Charitable Giving in the Christian Community | CanadaHelps - Donate to any charity in Canada (2024)
This perspective post was provided byRev. John Pellowe, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Christian Charities, as part of our faith and giving series.
Charitable giving is central to Christian spirituality. Christians see everything they have, material and spiritual, as unmerited gifts from God. God gives them to us only because he is generous and wants to bless us. God is even a sacrificial giver. Jesus Christ, God-made-man, gave himself up to death so that we could be restored to relationship with God. God is so generous and loving that he holds nothing back that is for our benefit. How then could we, who have received so generously of his love, not be generous in turn to our fellow human beings? How could we not give sacrificially so that all persons, whether Christian or not, could receive God’s blessings? Choosing to give is how Christians participate in God’s work of blessing this world.
God’s generosity affects daily life for Christians who are mature in their faith:
Christians act as stewards rather than owners of their resources, so all financial decisions start with discerning how God wants them to use their financial resources. They proactively look for opportunities to give rather than waiting passively for fundraising appeals.
Because they view themselves as conduits through whom God’s blessings flow to people or ministries in need of them, Christians budget to give to charity and to give directly to people in need. Many will choose to live a lifestyle that is lower than the one their income could support, just to make doubly sure they can give.
Many Christians challenge themselves to sacrificially give as much as they can while still being cheerful with the amount they’re giving. There really is a joy in giving to worthy causes!
Giving is very important to me personally for several reasons:
Giving to charity leverages my ability to do good deeds. I am limited in the good that I can personally do by my skills and my geography, but giving to worthy charities allows me to vicariously participate in the great work charities are doing all over the world.
Giving money away is also a check against becoming greedy. It shows that I have surrendered my financial situation to God and trust him to provide as needed.
And every time I give, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I am an extension of God’s hands at work in this world.
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Rev. John Pellowe, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Christian Charities
John’s passion is to help Christian churches and agencies become exemplary, healthy, and effective. His practical experience and academic background in business (MBA, Wilfrid Laurier) and ministry (MDiv, Tyndale; DMin, Gordon-Conwell) have equipped him well to serve as CEO of CCCC. Since 2003 John has been advancing CCCC’s mission by providing organizational oversight, thought leadership, and strategic direction. John is ordained by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. He has served his church as treasurer, deacon, and elder, and he is currently on the board of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
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As a registered charity, generally you may only make a “gift” to other qualified donees. Qualified donees include other Canadian charities, such as hospitals and universities, as well as municipalities and provincial and federal governments.
To avoid charity scams, ask for information in writing before making a donation. You can also check that the charity is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency at 800-267-2384. Also be on the lookout for false and deceptive crowdfunding ads. We always recommend donating locally.
There are resources that will allow you to check if a charitable organization is legitimate. Visit the California Registry of Charitable Trusts website (http://oag.ca.gov/charities), call (916) 445-2021 or send inquiries to P.O. Box 903447, Sacramento, CA 94203-4470.
How does CanadaHelps support itself? CanadaHelps is a self-funded charity. We charge a transaction fee of between 3.0% of donations to 4.9% of donations depending upon the type of donation you make and whether the charity actively uses the CanadaHelps platform to accept donations.
Your church will meet the first requirement for charitable status in that your primary purpose is the advancement of religion, which is one of the four core purposes recognized by the CRA. The second requirement, public benefit, is a bit more complicated.
The charitable donation tax credit in Canada helps reduce your taxable income. You may qualify for 15% to 29% of eligible charity donations made. You can accumulate deductions for multiple years and get a higher tax credit for amounts over $200.
The short answer is that yes, donations to a church are generally tax deductible, as are charitable gifts made to mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship that are registered as 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.
We are a registered nonprofit in both Canada and the United States, using the revenue generated through our social enterprise model to fund job training programs, employment placement services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online at ...
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become one of the largest non-governmental direct providers of social services in the country.
Generally, you can claim part or all of the eligible amount of your gifts, up to the limit of 75% of your net income for the year. You may be able to increase this limit if you give capital property (including depreciable property). For more details, see Calculating your increased donation limit.
Leading registered charities in Canada 2022, by total donations. As of 2022, the University of Toronto received the highest amount of donations among the leading charities in the country. With roughly 394 million Canadian dollars, this charity ranked first, followed by the University of Calgary, and World Vision Canada ...
How does CanadaHelps support itself? CanadaHelps is a self-funded charity. We charge a transaction fee of between 3.0% of donations to 4.9% of donations depending upon the type of donation you make and whether the charity actively uses the CanadaHelps platform to accept donations.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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