Chuck Feeny was a billionaire. He made his money by founding companies like the Duty Free Shopper stores that operate in airports.
Chuck made billions of dollars in his lifetime. But more than the money he made, he is remembered as a person who had a generous heart and loved to invest his money in people and causes.
Chuck colored outside the lines. Rather than giving his money toward big, hands-on charities, he decided to have control of where the money went. This enabled him to see the results of his giving.
Over a period of 40 years, Feeney donated move than $8 billion dollars to charities, universities and foundations. And he gave it away anonymously. While some donors have publicists who make sure everyone knows who gave the money and the amount, Feeney made sure his gifts were secret.
His giving eventually led him to start the Giving Pledge in 2010. Giving Pledge was an aggressive campaign to influence the wealthiest people in the world to give away at least half their fortunes before they died. He said this...
“I see little reason to delay giving when so much good can be achieved through supporting worthwhile causes. Besides, it’s a lot more fun to give while you live than give while you're dead."
When Feeny died, he had no money left to his name. He had given everything he had to help other people.
What a great example of living for others. Feeny realized that he couldn't take the money with him and so he made a wise investment...an investment in helping other people.
One of the key truths in our Connect12 curriculum is "I Will Live to Give." It is so important to teach children the blessings of being a giver. If we can help them understand the blessings that come with being a giver, we can help them bring their tithes and special offerings to God and establish themselves as a giver for life.
Here are a couple of examples from the curriculum. The first series one is entitled "Kid Bank President." The bank president shows people how to be a giver and the best ways to invest their money. Here's a short video clip. (if you are reading this in an email - you can click here to see the video - https://vimeo.com/370730762)
Another series we have for teaching kids about giving is "Money Talks." Kids learn who money belongs to. What they should do with the money they earn. How they can invest their money for maximum impact." Below is a video sample from the series. (if you are reading this in an email, you can go to this link to watch it - https://vimeo.com/249136999)
Both of these 4 week series are available for purchase at this link.
Who knows...there may be a boy or girl in your ministry who grows up and is abundantly blessed in the area of finances. If you can teach them to be givers as kids, you can help them develop a lifestyle of "living to give" for a lifetime.
