Just as there has been nothing normal about 2020 so far, we should anticipate more of the same for the next few months. And this is particularly true for those of you who plan your major giving for the month of December. With election uncertainty, the CARES Act, social unrest, and immediate need in underdeveloped nations like Costa Rica, now may be the best time to give.
Why Give Now?
Things will improve. For our own sanity, we have to believe this and continue to pray for it. But for the poor, there is always a lag between a society’s economic recovery and putting actual food on the table. It’s one of the reasons we at The Brook Ministries have tabled our primary mission for the time being and given our immediate attention to helping as many as we can with the most basic necessities. But we cannot give what we don’t have. And waiting a few months more could mean devastation to the poorest families.
We are proposing to those who typically give a single or a larger gift in December to do so sooner rather than later. We are also proposing that we designate 50% of each large gift towards helping the poor, and the remainder to maintaining our ministry, so that we can ramp up our pastoral training in 2021 as the world gets back to work.
Timing is Especially Important for Donations of Stock
The U.S. election is just 2 weeks away. And though the stock futures are looking good this morning because of the potential for a new stimulus bill, there is much concern about a steep selloff heading up to the election. So, if you are thinking of donating that stock, now is most certainly the time.
To donate stock, you must have held it for at least a year. The advantages are many, chiefly that the ministry will receive the full amount of your stock, while you avoid taxes on any gains. It’s a win-win. For more information, see this excellent article from Schwab Charitable. When you are ready to donate, contact me and I’ll send you the information about our brokerage account.