Why Christians Should Donate Effectively
Jesus went around healing the sick and giving sight to the blind. Many people express anguish that they do not have the faith to cure people the way Jesus did. “If only I had the faith, I could do the same” one might worry. Here’s some good news for you: if you’re reading this, it is fully within your power to follow this part of Jesus’ ministry.
Those in the US specifically are in the top 1% or 2% globally. With the 10 dollars you might spend on having a nicer meal, you could buy 2 bed nets to protect a family from malaria or prevent 8 children from getting parasitic worms. Jesus made no mistake about what those with such wealth should do:
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:21
Or from Luke
“Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”
Luke 12:33
Alright, so maybe we should donate money, but the title is to donate effectively, why should we care about that? The framing of the question may make it sound obvious, but it is surprisingly controversial. Trying to find effective charities to recommend once led one organization to be described as “infused with logic so cold that even Mr. Spock would cringe upon hearing it.” I do not think it is cold to try to do more with the resources God has given us. Whenever we make a choice to help someone, we must leave some without help until Christ comes in final victory. This is the cold of living in a fallen world, but while we do not get to prevent the world from being fallen, we do get a chance to respond. This reminds me of a quote from my favorite book, written by Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
What Are Some Effective Charities Anyway?
The examples above are from the charity evaluator GiveWell, which recommends donors with similar values, namely human wellbeing, give to the Against Malaria Foundation and the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative. These charities focus on interventions that have strong evidence backing and are highly neglected. I’d like to show rather than tell the effects of malaria bed nets:
On loop in that gif is the sparing of about 6 million lives due to malaria with about half of that coming from the distribution of bed nets. Many of these nets were supplied and distributed by Christian organizations, including Imagine No Malaria, run by my own United Methodist Church.
