In this Issue:

• • Building a Culture of Generosity: How Lake Institute Connects Faith, Research, and Giving
  • Resources to Spark Ideas & Conversations
  • Are You Considering a Capital Campaign?
  • Add This ECRF Course to Your Calendar!

Faith can shape how people give. Lake Institute on Faith & Giving exists to help us understand that relationship more deeply, and to put what we learn into practice. As an integral part of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Lake Institute serves as a bridge between the academy and faith-based organizations and networks, and we actively share insights in both directions. We do this in a variety of ways:  

Education 

Studying, teaching, and understanding the religious motivations for giving allows for more effective fundraising and outreach across the nonprofit sector. By pairing Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s groundbreaking research with Lake Institute’s on-the-ground knowledge of religious traditions, Lake Institute translates an understanding of statistics and trends into practical tools and strategies. 

The Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising (ECRF) is a fundraising course with a practical application project. This course provides the research, tools, and customized training to meet the growing needs of leaders in religious communities and fundraisers of faith-based organizations. ECRF is offered in an eight-week online format and a three-day in-person format. Watch the short video to hear testimonials from ECRF participants and instructors. 

Cultivating Generous Congregations (CGC) is an interactive seminar designed for congregational teams to evaluate and change their congregational approach to giving and generosity. CGC will provide you and your team with tools to help you build a culture of generosity unique to your congregation’s needs and challenges. This course is most often offered in partnership with a denomination or judicatory.

Note: Beryl has since retired from Everence, but Lake maintains a close partnership. 

Public Conversations 

Each year we are honored to host noteworthy scholars and practitioners to share their research, professional expertise, and personal giving stories through public events hosted in Indianapolis. These public conversations highlight topics related to faith and giving, such as the role of faith communities in bridgebuilding, how a faithful practice of giving might build new realities of community in our towns and cities, and exploring the ways in which religion broadly and the Jewish tradition specifically can help us better practice philanthropy as the love of humanity. 

Research 

Lake Institute has contributed to research in the field of faith and giving through many projects, including the National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices. We are currently digging into the data from the second national survey and look forward to sharing more from that research in a few months. With a dedicated associate director of research on our team, we’re excited to share more reports around denominational giving and explore related questions, such as how faith communities bring value to their neighborhoods, direct their generosity, creatively use their assets, and broader patterns of religious giving.

Resources

Finally, our Resource Library undergirds all the work we do. This collection of research, leadership insights, inspiring stories, and theological reflections are available for free. We curate a wide range of resources to help you deepen your understanding and practice at the intersection of faith and giving. 

And here’s a new addition to the Resource Library! This report shares the findings of an exploratory study of religious civic engagement in Richmond, Virginia. It outlines seven forms of engagement to widen and deepen documentation of the substantial contributions of religion to the common good. 

Generosity 

As we continue to resource you, we’re also working toward a bigger goal: making generosity a guiding cultural value that reaches far beyond our current audience and into the wider public. 

That goal was at the heart of a request we sent out to recent ECRF alumni a few months ago. We wanted to hear about the good things their congregations and organizations are doing to inspire generosity over the summer. Gratefully, several folks sent us beautiful stories that highlight different ways religious communities were generous this summer.  

• One organization typically offers one college scholarship annually. Thanks to a generous donor, they were able to offer scholarships to three applicants.  
• Generosity shows up at a summer camp in Northeast Indiana: “Every conversation, act of kindness, and moment of encouragement reflected the hospitality that makes camp a place where everyone belongs.” 
• A congregation facing a large repair project didn’t have to worry about finances because of choices made in the past: “The congregation decided about 30 years ago to put 5% of all general offerings into a Long Term Maintenance Fund. That foresight, generosity, and solid financial planning meant that this [repair project] was a non-story.” 
• An invitation to donate shoes showed generosity in action: “That’s what generosity looks like. Ordinary people sharing ordinary things, trusting God to use them to bless a neighbor.” 
• Being present with others is another way of being generous: “What has inspired us most is that the generosity behind this ministry is not simply funding programs; it is helping cultivate relationships, spiritual encouragement, and long-term multiplication. Many of these leaders are already beginning to invest in others in the same way they have been encouraged.” 

To read all stories in their entirety, check out the Summer Generosity Stories blog post. We hope reading their reflections will inspire you to share stories of generosity in your own community.