Think Like a Cause Champion

What charitable causes are close to your heart? Whether you have had a family member impacted by a disease that you want to see cured, you continually pray for the end of oppression in a third-world country, or you hope to see every orphan taken in by a family, we all have causes to fight for.

At The Signatry, we encourage our community to give generously from their hearts, stewarding their resources effectively for God’s Kingdom in areas of need. We have also seen transformational generosity within individuals who become a champion of a cause. Being a key supporter of an organization that works full-time on the world problem you care deeply for provides a great way to steward and leave a legacy for others to follow. However, there are benefits to taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture around your favorite organizations.

Three Reasons to Think About the Cause Before the Organization

Focusing on a cause provides multiple ways you can make a difference. There are many organizations doing good work, but having a cause focus means pursuing multiple ways to create impact for the larger issue. Creating awareness, gathering like-minded individuals, or connecting organizations together are all examples of needs that extend beyond any individual organization. Having this mindset to further the cause provides a way to identify these types of opportunities. So how can you begin to uncover these?

You can volunteer, advocate, provide resources, and discover additional ways of involvement. Beyond financial support, have you looked at other ways to impact the issue from where you are? Join an online community and look for opportunities to advocate virtually or at nearby events. Find ways to use your voice and time in addition to your finances.

Supporting the cause allows you to see the recipients’ needs more clearly. Get to know the people and places on the receiving end. Identifying the problem shifts your focus toward allocating resources for the solution rather than for relieving symptoms and creating temporary measures. Getting to the root cause is more rewarding as you become a part of the full transformation of problem to solution.

In an interview with Faith Driven Investor, retired NFL linebacker Derrick Morgan shares a great example of this as he talks about determining what to do with his life after football. He realized the cause he wanted to pour into was his local community where he grew up. A consultant working with his team began recommending several developers to get started in revitalizing his community, until someone stopped them and said “Derrick, aren’t you the developer?” Derrick realized the full potential in his role as a developer and steward of resources for the cause. He began to look at the projects his community members were asking for and what solutions they saw that could fix the root issues of poverty, gangs, and lack of tourism. Derrick then partnered with the people and organizations with the experience to make those goals happen. His care for the cause led to his deep involvement and becoming a champion for the true needs of the recipients.

Supporting the cause keeps you versed in the impact efficacy. When you understand the progress being made on the cause, you can evaluate the organizations involved, their effectiveness, and their area of expertise. These insights can help you invest wisely in order to make an impact on the cause itself and continue to create greater collaboration. So how can you gain insight?

Look at organization reports and stories of impact. Where are the organizations most efficiently using contributions? There are several internet sites that report on and assess charities to help donors invest in ethical, reputable organizations upholding their purpose. Learn about the credibility, strength, and internal reports from the charities involved in your cause.

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Coming alongside a single organization is a beautiful partnership and growth opportunity but keeping your mind on the cause will allow you even greater insight and impact. You can move with your favorite organization, better assist their mission, consider outside ideas, find new opportunities, and overall steward your time and resources more effectively for God’s Kingdom. When you become a cause champion, you can create meaningful impact in the world.

NEXT: Read Part II Become a Cause Champion for action steps that will help you begin your intentional and proactive cause champion journey.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:38 ESV