Not quite four years ago, I left parish ministry to serve as a specialized minister directing chaplaincy at an urban county jail. I currently work for the Foundation of HOPE, a non-profit organization that works with incarcerated and previously incarcerated individuals in Pittsburgh. Life working for a non-profit organization has many similarities to church ministry, but it also comes with a unique set of struggles the church is generally immune to. In fact, some of the struggles of a non-profit can be — at least partially — because of the church.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate the kindness of those who donate hygiene items and Life Recovery Bibles and socks. I love church people. I’ve spent my whole life immersed in the world of church folk. One of the best qualities of church people is that they love to give things to “the less fortunate” and there are plenty of organizations in our communities that need donors. The problem is that, in their enthusiasm, church folks sometimes inadvertently overwhelm organizations with unusable donations, creating extra time and effort for the non-profit staff.
The heart behind these donations is beautiful. Every time someone brings supplies for our participants, I’m touched by their desire to help. But sometimes, even with the best intentions, the way churches give can create unexpected challenges for the organizations they’re trying to support.
Sometimes, even with the best intentions, the way churches give can create unexpected challenges for the organizations they’re trying to support.
Most non-profits are operating on shoestring budgets, so we must maximize every single dollar. It may look on the surface that in-kind donations are a great way to do that, but in practice, that’s not always the case. When individuals buy items to donate, they’re often paying full retail price plus sales tax. Meanwhile, tax-exempt status and relationships with suppliers and retailers let non-profits stretch those same dollars much further through bulk purchasing and tax exemptions. That $20 you spend on hygiene items at the store could provide even more supplies if given directly to the organization.
It can be really helpful to ask the organization how many of a particular thing they need. This past spring, I challenged our local Presbytery to donate 2-3 months’ worth of the Life Recovery Bible — an invaluable resource we use in our programming. I did not anticipate receiving well over a year’s worth of them, as well as financial donations to cover more than another year of Bibles. In this case, the donors did exactly what I asked (well, we did get a few hardback Bibles that we have to give to another ministry — I’ll get back to that). In this case, it was entirely my fault that I didn’t fully anticipate everyone buying in so hard. If I’d known it would go over so big, I would have asked for more money and fewer physical Bibles. Figuring out where to stack the hundreds of Bibles we received has been an interesting logistical challenge. While some larger organizations have plenty of storage, our office works best when we keep just enough supplies for a month or two. We’d rather have flexibility with funds than mountains of soap taking up precious space!
For reasons you’ll have to ask a human behavior expert to explain, there are certain items everyone loves to donate and others that nobody thinks about. We’re absolutely swimming in Bibles — praise God! — but we constantly struggle to provide the plastic reading glasses that would help people actually read them. It’s like food banks that overflow with canned vegetables while running low on peanut butter. Ask your organization what it is that they don’t get enough donations of and see if you can help with that specific item. And make sure to find out if they can take used items or if they have to be new.
The security requirements in our jail ministry add another layer of complexity. This is true in some other places too, like ministries to the homeless, children’s homes, etc. No matter how many times I explain that hardback books aren’t allowed in the jail, we inevitably find them mixed in with donations. Hardback books pose a real danger to my staff and participants so they wind up having to go to another ministry who can take them. I know these items are given with love, but sorting through unusable donations takes time away from our core mission of serving people.
So how can churches partner with local non-profits more effectively? While financial gifts give organizations the most flexibility, most organizations understand that tangible donations feel more meaningful. If your heart is set on organizing a donation drive (and donation drives do help!), here are some actions your local food banks, shelters, and other community non-profits will appreciate:
- Reach out to the organization first to check what’s needed most right now.
- Ask for specific guidelines (and stress to those who will be donating the importance of following them).
- If you’re collecting different items for the same organization, take time to sort donations by type (and check to make sure they meet the guidelines the organization gave you) before dropping them off so their staff doesn’t have to take the extra time to sort them out.
- Work with the organization to schedule pickups/drop-offs when it’s least disruptive for staff.
Your generosity makes ministry possible for so many local organizations, and we’re deeply grateful. By working together thoughtfully, we can ensure every gift has its maximum impact in serving those who need it most. Churches and community non-profits working together are a powerful force for good in the world. My deepest appreciation goes out to each and every person who has donated time, money, and physical items to help serve the vulnerable population my organization and many others strive to help.
