“ACTIVE generosity” explains why the Christian organisation Stewardship broke the £100-million mark for charitable grant-giving in 2023, its new chief executive suggests.
In 2023, £109.6 million of grant payments were made through Stewardship — a jump of 12 per cent on the previous year — and donations were up by two per cent, says its annual report for 2023, published on Tuesday.
The organisation manages charitable donations from churches, charities, and individuals, with the purpose of advancing “the evangelical Christian faith”. It traces its history to the founding by members of the Open Brethren of the East of England Evangelisation Trust in 1906. In its current form, the trust represents the merger of several enterprises, including Sovereign Giving (originally the North Staffordshire Evangelical Trust), which had provided covenanted and Gift Aid giving services, Credit Action, and Maxco.
Donors using its services include about 4000 churches and 6000 charities, as well as thousands of individuals. It has helped organisations including the refugee charity the Sanctuary Foundation, and a gospel-music festival in Liverpool (Features, 29 September).
As well as grants, Stewardship makes loans to churches and charities towards projects. In 2023, 19 loans, worth a total of £9.6 million, were made.
Sixty per cent of grant giving went to charities, 26 per cent to churches, and 14 per cent to individual partners
Stewardship’s chief executive, Janie Oliver, said: “In the context of a difficult year for many, we were once again humbled by the generosity of those we serve.”
The rise of grant payments to nearly £110 million was “a powerful reflection of the active generosity that we are privileged to support”, she said.
“With a strong, motivated team in place that is fully aligned behind a refreshed strategy, we look forward to continuing to grow and develop our offering for donors, churches, charities, and Christian workers, helping Christians steward their resources wisely and generously.”
Ms Oliver attributed part of the increase in grants to the growth of Stewardship’s Donor Advisory Board service, which allows philanthropists to include family, friends, and advisers in their grant-making decisions. One young adult was quoted as saying that the service had enabled her to give to multiple small charities.
Ms Oliver was appointed in January to replace Stewart McCulloch, who left to become chief executive of Christians Against Poverty (Podcast, 13 June).
The two-per-cent increase in donations countered the national trend in charitable giving in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis.
Stewardship’s ambitions are set out in the report. It estimates that about £2 billion is currently given by Christians in the UK, but that the potential is £7 billion. “Closing this gap is key in achieving a thriving Kingdom economy,” the report says. It recommends “discipleship programmes to integrate faith with finance” and transform the “giving experience”.
The full report can be read here.