Applied Generosity

Intro to the Applied Generosity Framework

Join us as we introduce the applied generosity framework as the blueprint for the rhythms that make up the generous life. Explore the 7 dimensions of generosity, including:
Motivation: What fuels your desire to give?
Domain: What target areas form the focus of your giving?
Intervention: How do you engage with your giving domains?
Allocation: How much do you give and keep?
Flow: How and when do your resources flow to others?
Investing: How does generosity affect the resources you keep?
Mobilization: How do you encourage generosity in those around you?
We'll also discuss some important thoughts to consider as you begin your journey.

Motivation Part 1 | Intro to Motivation

Why do we give?
In this episode, we begin exploring the first of seven dimensions of a generous life: Motivation.
We introduce a framework built around six core motivations we’ve seen again and again in conversations with givers of all kinds. Each one reflects a different starting point—but together, they help us grow into a more complete vision of generosity.
Relational Givers give to build connection. For these givers, generosity is about people, community, and shared mission.
Joyful Givers give because it brings them life. They see generosity as a celebration—and it’s contagious.
Faithful Stewards give to grow in intimacy with the Spirit. Their generosity is rooted in obedience, trust, and surrender.
Compassion Givers give to meet urgent need. These givers are moved by suffering and drawn to respond.
Impact Givers give to make a difference. Impact givers think in high-yield outcomes and long-term change.
Strategists give to mobilize resources. Strategists look for leverage, asking how every dollar can be multiplied and aligned for maximum effect.
Each profile reflects a unique doorway into generosity—and together, they point toward a fuller, more integrated vision of giving with all your heart, soul, and mind.
This episode will help you identify your natural starting point, recognize where you’re growing, and see what might be next on your journey.

Motivation Part 2 | The Heart Motivations

What makes generosity so deeply contagious?
In this episode, we explore the heart givers—the first of three broader categories that help explain how and why people give. These givers are marked by warmth, collaboration, and joy, and they often draw others into the generous life by sheer presence and invitation.
We focus on two powerful motivation profiles:
Relational Givers – Motivated by people and partnership. These givers are energized by shared mission, collaboration, and helping others flourish. They draw people together and bring out the best in those they partner with and give alongside.
Joyful Givers – Motivated by delight in the act of giving. For them, generosity is deeply life-giving and resilient, often expressed through spontaneity and freedom. Their joy is magnetic—and often the spark that gets others asking deeper questions.
We also cover several cautions—the potential blind spots that can arise when givers stay only within their comfort zones. And we explore how pairing these motivations with others can deepen your impact and keep your giving strong for the long haul.
If you identify as a heart giver, your generosity is a breath of life—uplifting, joyful, and deeply encouraging to those around you. Your light doesn’t just bless others—it has the power to inspire and awaken generosity in those who witness it.

Motivation Part 3 | The Soul Motivations

What happens when generosity flows from deep conviction?
In this episode, we explore the soul givers—those whose generosity is rooted in a deep spiritual foundation. These individuals are driven by obedience, connection to the Spirit, and a profound desire to reflect God’s heart through their giving. Their posture is one of surrender, sacrifice, and steadfast faithfulness, often giving in ways that go far beyond their finances.
We focus on two distinct profiles:
Faithful Stewards – Motivated by obedience and responsibility. These givers are guided by the Word and Spirit, committed to consistent giving through every season. What often begins as simple acts of discipline can lead to radical generosity fueled by trust in God’s provision.
Compassion Givers – Motivated by love for those who suffer. Often shaped by personal pain or powerful moments of empathy, these givers are drawn toward causes that feel deeply personal. They invest their whole selves—time, talent, and treasure—into specific missions where they feel called to stand in the gap.
We also look honestly at some of the cautions that come with these motivations. But these challenges are met with wisdom and strength when other motivations are integrated over time.
If you identify as a soul giver, you’re part of the spiritual backbone of the generosity movement. Your faithfulness, empathy, and willingness to sacrifice reflect God’s character in powerful ways.

