in a home with no books in a gang-ridden neighborhood with terrible schools — in all these cases, you’re programmed for failure as surely as children of professionals are programed for success.”

This is a horribly depressing home life for any child with no government program in the world that could turn it around, but he blames a compassion gap. But that’s his implication—with enough compassion (there are 79 government transfer programs including Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, low income housing, Head Start, Healthy Start, etc.), we could turn this around.

Kristof insults all his readers by judging them based on a few   snarky comments on Twitter and e-mail.  Man up, Kristof.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/opinion/sunday/kristof-the-compassion-gap.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Besides, in 2008 Kristof noted that Conservatives were more charitable that Liberals.

Arthur Brooks, the author of a book on donors to charity, “Who Really Cares,” cites data that households headed by conservatives give 30 percent more to charity than households headed by liberals. A study by Google found an even greater disproportion: average annual contributions reported by conservatives were almost double those of liberals.

Other research has reached similar conclusions. The “generosity index” from the Catalogue for Philanthropy typically finds that red states are the most likely to give to nonprofits, while Northeastern states are least likely to do so.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/opinion/21kristof.html?_r=0

What exactly is a 501c4?

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is a 501c4--and it plans to crash a GOP event this weekend in Virginia to fight its gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli II.  It is a branch of Planned Parenthood Federation of America which kills babies and is a 501c3--it's called a charity. Both are affilicated with the Democratic party, and neither are hasseled by the IRS.

“Just as 501(c)(3) organizations are often referred to as “charities,” those exempt under 501(c)(4) are called “social welfare organizations,” sometimes described as a step down from charity, or “charity-lite.” What’s the difference? Unlike charities, (c)(4)’s cannot offer their donors charitable contributions deductions on their income taxes, a serious disadvantage in fundraising; the trade-off is that (c)(4)’s can engage in unlimited lobbying in furtherance of social welfare (charities can do some), and in some candidate electoral activity (how much is debated; charities cannot do any). In addition to being more empowered politically, (c)(4)’s are permitted to confer somewhat more benefit on their members, their neighborhood or some other group that cannot qualify as a charitable class.” (Rosemary Fei)

Five viewpoints

Christians and George Soros

Many Christians refuse to watch Glenn Beck. They think he's an alarmist, a kook libertarian, or don't like his Mormon faith.  In recent weeks, there are two very good reasons to be watching and listening--his story about inflation (read articles on today's WSJ on inflationary prices on A5 and C7*), and his story about George Soros infiltrating many Christian organizations and the media, essentially buying them up. 

The Christian Left, and even many evangelicals who have become really sloppy in aligning themselves as "emerging" or "emergent" are involved in promoting pro-choice, illegal immigration, gay marriage and anti-Israel movements. Last night, using his typical high-tech, high touch methods to illustrate a point, Beck rolled out an enormous sheet of brown butcher paper on which were written the names of all the "charities" George Soros, an atheist, supports, most of which are the antithesis of the Gospel and the basic concepts on which the United States was founded.  Soros is working hard behind the scenes to get Beck off the air.  However, there are many Christians now wise to his tricks and are providing some balance and research to fight him. Even a little blog like mine gets the hit and run socialists posting in my comments or sending me e-mails(removed if they get nasty) if I speak out about Soros.

Jim Wallis is probably the best known of the Evangelical Left (although the evangelical part of him has certainly been starved  as the left of him swells and gets ever more pompous) who has taken Soros funding to support his left wing agenda.  Two years ago our Vineyard Church here in Columbus invited him as a major speaker at its rally for peace and justice (I'm paraphrasing here), and I suspect this would not happen today as Wallis' links to radical movements and marxism become more clear to even the most obtuse, warm and squishy Christian.  Also, the Christian left has been quite alarmed by the Tea Party strength, as it eats away at its own power base, so it is fighting back.

