Giving
Why give?
Giving is one of the most delightful and terrifying things we do. Few things are more fun than giving someone exactly what they want, few things more painful than having a gift awkwardly rejected. Because giving is so central to our human experience, it’s also an important aspect of our community life at Reservoir Church; we can do so much more together than any of us can do alone.
Giving can be fun when we know we are part of making something great happen. At the same time, money can be a source of anxiety. We can wonder, is this a good time for me to give? What is the right amount to give? Is it really worth it? Will I be judged by what I give?
In the past, some of us may have felt pressured into giving to churches or other organizations. At Reservoir Church, we believe that financial partnership with our community can be a life-giving opportunity, and we hope that everyone who comes here feels complete freedom to embrace that opportunity however God leads. One model that members of our community have found helpful is to ask God how, and how much, to give. Many of us find that, in having this conversation with God, he takes away our fears about money—often in surprising ways. (Reservoir Church EIN is 04-3296440.)
How to Give to Reservoir Church
We explicitly ask visitors to give us nothing, but the work of Reservoir Church does rely upon the generosity of our community members. If you give to Reservoir Church, consider some common ways our members give: tithing to this church (10 percent of your gross income); giving $100 per month ($1,200 per year); giving $100 per week ($5,200 per year). If you’re interested in Membership at Reservoir, you can learn more about that here.
There are a variety of ways we accept donations. Some of our members give as part of their worship on Sundays. Others automate regular giving through their bank. We also have an online giving option where you can set up payments from your bank account or via credit card.
A note about credit cards: credit card debt is a major issue in our society. Please do not give to us via credit card if this is an area of concern for you.
What does Reservoir do with your money?
We are deeply committed to responsible and ethical use of funds. Our board provides financial oversight to the church, we practice extensive cash management controls, and we publish annually fully audited financial reports for all of our givers. All donations are tax-deductible.
Funds given by members/co-owners of this church sustain our community and pay to “throw the party” (Luke 14: 15-24) we are having here at Reservoir: they pay for our facilities, the technical costs of Sunday worship, the breakfast we provide for free each Sunday, our pastors and pastoral ministry, and our outreach. More comprehensive breakdowns of our finances are available here:
Partnerships: Who Reservoir Gives To
In addition to the outreach and the work in our city that we fund and support, we give over 10% of our budget each year to individuals and organizations doing great work consistent with our mission and values, in our city, our region, and around the world.
We have five organizations with whom we partner most closely:
Asha empowers people who live in 71 slum communities in Delhi, India. They focus on education, financial literacy, and access to healthcare. Asha works to stop the cycle of poverty through leadership development and a multi-faceted approach. Reservoir is also the home office to Asha-USA, a 501(c)3 registered charity that raises funds and support for the work of Asha.
Rebuild Africa is an organization that focuses on improving education as a way to help equip and rebuild Liberia. Founder Bill Massaquoi attended our church while matriculated at MIT. Rebuild Africa’s current projects include teacher training in the capital, Monrovia, and building a new primary school in Fassavolu, a farming village nine hours to the north.
Greater Boston Interfaith Organization works to train and organize local communities across religious, racial, ethnic, class, and neighborhood lines. They bring churches, synagogues, mosques, and local organizations together to effect policy change on non-partisan issues, including affordable housing, healthcare access, and criminal justice reform.
We fund Cambridge Rindge and Latin School post-secondary scholarships. These scholarships are a way to continue to care for young people who live in North Cambridge and participate in our community work.
We also invest in relational coaching and peacemaking in the Middle East but don’t publicize the identities of our partners there.
Through these and other partnerships, we have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to help people and organizations share Jesus’ love and healing, on both an individual and community scale. To learn more or get involved in our partnerships – as one who gives, one who prays, or one who goes, please contact our Partnerships Team, partnerships@reservoirchurch.org.
Reservoir Partnerships Newsletter, January 2019
Reservoir Partnerships Newsletter, November 2018
Reservoir Partnerships Newsletter, May 2018
Reservoir Partnerships Newsletter, March 2018
Reservoir Partnerships Newsletter, January 2018