How to Choose a Ministry to Support

Here are four key areas of concern when choosing a ministry to support. This is not a legalistic checklist but a framework for honest investigation, and not all questions will be applicable to every ministry. Keep an open mind, think the best, and ask hard questions. As you begin this process, ask the Lord to guide you and help you decide if the ministry is one you should support.

Outside Accountability

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Is the ministry a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability? If so, check out the requirements here. As you research this ministry, make note of any weak area. If they are not a member, find out why (size and age can be factors).

If the ministry is a member of ECFA, they will have a profile with some financial information. Compare this information with other information you collect.

Evaluate the Board of Directors: Who are they? Is anyone on the board related to the leader? How many are there? The smaller the board, the less accountability there is for the leader. ECFA requires at least five board members, the majority of whom must be independent from the ministry.

You can find board member information for many ministries at www.ministrywatch.com or you can contact the ministry directly.

The Ministry’s Use of Finances

Luke 16:10

Immediately discount any ministry that is not willing to keep or send financial records. The best kind are those audited by an outside, independent firm.

Request the latest financial statements, any audited annual report, and the IRS 990 form. The 990 will list the salaries of the top five paid people.

Administrative costs should be around 10%. If not, look through the budget to see how money is allocated. If the administrative costs look unbelievably low or excessively high, it warrants a closer look.

Determine the salary of the founder/president. Does his spouse also receive a salary?

Truth in Reporting

Leviticus 19:11

The problem in this category is the temptation to make things look good so the donations keep coming. Be sure the ministry isn’t hiding declines or problems or isn’t overstating successes.

Request published annual reports from the past several years. Many ministries produce a magazine-type report for their donors. Compare statistics in all areas and look for growth, decline, and inconsistencies. Crosscheck this information with all financial records.

Check the website and other promotional material (books, brochures, mailings, etc.) to make sure they are consistent with each other and with the financial records.

Look for goals that are never met. Is this an unethical way to keep donors giving?

Will the ministry allow you to visit their mission field and have the freedom to ask questions of low-level staff members? Is the field visit carefully controlled by the ministry (will they let you look around and talk to people unattended)?

Ask other Christians in or near their mission field what reputation they have (I Timothy 3:7).

The Character of the Leader

Jeremiah 3:15, I Thessalonians 2:10

Like a thermometer, the character of the leader can reveal the health of the organization. A Godly leader will make wise choices in the way the ministry uses your money and represents its activities. Even if the leader spends long hours in the Word and prayer, the real test comes in his/her use of money and power.

Look at the leader’s use of personal finances. Billy Graham once said, “Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where his heart is,” (Matthew 6:21).

Even if the ministry reports a low salary for the leader, he or she may have other sources of income outside the ministry that is not made public. To help determine this possibility, look at his home, his vehicles, and his general lifestyle both in the US and overseas. Does the leader’s reporting and use of his/her personal finances engender trust and consistency of message?

Look at the leader’s use of power. (I Peter 5:2-3)

Is the ministry leader-driven? Do people equate the ministry with the leader? If the ministry appears to be leader-driven, check for the possibility of power abuse. If it appears the leader is given a lot of power, how large is the organization in terms of people and dollars? The larger the organization, the more difficult it is for a leader to maintain integrity.

How does he/she relate to fellow workers? (Philippians 2:5-8) Does he maintain Christlike humility, openness, and consistency in relationships? This information comes from interviewing current and former staff. Are you freely given contact information of the people who have left the ministry?

If possible, visit the home office. You can learn a lot about what the leader and the ministry values by the type of office and furnishings they choose. Be sure to compare the leader’s office with his coworkers’ offices.

What percentage of coworkers (in the US and in other countries) has left the ministry in the past few years? What is the turn-over rate? What is the explanation?

What are your conclusions?

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