Trusted Kingdom Giving

Give with clarity.
Give with conviction.

The SAVE Standard brings clarity to Kingdom giving so business leaders and major donors can support Christian ministries with confidence, accountability, and joy.

The SAVE Standard includes
IRS TEOS Verification
Form 990 Review
Leadership Assessment
Governance Audit
Doctrinal Review
Reference Checks
Charity Navigator
Reputation Search
Process

Four steps. No shortcuts.

Every ministry presented through the SAVE Standard has gone through the same clear and consistent evaluation. No exceptions. No shortcuts. No pay-to-play.

01

Structured Inquiry

Ministries submit a detailed application covering leadership, doctrine, governance, and finances. Not a contact form. A clear evaluation that surfaces what matters.

10–15 minutes
02

Comprehensive Evaluation

Financial records, governance documents, doctrinal statements, external reputation, and references are reviewed against a structured model across six weighted categories.

30–45 minutes
03

Donor-Ready Brief

Every approved ministry receives a published ministry brief. Concise. Honest. Specific. Read it. Decide with confidence.

Published report
04
Select organizations only

Relational Discernment

Evaluation goes beyond documents. Leadership is seen up close.

Documents reveal structure. Conversations reveal intention. Proximity reveals character. The most important things about a leader cannot be captured in a form or an interview. For select organizations, the SAVE Standard includes time in proximity with ministry leadership, observing the consistency between what is presented and what is lived.

This step is mutual and invitational. It is never entered without the ministry's full knowledge and consent. It is reserved for organizations being considered for significant giving relationships. It is a mark of trust, not suspicion.

Leadership Alignment

Aligned

Clarity is strengthened when internal and external perspectives align.

Internal Perspective

Insights gathered from those within the organization.

Internal perspectives describe leadership as clear, relational, and consistent in day-to-day culture and direction.

External Perspective

Insights gathered from partners and those outside the organization.

Outside perspectives describe leadership as credible, steady, and broadly consistent with the ministry's public posture.

Alignment Insight

A summarized view of how closely internal and external perspectives align.

Internal and external perspectives reflect a consistent view of leadership character, communication, and organizational posture.

Integrity is not proven in presentation. It is confirmed in consistency, over time, in proximity, in the ordinary.

What this includes

  • Time spent in person with ministry leadership
  • Shared meals and unstructured conversation
  • Observation of leadership rhythms and team culture
  • Relational interaction outside formal or prepared settings
  • Conversations with those closest to the leader
Why it matters

Discernment is not doubt.
It is wisdom.

Billions of dollars flow to Christian ministries every year. Very little of it is clearly understood. Most donors give based on relationship, reputation, or a compelling story.

Those are not bad starting points. But they are not enough.

Asking hard questions is an act of love.The organizations you fund represent your values. The SAVE Standard strengthens alignment between donor and mission.
Accountability protects the mission.Healthy ministries welcome accountability. The SAVE Standard is a spiritual discipline in practice.
Fruit requires roots.Governance, doctrine, and character matter as much as outcomes. Unsustainable ministries waste generosity.
"Faithful stewardship starts with honest information, about the mission, the leadership, and the evidence of lasting fruit."

SAVE Foundation

Our independence guarantee

No ministry pays to be recommended. No brief is issued without human review. Every recommendation reflects the data, nothing else.

The model

A 100-point framework built on what actually matters.

Six weighted categories. Clear subcriteria. Defined flag triggers. Consistent disqualifiers. Nothing arbitrary.

20 pts

Leadership Integrity

Accountability structure, board independence, decision model, personal character and stability.

15 pts

Doctrine

Gospel clarity, Scripture position, public doctrinal statement, staff affirmation requirements.

15 pts

Governance

Board independence, meeting frequency, conflict-of-interest policy, whistleblower protections.

20 pts

Financial Stewardship

Financial review level, program expense ratio, reserve fund, restricted fund clarity and transparency.

20 pts

Fruit

Scale of impact, clarity of mission, spiritual fruit, and external validation where applicable.

10 pts

External Trust

ECFA membership, reference quality, IRS standing, and public reputation.

85–100 Strongly recommended
70–84 Recommended
55–69 Conditional
Below 55 Not recommended
For Ministries

If your work is real,
you have nothing to fear.

The SAVE Standard gives your ministry credibility with serious donors. It signals accountability. It connects you to givers aligned with what you have built.

  • Inquiry reviewed within 5 business days
  • Complete Application unlocked after approval
  • Secure document upload portal
  • Published ministry brief upon approval
  • Annual evaluation required to maintain active status
Begin Your Application →
For Donors

Give with confidence.
Give with conviction.

You've built something. You want it to matter beyond your lifetime. The SAVE Standard brings clarity and documents every step.

  • Access to all published ministry briefs
  • Honest commendations and cautions
  • Full evaluation summary, what was included
  • Recommendation level in plain language
  • Direct connection to ministry leadership
Explore Verified Ministries →
Timeline

From inquiry to
funded ministry.

01

Ministry submits inquiry

Structured 10–15 minute application. Leadership, doctrine, and financials at a surface level.

Submitted
02

SAVE reviews inquiry

Admin reviews for completeness and early red flags. Decision within 5 business days.

Under review
03

Complete Application unlocked

30–45 minute deep dive with document upload. Six full categories of structured review.

Vetting in progress
04

Scoring engine runs

100-point model calculates automatically. Risk flags generated. External checks completed.

Scoring complete
05

Human reviewer completes diligence

Reviewer reads documents, contacts references, runs external checks, and writes recommendation.

Review complete
06

Donor brief published

A concise, honest brief goes live. Commendations, cautions, recommendation, and diligence checklist.

Brief published
Get started

Faithful generosity starts with
honest information.

Ministries ready for accountability and donors ready to give with confidence begin here.

No ministry pays to be recommended. All briefs include human review. Annual evaluation required.