How far left have the Evangelicals swung?  Richard Cizik, the former head of the National Association of Evangelicals, now works for George Soros funding organization called the Open Society Institute.  This is beyond teetering on a cliff--he's completely fallen off the mountain top.

It's time to not only carefully read the "we believe" statement, but the mission statements, and the board of directors or trustees of any Christian organization you've been supporting or plan to support. We are at war.

*A5--11/11/10 article on new method to figure inflation--19.7% since last October; C7--article on commodities volatility, cotton, silver and soybeans.

Just 1% of Seattle Marathon money goes to charity

Maybe you should ask before you volunteer, race, walk, or make a contribution, "What percentage of the take do the charity race organizers get?" You may just be paying $30 for a $5 t-shirt and a button saying, "I did my part to defeat (disease of choice)." I checked out Premier Sports of Columbus, OH which is handling the "39th Annual Memorial Day Run." You pay an entry fee ranging from $15 to $30, depending on what and when you enter. You sign away your right to sue if Premier Sports or the sponsor are negligant (although I don't think that stands up in court) and assume all risks if you are injured. This event doesn't claim to be charity. I think Premier Sports gets everything with a token going to the Upper Arlington Civic Association. However, many events do claim to support a charity--or research for a disease--cancer, heart disease, kidney, etc. Check it out first. This marathon in Seattle contributed only about $12,000 for an event that took in over $1,000,000.

Local News | Just 1% of Seattle Marathon money goes to charity | Seattle Times Newspaper

Revisiting federal aid to religious organizations

I'll revisit the topic--no one else is. I just don't want to contribute to Christian organizations that are accepting government grants to do their Christian good works. Period. End of discussion.

There are two mandates in the book of Matthew. One is to evangelize--Go and tell people about Jesus--in a nutshell. The other is to offer a cup of cold water, or food, or comfort to a prisoner, or clothing to the naked--NOT to change a system, NOT to use up tax money, NOT even to change an individual life. No promises are made here, except one. No, the reason given is that this provides the giver, the donor, the one doing the good deed, the opportunity to meet Jesus in the needy one. It's that simple. Don't believe me? Read the story of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25. I find it a bit of a stretch that we'll receive the inheritance prepared for us from the beginning of the world because we got a government grant and distributed it to the needy. That might be a worthy career if you are a federal employee, but it's not for the Christian layperson or staff.

Jesus never suggested that any follower take money from one person and give it to another; he never asked the disciples to go to the Romans for donations to spread the good news; he never said rich people were evil or that poor people were good--he always considered the individual.

Therefore, I was really unhappy to read this in an article about World Vision, whose President Richard Stearns is now on Obama's advisory board of faith based and neighborhood partnerships (I think that is a name change from the Bush years)

"Last year, World Vision received just over $280 million in federal grants — both cash and food — amounting to about 25 percent of what we received from U.S. sources. Little, if any, of this resulted from former President Bush's faith-based initiative. Those grants have met a wide range of needs including helping address AIDS in several nations, providing food for victims of famines, conducting gang-prevention activities in several U.S. cities including Seattle, and delivering aid and emergency services in responding to natural disasters." Link.

Once you accept money from the federal government, you must play by their rules, and they may let you give that cup of water, but smack you down on the telling about Jesus part. This is really unfortunate. As Americans, through no choice of our own, we already give generously to many projects through government agencies to help the poor, the disaster victim, the diseased, and the misguided. On our own by choice and sacrifice, we give vast amounts through charities and churches. I do not expect those agencies and groups to then use my gift to turn around and become the government's handmaiden to do the cleanup through federal grants.

End of the year 2009 contributions

Time to get all those appeals and write the checks (or click the pay pal) before midnight tomorrow. Again this year we're sending a contribution to Pinecrest for their Good Samaritan Fund. Last year Pinecrest provided charitable care in the amount of $1.9 million. The Good Sam fund helps those people whose funds have run out and we donate in memory of my parents. Back in the days when Pinecrest was "The old folks home" I used to sing Christmas Carols there, and now some of my generation are using their fine facilities. No matter what community or church you claim, they all have financial struggles, with some states months behind in the Medicaid reimbursement. By-pass the bureaucracy and go directly to the source. They'll spend it wisely, I'm sure.

