Year-end appeals often sound alike, and it is hard to know what a December gift does after the holidays. Nonprofits in the M+R Benchmarks study received 37 percent of their 2025 online revenue in December. Those gifts have to carry the work through the months that follow.
Champion Factory Ministry sees a Giving Tuesday or year-end gift as the start of a commitment, not the end of a campaign. Trust and growth in ministry work come from staying with people and partners for years. In Tijuana, for example, two steel containers for a new classroom had left the fabrication yard as of September 2026, with more phases ahead. Below, you will see how that works and how to choose your gift.
What Happens to a Year-End Gift After December 31?
A year-end gift keeps working after the holidays end. Many gifts arrive in December, but meals, supply runs, and building phases continue every month. Your gift funds the next step of work already underway and helps cover costs in the months when fewer gifts come in.
Street outreach in Mexico, for example, needs fuel, donated goods, and a team in the field for every run. Those needs do not pause in March.
Following a Gift Through the Tijuana Classroom Project
The classroom project in Tijuana moves forward in phases. Two 40-foot high-cube steel shipping containers are becoming classrooms seating 48 students, plus a kitchen "so every student gets breakfast, every school day." The goal is $45,000, and the project page calls this "phase one of a larger plan." As of September 2026:
- The crew poured the foundations, with the pour dated August 24.
- Both containers were cut, framed, sealed, primed, and painted, then left the fabrication yard.
- Insulation, wiring, lighting, desks, and the kitchen come next.
"Building in phases gives each gift to a project a clear next step to fund. Donors can follow the work from foundation to finished classroom, even when it takes more than one season." Todd Medina, President & Founder
Why Does Steady Giving Matter More Than One Big Day?
In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul asks believers to set money aside regularly so their gift is ready ahead of time. The passage models planned, steady giving. In ministry work, that kind of support lets partners plan and keep their commitments.
The verse reads: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made" (1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV). Paul was organizing a gift for believers in Jerusalem, so his point is planning, not a weekly rule.
What Years of Support Built in Two Orphanages
In Mexico, the ministry's years-long partnership with one of the larger orphanages has delivered thousands of meals and consistent supplies such as diapers, Ensure, and protein supplements. Children the team first met there have grown into adults, and several now serve on staff. The relationship also connected a couple interested in adoption with the orphanage. In the ministry's words, "A one-time donation provides a meal. A sustained partnership produces trust, and trust produces opportunity."
In the Philippines, an orphanage had lost nearly everything in a series of typhoons. The ministry sent regular shipments of brand-new clothing and essential supplies over multiple years. The facility moved from critical resource shortage to operational stability, and it now distributes shoes and supplies to other children and families in the region.
If You Can Give Only Once This Year
A single gift is welcome. Among online donors in the M+R study, new donors were retained at 24 percent, while prior donors with a history of at least two gifts were retained at 66 percent. Those figures come from other nonprofits, but the pattern explains why a second gift matters.
How Can You Make a Giving Tuesday Gift Part of Long-Term Support?
Start by deciding how you want your gift to work. You can give once, set a recurring schedule, choose a specific project, or let leaders use your gift where the need is greatest. Each option supports long-term work in a different way, and gifts made any day of the season count.
Four Ways to Shape How Your Gift Works
- Give once. A single gift funds work already in motion.
- Give on a schedule. The ministry's donation policy offers monthly, quarterly, or annual recurring gifts. In the M+R study, 71 percent of monthly donors were still giving after one year.
- Choose a project. Pick a specific cause on the causes page, such as the classroom, computer lab, or school van. The ministry honors designations with "every reasonable effort."
- Give where the need is greatest. Undesignated gifts support programs and operations where the need is greatest.
"Designated gifts show what a donor cares about most. Undesignated gifts cover the steady costs behind every program. Both are sound stewardship when the donor's intent is honored." Art Montgomery, Global Evangelism Strategy Architect & Board Visionary Luminary
How Churches and Businesses Can Add Steady Support
- Churches can plan a recurring congregational gift instead of a single year-end offering.
- Employees can ask HR about matching gift programs, which the ministry accepts.
- Businesses and groups can explore a longer-term relationship through the partner page.
What Does the 2026 Tax Change Mean for Year-End Donors?
Many donors take the standard deduction and assume their gifts bring no tax benefit. According to IRS Publication 6196, beginning with tax year 2026, taxpayers who do not itemize may be able to deduct up to $1,000 of qualifying cash contributions to eligible charitable organizations, or $2,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly.
The IRS advises saving receipts, canceled checks, or bank records. The ministry is a registered 501(c)(3) but does not provide tax advice, so check with a tax professional.
Questions to Bring to a Tax Professional
- Will I take the standard deduction or itemize for 2026?
- Does my gift count as a qualifying cash contribution?
- Which records should I keep from this year's gifts?
How to Plan Steady Giving This Season
Galatians 6:9 (NIV) encourages believers to keep doing good over time: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." The verse calls for faithfulness, not a guaranteed result.
Before December 1, pray about what kind of giving fits your life right now. Then choose one step: give a gift, set up a recurring schedule, or get involved another way.
FAQ
When Is Giving Tuesday in 2026?
Giving Tuesday is December 1, 2026. On GivingTuesday 2025, 13.5 million people in the US gave goods and 11.1 million volunteered.
Can I Change or Cancel a Recurring Gift?
Yes. Recurring gifts can be updated or canceled at any time. Use the contact page to make a change.
What If a Project I Choose Becomes Fully Funded?
If a designated program is discontinued or fully funded, the ministry will notify you and offer to redirect your gift or refund the unspent amount.
Can I Give Goods Instead of Money?
Yes. The ministry accepts in-kind donations of clothing, food, and hygiene supplies. Contact the team before sending items.
