When you give, you want your gift to reach people who actually need it. That is a fair question to ask of any ministry.
This article walks through where your gift goes, why administrative costs are part of responsible stewardship, and how you can check the financial record yourself. It also looks at what scripture teaches about handling what is entrusted to us, because this kind of stewardship is not only a financial practice. It is a spiritual one.
What Happens To Every Dollar You Give
Most of your gift goes directly into five core programs, Mentorship, Nourish, Rescue and Recovery, Outreach, and Children and Families. A smaller portion supports the staff, systems, and oversight needed to run these programs responsibly. Every dollar is tracked and reported, whether you give without restriction or designate it to a specific cause.
Here is what each program does with your support.
- Mentorship connects people with spiritual guidance and consistent relationships that help them grow toward stability.
- Nourish provides discipleship resources and spiritual growth support for people at every stage of faith.
- Rescue and Recovery supports individuals affected by trafficking, exploitation, abuse, or unsafe situations with dignity and care. We never identify the people we serve, and we work alongside professional counselors, medical providers, and legal advocates rather than replacing them.
- Outreach delivers food and essential care to families and individuals facing hardship.
- Children and Families offers support built around the specific needs of families under strain.
If you designate your gift to one of these causes, we apply it there. If you give without restriction, we direct it to the area of greatest current need.
"Every gift is a trust from someone who believes in what we are doing. We treat it that way, program by program, dollar by dollar." Todd Medina, President and Founder
If you or someone you love is affected by abuse or exploitation, our Rescue and Recovery program can help connect you with care, alongside professional counseling or legal support where needed.
Why Administrative And Fundraising Costs Matter Too
A well run ministry spends a modest, reasonable share of its budget on administration and fundraising, and that spending is not wasted. It pays for the accounting, training, and outreach systems that let programs run safely and reach more people. Recognized nonprofit rating groups agree that some investment here is healthy, not a warning sign.
For years, a low overhead number was treated as the mark of a good charity. That assumption has changed. In 2013, the three major U.S. nonprofit watchdogs jointly stated that the overhead ratio alone is a poor measure of a charity's performance. Since then, groups like Charity Navigator have shifted toward looking at the fuller picture of an organization's health.
Benchmarks still matter, though. According to nonprofit financial ratio research, Charity Navigator generally looks for at least 70 percent of expenses going to programs, and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance recommends at least 65 percent.
Administrative and fundraising spending typically covers:
- Accounting and audits that keep records accurate and public
- Training that prepares staff and volunteers to serve people well
- Systems that track outcomes, so impact can be measured honestly rather than assumed
"Good governance is not overhead. It is how a board makes sure every program stays strong and every dollar stays accountable." Art Montgomery, Global Evangelism Strategy Architect and Board Visionary Luminary
What This Looks Like In Practice
A ministry that underspends on these areas often struggles to sustain its programs over time. A ministry that overspends loses the trust of the people it serves. We aim for the balance recognized watchdog groups consider healthy.
How You Can See The Financial Record For Yourself
Our financial filings are public record, and you do not have to take anyone's word for how we spend your gift. Every tax exempt nonprofit above a certain size must file a Form 990 each year, a document that shows program spending, administrative costs, and executive compensation in detail.
You can check this yourself in a few steps.
- Search our name using a public Form 990 lookup tool.
- Review program spending, which appears in Part III of the filing.
- Look for a Candid transparency seal, a Charity Navigator profile, or BBB accreditation.
- Visit our impact page for a plain language summary of results.
This same process works for any nonprofit you are considering. Donors who take a few minutes to look are doing exactly what good stewardship asks of them.
What Scripture Teaches About Handling What Is Entrusted To You
Scripture treats faithfulness with resources as a spiritual matter, not only a financial one. Jesus taught that those who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much, and Paul described a steward's role as one that requires faithfulness above all else. We hold ourselves to that same standard with every gift we receive.
Jesus put it simply in Luke 16:10 (NIV):
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
Paul made the point even more directly in 1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV):
"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
"We tell our team often that faithfulness with what is small is what earns the trust to steward what is larger. That is true with dollars, and it is true with the children and families we walk alongside." Todd Medina, President and Founder
A Word For Donors Too
Stewardship is not only our responsibility. It shapes how each of us gives. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV) that God loves a cheerful giver, and that giving should come from what a person has decided in their own heart, not from pressure or obligation. We never want a gift given out of guilt. A gift given freely, even a small one, reflects the same faithfulness this article has described.
Jesus closed one of his best known teachings on stewardship with these words in Matthew 25:21 (NIV), spoken to a servant who managed a small amount well: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things." That is the standard behind every program described above.
Give With Confidence In What Your Gift Will Do
Every dollar you give to Champion Factory Ministry moves through a system built for accountability, not guesswork. Most of it funds Mentorship, Nourish, Rescue and Recovery, Outreach, and Children and Families directly. A responsible share keeps us able to serve well for years to come. And the full record is always open for you to review.
If you would like to see this stewardship in action, visit our impact page to read about real results, or explore ways to get involved beyond giving. If you are ready to give, you can do so through our donate page with confidence in exactly where your gift will land.
FAQ
What percentage of my donation goes directly to programs?
We direct the large majority of our budget to direct programs, consistent with the standards recognized nonprofit watchdogs use to evaluate healthy charities.
Can I choose which program my donation supports?
Yes. You can designate your gift to a specific cause, such as Mentorship or Rescue and Recovery, or give without restriction so we can apply it where the need is greatest.
Where can I view the financial reports?
You can look up our public Form 990 filings through a nonprofit lookup tool, and read a plain language summary on our impact page.
