The Board of Directors of The Regeneration Center shall maintain control and responsibility over the use of all donated funds. When you express a preference that The Regeneration Center use your contribution towards a specific project, it is our intent to honor your wishes but the Board has the power and the duty to modify any restriction or condition on the distribution of funds for any specified charitable purpose. In the event The Regeneration Center no longer has an immediate need for funds with a specific designation, the Board will direct the use of the funds in the best interest of The Regeneration Center and as close to the original intent as possible.
Webmaster’s Note: This following is an excerpt from an article in the December 1999 newsletter. It is contained on this site as an open letter to those who are interested in knowing our stance on fundraising and the use of donations.
Dear Friends of The Regeneration Center:
If your mail box is anything like mine, you have noticed a higher than usual volume of requests for donations. Traditionally this is the time of year that non-profit organizations receive the largest portion of their donations.
As I looked through the many appeals for donations, I realized that we could be just one voice in many, asking for your support. Some of the requests I have received are very worthy causes and in fact, I have been sending them money on a regular basis. Being involved with The Regeneration Center has placed me on the receiving side of other people’s donations and caused me to consider how I will be dealing with the issue of fund raising. It is humbling for me to think that so many people have chosen to support this ministry when there are so many worthy causes seeking support. This month I want to talk to you about your gifts to The Regeneration Center.
The first thing that I want to say is “Thank You!” Thank you for your financial support. Thank you for your prayer support. And thank you for the letters of encouragement that you have sent.
I can say with certainty that The Regeneration Center board is trusting in God for the financial support of His ministry. We believe this is His ministry, and as such it is His responsibility to fund it. That basis of faith gives us the confidence that He will provide all we need, to do all He wants.
Because we are trusting God for financial provision we do not feel any compulsion to participate in some of the high-pressure tactics many fund-raising consultants would recommend. We sincerely want the support of those who feel God would approve of their involvement with The Regeneration Center. If you share our burden, we welcome any support you can provide, especially your prayers and your volunteer time. Although finances are scarce, what we need most is strength, encouragement and wisdom to fight the good fight in this spiritual battle we find ourselves in. In addition we could use volunteers for everything from carpentry to volunteer teachers for some of the curriculum that will be offered when we get the program going.
Another thing that I can say with certainty is we are committed to being good stewards with the money we receive. The Regeneration Center board works very hard to maximize the use of funds we receive. Since we believe God is ultimately the One who is providing, we view the donated funds as His and seek His wisdom in all of our decisions.
As the president of this organization I want to commit to you, our partners, to work towards the following items:
Stewardship
I have already spoken of this. Let me just add these two comments. As stewards we are called on at times to represent our Master. It is my commitment to honor Jesus Christ in the use of all He has entrusted to this ministry. Secondly, if you designate funds to be used for a specific purpose we commit to using those funds only for that purpose.
Accountability
We have looked into having our books audited by a professional outside auditor. The cost to do that may be more than one month’s revenue. I don’t believe this is a sound investment at this time. Instead what we have done is hire a CPA to help us design a reporting system that will aid us in our required reporting to the IRS and to provide informational reports to the board as well as to any donors who request the information. Our treasurer, has worked very hard to implement a workable system. We should have the annual report available by the end of January.
If you have contributed to The Regeneration Center and you have questions about how your donations are being used you may request a copy of our financial statement.
Communication
We consider you to be a partner with us. It is my goal to give you an update every other month. In those updates I will not “beg” for money. You can count on informative communication that may include a list of needs we have at the time, but these updates will not be fund-raising campaigns. You can also count on The Regeneration Center to keep your address, donations and other personal information strictly confidential. We will not give your address to others, we will not make your donations known to the public and we will not fill your box with junk mail. I want to be accessible to you if you have questions or ideas. Feel free to write to me at the The Regeneration Center address. You can also send me e-mail at toryb@RegenerationCenter.com.
Thank you again for your obedience to His leading and for the encouragement that you have given to all of us involved with The Regeneration Center.
Your fellow servant in God’s Kingdom,
Tory Bjorklund
President, The Regeneration Center