Lutheran Bible Translators are another fine group we support. There are still many peoples on earth that do not have scripture in their "heart language." Their Christmas card told about Rev. Tim and Lisa Beckendorf, working with the translating team for Khwe in Botswana. The national language is Setswana. Khwe is one of about 30 "click languages" found almost exclusively in southern Africa; clicks represent consonants. Some languages use only 5--others as many as 80, with 70% of the words beginning with clicks. Click languages are believed to be among the oldest of all human speech. We who speak and read English have so many resources--be generous with the translation projects. It takes many years just to develop an alphbet.

We're donating to Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio--they offered a silver ornament, but I really don't need one more thing. Organized in 1912, LSS still carries on the general charitable and religious work for which it was started through food pantries, homeless shelters, senior living residences, affordable housing communities and other services. I would wish that these services were less dependent on the government, but then that means more support from the Christian community, right?

I've been supporting the Pregnancy Decision Health Centers for years, helping women bring their babies to term rather than aborting them. Some babies are adopted, but most will go home with their mothers who just a few months before may have been abandoned by the baby's father or grandparents and will continue to have a tough struggle. If every Christian would cut their funding to Planned Parenthood, which funds abortions, and instead helped the mothers, this world would be a more peaceful, loving place.

Lower Lights Christian Health Center was started some years ago by Dr. Dana Vallangeon, and there are now 3 doctors on staff. It's at 1251 W. Broad St. in Columbus. It serves people who don't have health insurance or have a gap in their services. $100 will pay for one visit, and it's all done with the love of Christ. One program is called Rachel's House, transitional living for women who have been incarcerated. Another project is AIM, which supplies mentors for people attempting to leave a cycle of poverty. I've heard Dana speak, and she is an amazing woman of seemingly endless energy, ideas and love.

We heard about a family whose rented home had a fire and then the mother couldn't work due to illness after they relocated. A special Christmas Eve offering was to go for the family but the community was hit by ice and snow and attendance was small. So we sent a check to the pastor who knows their situation.

A group that had sort of fallen off our radar is World Mission Prayer League, 232 Clifton Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403, and when I looked them up, I could see why. They don't do mailings and solicitations. They depend on prayer, and they do have a blog!

"We are committed to some very simple ideas: the power of community, the essential ministry of prayer, the adventure of a simplified lifestyle...and the urgent challenge of sharing the wonderful news about Jesus. We are today a community of more than 5000 members across the United States and Canada, and in sixteen countries around the world."

Think Hollywood and TV are just a cesspool of no interest to Christians? It's discouraging when you see the hostile, anti-Christian story lines of Law and Order and NCIS. Well, think again, think 168 Project. Some years ago a young man from our congregation, John Ware, went west to make films and decided the industry needed the light of Christ. The 168 Project allows amateurs and professionals alike some experience in writing, directing, producing and distributing films with a Biblical theme, and it's all done in 168 hours. 396 films have now been produced and they're hoping for another 100 entries this year. Each film is about 10 minutes--just perfect for small group discussion. You can purchase by the year, or "best of" disks. John tells me they've expanded into a prison ministry and are starting a program in China.

For other programs like missions sponsored by our church, COCINA, Lakeside, Cum Cristo (Cursillo), we'd given earlier in the year.

And this time of year, there are many bad people with scams. I heard one today about a phony "Make a wish" appeal. The internet is swarming with them. It's not hard to find out who is reliable and frugal--almost all reputable charities have web sites and there are tracking groups that report administrative costs (some are exhorbitant) and Director's salaries (non-profit doesn't mean low salaries!). So do your homework.