Show Me the Money-- Hey, It's a Non-Profit!
The reality of non-profit activity becomes more and more pronounced as I look around with an inquisitive mind. I will tell you that I am graciously open to learning as much as I can about these operations. Some of those things seemed to jump out this week, and I thought I'd share them with you.
1. On July 4th I was visiting with some of my wife's family, and her aunt asked us if we'd like to come to the Lotus Festival in Los Angeles this weekend. This festival is a big do-up for intercultural stuff, and she is a top director of some kind.
Interestingly she brought up that they had recently formed a non-profit in order to raise money for the affair. After she told me what the festival was about, I asked her if a detailed explanation of all that was included in the application for non-profit status, you know, so the government knows that it's all for a good cause.
She said, "Oh no, what we do is put together bylaws. We have to let them know how we operate, so everyone knows what we're supposed to do and it's all up front and on the level."
That struck me. There it is: laws and bylaws. The key ingredient-- We all must put ourselves strictly under the law because we wouldn't do it otherwise.
2. I discovered a pastor friend of mine was once the executive director of a Christian ministry to homeless people. He mentioned as a non-profit it was a challenge to get people to donate to the work. I asked him if he'd give me an idea of what it was like to run a non-profit, and what the value of a 501c3 was.
He said it was no big deal to anyone on the board. He even said that it was beneficial because the 501c3 gave "real teeth" to all the behavior requirements for all members.
Then the board members needed the constraints of the law to keep them from doing quite questionable things with the donations. Is this true?
I can only think of Paul's words, "All things are permissable, but not all things are beneficial."
3. In the Los Angeles Times just yesterday (July 5th), right there on the front page, was a story about California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's non-profit. Yeah, he has a non-profit. In fact, apparently he has a couple of them. Let me see if I've got them correct...
"The California State Protocol Foundation." And the other one was "The Governor's Residence Foundation." They even mentioned previous "charities" that paid for items for other governors called "Golden State Host Committees."
What they all do is pay for many of the governor's expenses, mostly having to do with travel, expenses which cannot be charged to other accounts or they'd be considered campaign contributions and liable for more scrutiny or tax consideration or something.
The thing is, what exactly is it about this that is "charity"? The article even brought up the idea that the governor zipping around the world on $10,000 private jet jaunts isn't exactly on par with feeding the hungry in Darfur.
But when examined with the lens of Scripture, and with the consideration that there is a World and there is a Kingdom, it makes perfect sense.
People hand over that money-- and get a nice tax deduction-- for the goodness of helping out the guy who is their savior. Aren't most non-profits designed to line the pockets of the powerful insider leaders? How is Arnold any different?
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the moral guide for those who comfortably inhabit the Catholicist Nation. Without his leash around their necks, like wild dogs they'd ravenously destroy themselves and others. They know this so well that they pay the big bucks to keep him happy.
Hey, I don't blame them. Everyone has a leader. Everyone has a moral guide. I don't censure them at all for their contributions to his war chest.
Ironic that my wife's aunt mentioned that she had hoped Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigoso does not make an appearance at the Lotus Festival-- he is in a bit of hot water for an affair he had with another woman-- you know, it's a bit dicey politically.
I guess I just wonder why that should matter--why it should matter whether or not he shows up. I just get this idea that wishing he wouldn't show is not much different from desiring distance from one you've trusted and given your devotion to simply because it hurts to be around them. --Because you know you still want them to lead you and guide you and the inner emotional conflict is just too much.
This is how it works for those who love the World.
Some thoughts about the relationship between 501c3 non-profits and Christians are here.
1. On July 4th I was visiting with some of my wife's family, and her aunt asked us if we'd like to come to the Lotus Festival in Los Angeles this weekend. This festival is a big do-up for intercultural stuff, and she is a top director of some kind.
Interestingly she brought up that they had recently formed a non-profit in order to raise money for the affair. After she told me what the festival was about, I asked her if a detailed explanation of all that was included in the application for non-profit status, you know, so the government knows that it's all for a good cause.
She said, "Oh no, what we do is put together bylaws. We have to let them know how we operate, so everyone knows what we're supposed to do and it's all up front and on the level."
That struck me. There it is: laws and bylaws. The key ingredient-- We all must put ourselves strictly under the law because we wouldn't do it otherwise.
2. I discovered a pastor friend of mine was once the executive director of a Christian ministry to homeless people. He mentioned as a non-profit it was a challenge to get people to donate to the work. I asked him if he'd give me an idea of what it was like to run a non-profit, and what the value of a 501c3 was.
He said it was no big deal to anyone on the board. He even said that it was beneficial because the 501c3 gave "real teeth" to all the behavior requirements for all members.
Then the board members needed the constraints of the law to keep them from doing quite questionable things with the donations. Is this true?
I can only think of Paul's words, "All things are permissable, but not all things are beneficial."
3. In the Los Angeles Times just yesterday (July 5th), right there on the front page, was a story about California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's non-profit. Yeah, he has a non-profit. In fact, apparently he has a couple of them. Let me see if I've got them correct...
"The California State Protocol Foundation." And the other one was "The Governor's Residence Foundation." They even mentioned previous "charities" that paid for items for other governors called "Golden State Host Committees."
What they all do is pay for many of the governor's expenses, mostly having to do with travel, expenses which cannot be charged to other accounts or they'd be considered campaign contributions and liable for more scrutiny or tax consideration or something.
The thing is, what exactly is it about this that is "charity"? The article even brought up the idea that the governor zipping around the world on $10,000 private jet jaunts isn't exactly on par with feeding the hungry in Darfur.
But when examined with the lens of Scripture, and with the consideration that there is a World and there is a Kingdom, it makes perfect sense.
People hand over that money-- and get a nice tax deduction-- for the goodness of helping out the guy who is their savior. Aren't most non-profits designed to line the pockets of the powerful insider leaders? How is Arnold any different?
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the moral guide for those who comfortably inhabit the Catholicist Nation. Without his leash around their necks, like wild dogs they'd ravenously destroy themselves and others. They know this so well that they pay the big bucks to keep him happy.
Hey, I don't blame them. Everyone has a leader. Everyone has a moral guide. I don't censure them at all for their contributions to his war chest.
Ironic that my wife's aunt mentioned that she had hoped Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigoso does not make an appearance at the Lotus Festival-- he is in a bit of hot water for an affair he had with another woman-- you know, it's a bit dicey politically.
I guess I just wonder why that should matter--why it should matter whether or not he shows up. I just get this idea that wishing he wouldn't show is not much different from desiring distance from one you've trusted and given your devotion to simply because it hurts to be around them. --Because you know you still want them to lead you and guide you and the inner emotional conflict is just too much.
This is how it works for those who love the World.
Some thoughts about the relationship between 501c3 non-profits and Christians are here.
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