Motivation Part 4 | The Head Motivations

What lies at the intersection of generosity, leverage, and intentionality?
In this episode, we explore the final two giving motivations: Impact Givers and Strategists. These givers approach generosity with their minds fully engaged—bringing focus, intentionality, and a strong desire to see resources make a measurable difference.
We focus on two head-driven profiles:
Impact Givers – Motivated by effectiveness and measurable outcomes. These givers want to know their gifts are truly making a difference. They are drawn to data, research, and scalable solutions—often thinking big and aiming for root-level change. Their generosity can produce extraordinary fruit, and their thoughtful approach often raises the bar for others.
Strategists – Motivated by resource mobilization. Strategists are energized by finding creative ways to unlock and deploy more dollars for Kingdom purposes. Many come from marketplace backgrounds and thrive on multiplying impact through smart structures, tools, and partnerships. They often serve behind the scenes to help others give more than they thought possible.
We also explore some of the common pitfalls for head givers—but each one can be wisely navigated by drawing from the strengths of the other motivations. When head, heart, and soul come together, generosity becomes far more holistic and life-giving.
If you identify as a head giver, your presence is vital to the generosity movement. You help us ask the right questions, aim for excellence, and ensure that every gift can go as far as possible.

Motivation Part 5 | Bringing It All Together

What happens when all six giving motivations begin working together in your life?
In this final episode of our Motivation series, we step back to see the big picture. Each of the six motivations—relationships, joy, faithfulness, compassion, impact, and strategy—shape our generosity in unique ways. But when we integrate them all, our giving becomes deeper, more intentional, and more effective.
The remaining six dimensions of the Applied Generosity framework will draw each profile out more fully, showing where they naturally thrive and where they stretch us toward maturity.
Relational Givers — Thrive in supporting the local body of Christ, and in Mobilization, where generosity is multiplied by drawing others into the journey.
Joyful Givers — Flourish in everyday generosity, where spontaneous acts of kindness take center stage, in responsive Allocation patterns that release resources freely, and in anonymous giving, where the act itself becomes a source of delight.
Faithful Stewards — Connect deeply with a surrendered posture of Allocation, and with milestone giving, those rare, once-in-a-lifetime gifts that mark seasons of sacrifice and obedience.
Compassion Givers — Find a natural home in Domains that engage suffering and brokenness and advance the good news of the gospel.
Impact Givers — Come into their own in Intervention, the dimension that asks how we engage problems effectively and evaluate outcomes for lasting change.
Strategists — Excel in Allocation through tools like giving goals, in Flow through creative tax-advantaged strategies, and in Investing, where financial acumen is harnessed to multiply kingdom resources.
As the remaining six dimensions unfold, you’ll see how each motivation is woven into the larger story of generosity. Lean into the ones that feel less natural and you’ll discover entire realms where your generosity can deepen and expand.

Domain Part 1 | Intro to Domain

What focus areas define our giving?
In this series, we continue our journey through the seven dimensions of the Applied Generosity Framework by introducing the second dimension: Domain. Building on the foundation of Motivation, we explore how the focus areas of our giving powerfully transform our hearts and faith.
We introduce the four core domains, each offering unique ways generosity shapes us and draws us into God’s story:
A Community: This refers to our local church—the people we interact with regularly. Giving here fosters unity, mutual commitment, and a sense of family within the body of Christ.
A Conversation: Led by ongoing dialogue with the Holy Spirit, this domain is about everyday generosity. It’s learning to recognize His voice and respond to the nudges and opportunities that arise daily all around us.
A Commandment: Rooted in the Great Commandment to love God and love our neighbor, this domain focuses on restoring the deep brokenness of a fallen world—responding to suffering and injustice among those who cannot help themselves.
A Commission: Centered on the Great Commission, this domain invites us to engage in advancing the gospel, making disciples, and participating in God’s greater story of redemption.
Each domain is a distinct invitation, forming a different part of how God shapes us through our giving. And while we may be more drawn to one domain than another, our growth comes when we’re willing to explore beyond the familiar.
Some areas will resonate immediately—places where generosity already feels natural and energizing. Others may feel distant or even uncomfortable. But often, it’s in those unfamiliar places that the Holy Spirit does His deepest work in us.
This episode sets the foundation for the series, where we’ll take a closer look at each domain one by one. Along the way, we’ll discover new doors God may be inviting us to walk through—doors that deepen our faith, stretch our imagination, and expand our experience of what generosity can become.

