This is a special time of the year—a time to celebrate God’s greatest gift to mankind with the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

While financial generosity to God’s work should not be limited to December—it seems like we get an extra nudge toward liberality as we near year-end. It could be the thought of having more charitable deductions on our tax return, but I would rather think it is the nudge of the Holy Spirit.

The year-end requests for donations flood our email inboxes and snail mail boxes. Many charities are challenged to meet increasing demands for programs and services.   

The opportunities to do good can be overwhelming. How do we decide which ones merit our money?

God wants us to be generous. Asking for His guidance, how do we begin to discern how to be good stewards with the resources to which He has entrusted us? We know stewardship involves not only giving our resources but giving them to a charity which will also demonstrate stewardship—the concept of good stewardship does not end with the gift.

Gifts to your local church should be the number one priority. For other gifts to Christ-centered ministries, ECFA’s 1,800 plus accredited organizations is a good starting point. When you give to an ECFA member, you know that they are committed to practice financial management with integrity, avoid conflicts of interest, and use gifts consistent with any donor restrictions.

ECFA makes it easy to locate a charity. The member search lets you find a charity in your state or by type of organization. ECFA’s GiverConnect™ lets you find accredited organizations by category, keyword, geographic location, or ministry interest as specific as a safe home for pregnant young women in Kenya, relief aid for victims of typhoon Haiyan, sewing machines for Guatemalan women, and much more.

Vetting by ECFA, the oldest and largest accreditation organization in the Christian world, allows you to give with confidence. Knowing that an organization is accredited by ECFA may be enough for you. Or, you may want to see more information about the charity—much of which is also available on ECFA’s website.

Give Generously! Give Wisely!