Questions about the Generous Giving Research Library

1. What is the Generous Giving Research Library?
   
   
2. Who should use the Research Library?
   
   
3. When did you launch this site?
   
   
4. How is the Research Library arranged?
   
   
5. Is there a fee for using the Research Library?
   
   
6. Why does your Research Library contain articles written by non-Christians? Aren’t you watering down your message of “biblical stewardship” by including secular sources?
   
   
7. How can I obtain permission to reprint or distribute an article in the Research Library?
   
   
8. Are any articles or sermons offered in languages other than English?
   
   
9. Why am I having trouble opening certain articles?

1. What is the Generous Giving Research Library?
   The Generous Giving Research Library is an online collection of philanthropy statistics, giving articles and stewardship sermons designed to help any user to understand trends and motives in 21st-century giving. This unique resource contains hundreds of free summaries of articles published in leading sources of philanthropic news and research. Each summary links to the full text of the article.
   Back to top

2. Who should use the Research Library?
   The Generous Giving Research Library is designed to motivate followers of Jesus Christ toward greater biblical generosity. But we invite anyone interested in the Bible or in giving issues to explore our site. It may be particularly useful to pastors, teachers, professional advisors and ministry leaders in motivating those under their care to view generosity from God’s perspective.
   Back to top

3. When did you launch this site?
   This Web site opened in 2001. The ministry, however, was founded in 2000.
   Back to top

4. How is the Research Library arranged?
   You will find the Research Library organized topically in these categories as follows: (1) The World and Its Money, secular and world religious giving trends; (2) The Church and Its Money, Christian giving trends, (3) The Biblical Case for Giving, Scripture and theology on money, (4) The Cultivation of Giving, guidance for pastors, teachers and advisors, (5) The Business of Giving, strategies, vehicles, transactions; and (6) The Joy of Giving, biographies and testimonies.
   Back to top

5. Is there a fee for using the Research Library?
   Generous Giving does not charge its Web site users for accessing the Research Library. However, while all summaries are free, certain summaries are linked to non-affiliated Web sites that require users to register or subscribe before reading the full text of these articles. Generous Giving has no control over these restrictions and/or fees, nor do we profit from them in any way.
   Back to top

6. Why does your Research Library contain articles written by non-Christians? Aren’t you watering down your message of “biblical stewardship” by including secular sources?
   Many articles found in the Generous Giving Research Library are the work of faithful Christian authors, written specifically for a Christian audience. Many others are detailed studies on charitable giving, professional papers on economic trends, and newspaper accounts of philanthropic events authored by non-Christian writers. We believe that in order to gain a solid grasp of 21st-century giving—specifically the church’s role in it—it is necessary to contrast and compare a broad range of data from many sources, not just “Christian” ones. Of course, we have worked diligently to ensure that commentaries and sermons in the section titled The Biblical Case for Giving (see above) present biblically sound arguments for generosity. As a whole, all articles in the Generous Giving Research Library work together to help the reader understand why generosity should be a way of life and what the eternal consequences of our giving will be.
   Back to top

7. How can I obtain permission to reprint or distribute an article in the Research Library?
   Please read our reprint guidelines.
   Back to top

8. Are any resources available in languages other than English?
   Not yet, with one exception. Generous Giving is a new ministry, and at this time we offer study materials primarily in English. In the future, we expect to offer resources in other languages as well. The first of these is Randy Alcorn’s book The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving, which already has been translated into Spanish. While our Web site can be translated into several foreign languages, these translations are not perfect.
   Back to top

9. Why am I having trouble opening certain articles?
   The Generous Giving Research Library is a free service that tracks articles and sermons published in various outlets. Because Generous Giving does not necessarily own full rights to these articles, the full text of most articles are housed on Web sites not affiliated with Generous Giving. From time to time, these nonaffiliated Web sites may experience technical difficulties, and you may have to try again in a few hours. Or, at other times, the publisher may have “reshelved” the article at a different address. If you have trouble linking to a particular article, please report the bad link to us. We will make every effort to fix that link. Note: While all article summaries in Research Library are free, certain summaries are linked to non-affiliated Web sites that require users to register or subscribe before reading the full text of these articles. Generous Giving has no control over these restrictions and/or fees, nor do we profit from them in any way. You must register (free) with these independent organizations or subscribe (online payment required) to their Web sites in order to read the full text. Another reason you may be experiencing trouble accessing certain articles is that they are PDF files, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download this software free of charge.
   Back to top