More than a Gift

Carla sat on the porch of the school in the hot afternoon sun. They had had more students show up today than ever before. Her stomach grumbled, a reminder that she had not eaten since breakfast. That meant that her husband Juan probably hadn’t eaten anything either. Carla stood up and started toward the small structure they used as their office.

The fact was that no matter how creative they were with the funding coming in, there just wasn’t enough to meet the needs of the students, the small Sudanese community they lived in and themselves. Carla wasn’t sure how much longer she and Juan could run this school without a drastic change in circumstance.

As she approached the office, Juan stuck his head out of the hut excitedly, “You’ll never guess what we just received in the mail!” He yelled. They had spent the last few months sending requests around to their supporters letting them know the dire situation they were in. Could this be a cheque? Carla thought. Even a little money could buy some more supplies for the school.

“Do you remember that phone call we got a few weeks ago?” Juan said. “It was the man who asked us exactly how much money we needed to keep the school running and keep it sustainable.”

Yes, Carla remembered the call. It was rare that a supporter would ask for an exact figure. Feeling bold in their time of need, they had told the man that $180,000 was their goal. The caller was unknown to them both and hadn’t supported past projects, so they didn’t think much about it after ringing off.

However, sure enough, Juan was standing there holding a cheque for exactly $180,000 from that same caller. It was such a wonderful surprise, Carla cried with joy. That night, she and Juan went to bed with the peace of knowing that the future was taken care of.

The next day, Carla sent out a letter to her supporters sharing the happy news. She reached out to one of her friends at a large aid organization to see if they recognized the name of this generous supporter. She wondered who this mysterious man was with such a large disposable income.

As mail can be slow to arrive in their village, it was a few more weeks before Carla received a reply from her friend. After some digging, he had discovered who this man was. It turned out, that he was not a wealthy business tycoon with a lot of disposable income. He was someone who had heard of the school that Carla and Juan had established back in his home country of Sudan and wanted to give back.

Carla and Juan were astounded. They had never received such a meaningful gift.

How to Get Creative with Our Generosity

This blog has been adapted from a true story told by two missionaries in Sudan who received this exact amount from a stranger to help fund their orphanage.

It is mind-blowing to read stories like this that have us question our own capacity for generosity. This story illustrates an extreme example; however, there are many ways you can be creative with your generosity to others. The Abundance Canada website is a great starting point to explore different ways to be generous with your financial resources.

Our team of expert gift planning consultants are here to help you create a customized generosity plan that achieves your philanthropic desires. We’ll ensure you can implement the right gifting options for your situation.

Visit abundance.ca/gifting-solutions to learn how you can maximize your generosity.