Our work is in the world. Our mission is to be a “worldwide network” and sometimes, holed-up in my Spirit in Action home office in Minnesota, I forget the truly global nature of SIA.

I choose to see the the wide national and international reach of SIA as a positive characteristic of our organization. We bring people together from across the United States, North America, and the world – each sharing their perspective, traditions, and experiences with our strong network.

**To really understand our reach, scroll to the end of the post for a map showing the location of each individual connected with SIA around the world.**

Spirit in Action is right where you are

I wrote about the rootedness of our community partners in Africa. They benefit from living and working with their neighbors. Does of our lack of a street-front office show a lack of rootedness? No! Having a “worldwide office” means that for each member of our organization Spirit in Action is right where you are!

Rooted in the whole world

This summer I saw that SIA is deeply rooted in each community where we support projects. With me in Minnesota, SIA is rooted in the non-profit community here. Many SIA Board members live in California, giving us strong roots there. Each root of our large tree network brings local flair, regional understanding, and commands a respect for differences. 

God calling us

“A dream has no dimension, no boundaries, no limitations,” wrote Del Anderson in his Spirit-led writing, God Calling…. He encourages us to dream large for a SIA network that ignores geographic limitations. Although Del didn’t personally use a computer, he reveled in the miracle of the Internet, or “worldwide web,” to break down boundaries and connect us across the globe.

Del goes on to write, “In Me [God], you have the wisdom, love, and power to be My instrument in bringing My Kingdom into manifestation here and now.”

May we also embrace this call to bring SIA into our lives here (wherever that may be) and now (whenever we receive that special inspiration). In doing this, we fulfill our responsibility to put Spirit and love into action in our world. Let me know if you have ideas for rooting SIA in your community!

Spirit in Action is International! Map
View full screen map

Share/Bookmark

“Misconception No. 4: Low administrative costs are a good indicator of the quality of the organization.”

So begins a post by Saundra Schimmelpfennig about misconceptions created by charity websites. Maybe you have noticed this phenomenon. Many organizations tout only 1% administrative and fundraising costs on their donation pages. One of the reasons for this is that charity rating websites like GuideStar and Charity Navigator highly value bare minimum “administrative expenses”. (SIA is not eligible to be reviewed by Charity Navigator because they only review organizations that raise at least $500,000 in public support per year.)

Clearly low administrative costs are attractive to donors. But, a 2009 report from several charity watchdog organizations has these words of warning: “In short, picking a charity based on the lowest overhead ratio is like buying the cheapest car that money can buy. You might spend less in the short run but it’s inevitably going to let you down.”

For one thing, looking only at administrative costs means that donors are not looking at the impact of the organization’s programs.

Think of it this way: If a soup kitchen has low administrative costs but lets its food sit and rot, have they used their money effectively? Paying someone to oversee the volunteer chefs may be a much better use of donor funds than just buying food!

Schimmelpfennig’s blog post calls on nonprofits to do something new: “Instead of focusing on low administrative costs, share information on the importance of those costs.”

Let’s consider the administrative costs at Spirit in Action. Our annual budget is about $45,000 and my salary (as the sole employee, hired part-time) was  just under $22,000 last year. We spent about $1,250 on printing and photocopying costs.

But what does that get you? Quite a lot of “bang for your buck” as they say in Minnesota!

• About 65% of my day is spent on purely programmatic activities. Those administrative hours go to writing letters to international partners, reviewing grant applications, following up on previous grants, and working with the grassroots organizations to refine their local programs. Without administrative costs, who would be in charge of building these relationships and refining grant proposals for the SIA Board?
• The semi-annual SIA Newsletter accounts for almost 100% of the printing costs. From the feedback I get from you, this is a very important part of keeping our supporters informed. Without the newsletter how would you hear about our progress and learn about new projects?
• Spending money on things like a website and updating office software means that we are investing in the long-term effectiveness of Spirit in Action. An old laptop might be cheaper but if I waste hours waiting for websites to load, is that effective?
• Our international SIA Small Business Fund coordinators are all volunteers in their countries. An important part of my job is to make sure they have the information and support they need to effectively train the new business leaders who receive our small business grants.

In summary, we take our work very seriously. We reduce overhead costs when we can (like not paying for an office space, for example) but SIA has also recognized the value of having a paid administrator. I am so blessed to feel appreciated and supported by the SIA Board as I work on behalf of them and you to strengthen our worldwide network and continue to evaluate how we can best empower people around the world through thoughtful assistance.

Do you buy my evaluation? Does this bring up more questions for you? I’d love to hear what you think about charities and administrative costs – post your comments below!

Share/Bookmark

Benoit Malenge goes over record-keeping with a new business leader in DRC.

This year is a big year for Spirit in Action! In 2011 we are celebrating our 15th year (1996-2011) in service around the world. The new GodsSpiritInAction.org is a perfect place to celebrate our accomplishments and continue to inform you about our regular activities. The website has new descriptions of our work and focus, vivid pictures, and regular stories featuring the people we support.

We are committed to telling you how your contributions are being used around the world and to sharing the amazing success stories from the people who receive SIA grants. Once a week, I post pictures, personal reflections, critical examinations of our work, or project updates on our blog. You can now sign up to receive an email when there is a new blog post by visiting: http://godsspiritinaction.org/email/

Some highlights of the new site include:
- Our Work – Descriptions of our programs, pictures of our Small Business Fund coordinators & more
- A map of our grants – See where we have sent grants in recent year
- Our Blog – Check regularly and contribute your thoughts and ideas
- How You Can Help – Your contributions (financial, in-kind, prayer) are so important to those in need. You can now make secure donations online.

A big THANK YOU to Beth Craggs and Larry Denny for their support during the creation of our new website!

Please forward this email to your family, friends, and colleagues. We want to hear what you think about our new website. Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or email us at admin@godsspiritinaction.org!

With joy and thanksgiving,
Tanya

Share/Bookmark

With deep gratitude, Tanya

Share/Bookmark

Del Anderson, the founder of Spirit in Action, was a prodigious and dedicated journal writer and here in the SIA office I am lucky enough to have many of his actual journals. He seemed to use his writing time as a moment to let his thoughts flow, allowing time to explore his ideas about God, our purpose, love, and anything else that came up. He used regular 1-subject lined notebooks and a four-color pen, wildly switching colors and adding emphasis and extra words to his sentences.

I like to glance at his entries every now and again to be able to reconnect with Del’s strong spirit and passion for service to others. This morning I’d like to share the entry from Del’s journal for this day in 1998.

July 27^th, 1998

Beholding as in a mirror the glory (that is the beauty) of Christ we are changed into the same image from one stage of character growth to another. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

It is a process of contagion, perseverance and growing in the Spirit. For life there must be a plan, a pattern, a purposeful intent. Life must have unity, humanity and purpose – with serenity, and a spirit of adventure with a resolute will. There must be a sharp focus on compassion, mercy, and justice for the common good.

All so often, we have great gratitude for the will to act, even as we often regret our failure to trust and obey. It is as we nurture our souls, we let God come forth: in, for, with, and through us. This living from within out is our passage to victory.

It is in nurturing our heart (intention) actively we grow from sense to soul, from self to Christ. Love, joy, peace, etc. are feelings. To partake of God’s character and nature, we need to feel the heart process of our nature.

If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. (John 7:37)

Share/Bookmark