It seems that every time I take my kids to a conference, concert, or other large ministry event, I am offered an opportunity to support one or more Christian charities. Some of them want money, some sponsorship, or some want me to take my group on their branded mission trip. They generally have a great looking booth and some gut-wrenching presentation, but all of that could be smoke and mirrors right? The thought that is always racing through my head is “Are these guys Legit?” By that I mean, how are they spending their money, what is their theology, and how do they do what it is they say they do?
Enter ministrywatch.com. The people at Ministry Watch have a passion for educating and empowering donors to support Christian ministries. You can search there for those charities you are considering supporting and find out what they are all about. Since they believe that accountability is a great measure of what is going on behind closed doors, they give all the charities a grade on transparency “A” through “F.” They then give various levels of analysis based on the organizations financials and statements of belief. Most pages also feature a section entitled “Supporters might say…” as well as one entitled “Critics might say.”
They also discuss theology and worldview. These observations are not as free from bias as the rest of the resources. Although their conservative, evangelical leaning is not extreme by my standards, it is still present in their terminology and choice of focus areas.
This site is a must-visit for anyone who is or is considering supporting a minstry financially or through service. As far as I am concerned, it is always best to go into these types of situations with your eyes open, and Ministry Watch is a great place to go to get the information you need to make the important decsions of where to use the finite amount of resources under your control.
Charity Navigator (.com) is another good one. Not Christian-based, which means they don’t have as many Christian organizations covered. For the ones they do have, though, it’s always good to get a second opinion.