Domain Part 2 | A Community—the Local Church

How does generosity shape our connection to the local church?
In this episode, we begin exploring the first of four domains in the Applied Generosity Framework: Community. This domain centers on the people we worship with, share meals with, serve alongside, and do life with—our local expression of the body of Christ.
We consider how giving in this domain helps foster unity, build trust, and deepen our sense of spiritual family. For many, this is the first place generosity takes root—supporting full-time ministry, responding to tangible needs, and stepping into the kind of shared life described in Acts.
Together, we reflect on how generosity moves beyond the offering plate and into the lives of real people—living and giving in such a way that “there was not a needy person among them.”
We also introduce a growth progression to help you reflect on how you currently engage with this domain, and where God might be inviting you next:
Nomad: You float between communities or attend occasionally, without deeper connection or commitment.
Visitor: You're exploring a church but haven’t yet formed relational or spiritual ties.
Member: You’ve put down roots, begun giving, and are contributing to the life of the church.
Neighbor: You’re aware of needs, investing in relationships, and beginning to sacrifice for others.
Family: You’re sharing meals, bearing burdens, and choosing to love others through their imperfections.
Koinonia: This Greek word describes the early Acts church—a radical, Spirit-formed community where lives, resources, and mission are held in common.
This episode is a call to press deeper—not just into church attendance, but into a kind of spiritual kinship. One where generosity isn’t just transactional, but transformative. And where giving draws us into communion with Christ and each other.

Domain Part 3 | A Conversation—Everyday Generosity

What does it look like to give in step with the Holy Spirit?
In this episode, we explore the second of four core domains in the Applied Generosity Framework: A Conversation. This domain centers on everyday generosity—responding to the Spirit’s voice in real time, often in small but deeply formative ways.
We reflect on how this kind of generosity trains our spiritual ears to hear, softens our hearts to notice, and stretches our faith to act without hesitation. It's less about strategy and more about surrender—joining an ongoing conversation with the Spirit that reshapes how we walk through the world.
We explore two key expressions of this domain:
Everyday Compassion: These are responses to immediate, tangible needs—acts of generosity that embrace interruption and reflect the heart of Christ. Whether it’s buying groceries for a stranger or stepping into someone’s crisis, these moments invite us to notice and respond to pain around us.
Everyday Blessing: These acts flow from joy rather than need. They may take the form of an unusually generous tip, a spontaneous gift, or a surprising gesture of kindness. Their purpose? To nurture a mindset of abundance and delight in generosity for its own sake.
We also introduce a six-stage growth progression to help you reflect on how the Spirit is shaping you in this domain:
Disconnection: Unaware of the Spirit’s voice, moving too fast to notice or respond.
Growing Awareness: Starting to sense nudges, even if often in hindsight.
Selective Response: Responding occasionally when circumstances are convenient.
Intentional Availability: Building margin into life to welcome interruptions and act.
Reflexive Compassion: Acting instinctively when needs arise—generosity becomes the default.
Overflowing Blessing: Giving joyfully and proactively, beyond visible needs—living with open hands and a listening heart.
Everyday generosity might seem small, but it’s one of the most transformational kinds. Over time, it teaches us to live alert to the Spirit, open to disruption, and ready to partner with God in the most ordinary places of life.

Domain Part 4 | A Commandment—Restoring a Broken World

What breaks God’s heart—and are we willing to see it?
In this episode, we explore the third core domain in the Applied Generosity Framework: A Commandment. Rooted in Jesus’ words in the Great Commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself,” this domain calls us to face suffering and injustice head-on, not turning away but engaging as active agents of restoration in a broken world.
We trace this domain through the Parable of the Good Samaritan and Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, both of which reframe generosity as not merely a good deed, but an act of radical love—and even a direct expression of love for Jesus himself.
This kind of giving draws us out of our comfort zones and into messy, complex places. It stretches us to care about people we might otherwise overlook, and to cross social, cultural, and even ideological barriers to pursue mercy, justice, and human dignity.
We highlight several defining themes of this domain:
Noticing the Uncomfortable: Like the Samaritan, we are called to see and respond to suffering rather than look away, even when it’s easier or more convenient to ignore.
Crossing Barriers: True neighbor-love often means engaging across lines of difference—ethnic, religious, cultural, or geographic.
Serving the Least of These: Jesus identifies personally with the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner. To serve them is to serve Christ.
We also walk through a six-stage growth progression that helps us understand how God shapes us in this domain:
Ignorance – Simply unaware of the deeper levels of suffering and injustice in the world.
Awareness – Beginning to acknowledge the presence of global or local suffering, though still detached.
Compassion – Recognizing that these issues impact real people with names and stories; often catalyzed by direct exposure.
Dignification – Honoring the full humanity of each person; refusing to define people by their problems.
Partnership – Working with, not just for, others—valuing local leadership, existing assets, and mutual growth.
Solidarity – Standing as equals with those we serve, recognizing we are co-learners and co-laborers in God’s redemptive work.
This domain calls each of us into a particular corner of a deeply hurting world. None of us can respond to every need, but each of us is invited to respond somewhere—with love that reflects the heart of God and refuses to look away.