Gladly Giving it Away
by Sheryl Young

After this Massachusetts-born, direct descendant of Paul Revere had expertly managed money nationwide, he felt God’s call to use his fiscal experience for God’s kingdom. Evan Collins headed the finance committee at Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara (his home church) and served the Southern California Conference too. Then, God called him and his wife Juanita to new territory — in Oklahoma City — where he would financially organize the Butterfield Memorial Foundation, an organization dedicated to giving grants to Christian ministries. “I felt everything in my life so far had led to this,” he says.

Collins currently serves as the foundation’s president. He and Juanita attend First FMC and Resurrection FMC while living part-time in Oklahoma City.

Q: From where does the Butterfield Foundation fund grants?
A:The funding came originally from the sale of Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City. Many in the denomination may be familiar with the history of Deaconess. A group of Free Methodist women answered God’s call to Oklahoma for ministry to single pregnant girls and other women outcast by society. They established the Home of Redeeming Love in the early 1900s, added an adoption agency, and in the 1940s it evolved into a maternity hospital. I had an adopted sister, so I identified with this cause.

Q: For a ministry seeking grants, what are the foundation's basic requirements and amounts?
A:It must be a Christian, tax-exempt charitable organization with some medical purpose. We have unusual flexibility and are guided by economic factors and the level of requests. In 2007, we gave grants totaling over $2.8 million. The applicants must state their desired amount.

Q: What are some examples of qualifying ministries?
A:We’ve given grants everywhere from Oklahoma to Africa — hospitals and universities with nursing programs for computers and staff salaries; abstinence-based organizations, crisis pregnancy centers, free health clinics for renovation — it’s very diverse.

Q: Can "regular people" donate money or volunteer at Butterfield?
A: We didn’t accept donations until our history showed superior results, but now people can donate. We like volunteers — our staff is only five people. We must visit the ministries that are applying, so sometimes we’ll send a volunteer with a staff member.

Q: Are the funded ministries able to freely share God's Word with their recipients?
A: Yes, that’s a requirement! They must take every opportunity to share the gospel. We aren’t tied to any government support, so they are free to do so.

Q: How can people discern where to donate money, and how much to give?
A: Your first priority should be your own church. Then, pray! Some people like to give a little money to many organizations; some give lump sums to one. Most ministries benefit more from larger amounts, although in foreign countries you can impact needy children for just a few dollars a month. To choose a worthy cause, anyone can use the same criteria as Butterfield — the ministry should have a clear-cut vision for the funds and an articulate way to evaluate their project’s effectiveness. Always ask what percentage of the money goes into actual distribution versus administrative costs.

Q: How does a ministry apply for a Butterfield grant?
A:Our application process is explained at www.butterfieldfoundation.org. People may also call (405) 608-0517.
(The Butterfield Memorial Foundation is voluntarily affiliated with The Free Methodist Church of North America, but awards grants to other Christian denominations.)