Consider these ways in which giving to the church is different from giving to other charitable organizations:

Contributions to church are also something else—an offering.
We do not give to the church simply to support a cause. We do so as an act of devotion, as a form of worship. Even if the money were not put to such good use, it would still be important to demonstrate our gratitude toward and dependence upon God through an offering of our lives, including that by which we make a “living,” that is, money.

The church is the brooding hen that has helped hatch so many other worthy organizations.
Many colleges, universities, hospitals and social service agencies were founded by churches. Our own congregation was instrumental in founding the ABC (A Better Chance) House, a residence for high school students that allows them to take advantage of the educational opportunities in Wellesley) and Jubilee House (a residence for adults with mental  retardation), to mention just two.  We are also currently working on establishing the Interfaith Hospitality Network, a ministry to homeless families, and the Charles Street AME Renaissance Center, an outreach to the Roxbury neighborhood, with our partner congregation, Charles Street Church.

The church is more fully dependent on the contributions of its members.
We do not have a large endowment and we don’t charge tuition, as schools do.  We do not charge fees, as hospitals do.  We do not have any support from the government, as many social service agencies do.  About eighty-five percent of our annual budget comes from the contributions of church members. Some might say, “That means we have to do it.”  Our response is somewhat different: “We get to do it.  We have the opportunity to make an offering, to make a difference.”

Money given to the church is leveraged more effectively than money given to other organizations.
That is, a dollar given to the church goes further than a dollar given to many other charities.  The reason, of course, is you.  The dollars only support the true ministries of the church that are carried out by our church members in countless ways.

Money given to the church can be given with confidence.
Some other charitable organizations have had difficulty in the recent past with the misuse of funds.  The way our church’s money is spent, however, is carefully monitored by people you know and trust—your fellow church members.  It all happens in the light of day.

Giving to the church is a way to grow in faith.
Jesus put it this way: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  He reverses the usual order of things.  Normally, we think of giving to those things that mean a lot to us.  Jesus says, in essence, “Give to something and it will begin to mean more to you.”  A gift of devotion to God, a gift of money, helps our heart grow in devotion.  So giving to God’s work through the church is a way to grow in our relationship with God—not the only way, of course, but an often-overlooked way.

What reasons might you add to this list, reasons why the church should be first in your own charitable giving?