Dr. Steve McSwain is available for comment and offers for publication the following response to a December 10, 2007, Wall Street Journal article, "Why the Rich Are Losing Trust in Charities."
Why Religious People Still Trust Their Places of Worship with Financial Support
Author, Expert in Philanthropy Explains Why Even Scandals Won't Stop the Charitable Spirit of Religious People
By Dr. Steve McSwain
The lion-share of charity is given each year by individuals. This year will be no exception and, by far, the largest percentage of it will be directed to churches, synagogues and temples. With the abuses of televangelists over the years and the reports of abuse by clergy reported almost daily, why do religious people continue to support their agencies and houses of worship?
When this is not the case, however, and charitable giving is done for any reason other than this, their charitable spirit is vulnerable to scandal and will quickly lose its enduring capacity. A spiritual motivation is the highest motivation to give. As long as it stays that way, generosity will abound.
Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, once the stars of religious programming, have both made recent attempts with only modest success at resurrecting their television ministries. It will take nothing short of a miracle to do so, however. They have lost the status they once enjoyed and will never again have it.
Religious leaders should be transparent with ALL financial matters. By and large, people want to trust their religious leaders and agencies to do the right thing. Therefore, leaders must guard against anything that would undermine that sacred trust.
In recent years, for example, there's been a tendency in some agencies to become more secretive with things like clergy salaries and expenditures, on the argument that clergy deserve to enjoy privacy and shouldn't have their salaries publicly disclosed. This is nonsense and only succeeds in creating suspicion.
In many places, the real reason salaries are not openly revealed is because they are higher than the majority of worshipers enjoy themselves. Religious organizations must make available to every donor a complete accounting of every penny generously entrusted them. This will succeed in building on a foundation of trust that already exists.
The study concluded, when people give, they not only feel better, they are better. Generous people have known this centuries, if only innately. The spiritual leader himself once said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." It's as if a spirit of giving is written into the DNA of every person. Giving is the principle purpose of human existence, as I describe in greater detail in the book, The Giving Myths: Giving then Getting the Life You've Always Wanted. The life everyone really wants is not found in getting, but in giving. Not a terribly bad thought to remember this holiday season.
Dr. Steve McSwain is Senior Vice President of Cargill Associates, Inc., an industry leader in philanthropy and fundraising with more than 30 years of service, thousands of clients, and billions raised for charitable causes. He is an expert in the fields of philanthropy, annual and capital fundraising, personal growth, and spiritual development. A dynamic communicator, Dr. McSwain speaks to thousands each year on how to find the meaning of life in giving yourself away and sharing your abundance with the world.