Philanthropy

Whoever believes that giving is an easy matter, makes a mistake; it is a matter of very great difficulty, provided that gifts are made with wisdom, and are not scattered at haphazard and by caprice. To this man I do a service, to that one make return; this one I succour, this one I pity; I supply this other one because he does not deserve to be dragged down by poverty and have it engross him; to some I shall not give although they are in need, because, even if I should give, they would still be in need; to some I shall proffer my help, upon certain ones even thrust it. In this matter I cannot afford to be careless; never am I more careful to register names than when I am giving. - Seneca

God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply - Hudson Taylor

"Answering a letter from a church asking what else they should try after having failed to raise enough money on bake sales, bazaars, suppers, etc. Why not try religion?" - Horace Greeley

Perhaps if Christians were to live out what they're supposed to, God and His people would come through and meet financial needs.

The command to love your neighbour is inseparable from the command to love God.  Any philosophy distributing wealth that fails to account for God's glory and His redemptive purposes for people falls short of the mark.

When there is a choice, why not support organizations characterized by prayer, biblical standards and the supernatural work of God's Spirit. - Alcorn

I give in response to a known need but someone first has to inform me of it.  Paul did not manipulate people when he shared a need, nor did he make them feel that without their giving God would not provide.  Paul also made the Corinthians aware of the needs of the Jerusalem poor.  Then he went one step further to encourage them to take an offering for that need, to be distributed by his ministry team.

George Muller was a true man of faith who relied solely on God to provide not only for all of his personal needs, but also for all of the necessities of his ministries (See George Muller, Parts 1 & 2 for more details). There were, however, two very important principles that George, as the recipient of many monetary gifts, followed explicitly: He was concerned about the giver; and he believed in giving back to the Lord!
When George Muller accepted donations, he didn't accept them from just anyone. He firmly believed that a Christian should not incur debt, but that he should depend on God instead. Whenever he encountered someone in debt, George would encourage that person to pay off his debts before contributing to his cause. Now this may seem as if George was refusing the help that God was sending him; but he was simply trusting God to provide through people who weren't in debt!
One New Year's Eve when there was again no food to feed the orphans, one of George's friends, whom he knew to be in debt, handed him a sealed envelope containing money. It was the monetary solution George had been praying for, but he refused the donation. The children didn't go hungry, however. God provided for them through other means!
The second principle that George practiced was that of giving back to the Lord. His philosophy was that finances provided by the Lord should be spent to the Lord's honor. He firmly believed in God's promise: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38 NIV)
During the first year after making his resolution to not rely on a fixed salary, George personally received, as a result of prayer, a total of 151 pounds. Of this, he gave 50 pounds back to the Lord. The next year he received 195 pounds and gave back 65. The following year he donated 110 pounds of the 267 he received. From 1836 to 1845, his income totaled 3400 pounds, of which 1280 pounds were given back to the Lord. During the next 10 years of his life, he received 26,000 pounds, from which he donated 22,330 pounds. In his lifetime George Muller was the recipient of the equivalent of more than 7 ½ million dollars. When he died, however, his entire estate consisted of only 169 pounds, 9 shillings and 4 pennies, the equivalent of $850. Of this, over $500 worth were in furniture, books and other personal belongings. George Muller could rightfully conclude: "I had given and God caused to be given to me again and bountifully."
George Muller had truly learned to depend on God for all of his necessities, to the point where he could generously give back to the Lord much of what he was given, and to the point that he could be choosy about who he accepted money from. What about you? Who do you run to when facing financial burdens? Who do you rely on when finances seem to evaporate from your hands?