Our financial ethics

At The Christian Institute, we believe that the way an organisation handles its finances is a reflection of its integrity and reliability in every arena. As a result, we have chosen to limit and regulate our methods of money management with great care.

Here are the principles and policies that have guided us through the years:

1. We believe that this ministry belongs to God and that we are merely His managers and stewards. Our role is to remain faithful to the calling that He has given us to fulfil. Every working day all staff join in prayer seeking God’s blessing and provision for our work.
2. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away (Job 1:21). As long as He supplies the means, we will continue to serve others in His name. If He closes the door and cuts off our support, we will regard this as an indication of His sovereign will. We understand that the future of His work in the world does not depend upon the survival of this organisation.
3. God sustains this work through the generosity of His people. The Institute’s continuation as an organisation is directly dependent upon their willingness and ability to give. It follows that our supporters need to know about our financial circumstances. Accordingly, we will not hesitate to provide them with relevant information, both in the good times and in the bad. But we will not resort to disrespectful or dishonourable methods of fundraising, since this would only be to insult their sensibilities and disavow our confidence in the Lord. We have chosen not to contact supporters by telephone to solicit donations. Neither will we use third parties such as telephone call centres to contact potential donors on our behalf. We will not apply for lottery funding.
4. In the same attitude of high regard for those who make our work possible, we will never sell or rent our donor database. On the contrary, we will treat our supporters’ personal information as a solemn trust and maintain the tightest security on our list of donors and supporters.
5. In view of the sacrificial nature of the donations we receive we are determined to steward our financial resources as carefully and conservatively as possible. There is no room for extravagant or unnecessary expenditure in The Christian Institute’s budget.
6. For similar reasons, we will resist the temptation to run the ministry at a deficit. If on occasion it becomes necessary to borrow funds to cover large and unforeseen expenditures, we will do our best to repay the loans as quickly as possible. When we make a purchase, we will pay the invoice within 30 days.
7. We believe that a Christian’s first financial obligation is to the church; we have no desire to come between our supporters and the local congregations to which they belong and from which they derive their spiritual sustenance. As a result, we do not expect them to contribute to our work until after they have supported the work of God’s kingdom in their own faith communities.
8. We will implement measures to ensure fairness and accountability in all of our financial interactions with supporters. We only seek funds where there is a real need. We will acknowledge all donations and confirm the Gift Aid status of any gift that is made.
9. An integral part of the Institute’s accountability is statutory regulation. The Institute is regulated in the UK by the Charity Commission, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Companies House and HM Revenue and Customs. In accordance with UK law and guidance the Institute’s accounts are independently audited each year.
10. These, then, are the principles that have defined our philosophy of financial stewardship and shaped our approach to fundraising. They are based upon a firm conviction that everything we are and everything we have comes to us by the grace of God. Provided we remain faithful, we are confident that the Lord will sustain us while His purposes for our work endure.