I was asked recently about what donors are most important to Hagar. They were expecting a list of large and prestigious donors like those listed in our annual reports. Yes, we get large grants and are supported by well-known corporations, mega churches, western governments and foundations. I'm proud of this and deeply grateful - it means a lot of smart people endorse our great work. They ask the tough questions and send their experts to the projects to monitor performance. Their gifts are highly valued and their support is an endorsement of quality work.

Unfortunately this is not a sustainable funding base for any non-profit. Institutional donors often have high administrative requirements which drives up overheads. Their strategies change and move on to new interests while we need to stay on mission even when it is not popular issue. A five or six year relationship with an institutional donor is considered long and successful.

In Hagar, we have one purpose- to protect and restore the world's most broken people one person at a time. And it takes time, tenacity and a disciplined focus on the individual. This requires funding that is consistent, flexible and resonates with Hagar's mission.

So who is our most important donor? In my opinion it is the individuals that give consistently, primarily through automatic payment systems. Most of these donations are "small" but these donors share our tenacity to stay with our clients the many years it takes to get the job done. Our individual donors resonate with our mission and values. They are also flexible in allowing the money to be used where it is needed most - mission driven generosity rather than donor driven agendas.

If you're one of these donors you might also like to know you're among the most generous sources of philanthropy. The aggregate income from individual donors far exceeds the aggregate giving of the billionaire philanthropist and major foundations we read about in the press. A recent article in Time reported that North Americans earning less than $50 thousand per year give away more money than those earning over $140 thousand per year! Also individual's give away about 6 times more per year than all these foundations and institutional donors. And these individuals are far more consistent in their giving as they connect to the causes that they are passionate about.

So the most important donor to me is not about the size of the donation or reputation of the donor. It is about being dependable with whatever level they can afford and flexible in how it is used. And somehow God multiplies all those little gifts up until in outperforms the rich donors!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, to all those who give consistently no matter how small or how big.

You make Hagar possible.