God calls us not only to generosity, but to one another—to grow, encourage, and walk together in faith.
Five years ago, a friend and local ministry leader approached me with a simple idea: host a small luncheon where women who served in her ministry could learn about donor-advised funds and tax-efficient giving. But the real goal wasn’t financial strategy. It was empowerment.
She felt compelled to help women step more confidently into generosity and into the financial conversations that shape families and communities. At the same time, we shared a conviction that women have a vital role to play in God’s kingdom through generosity.
Generosity isn’t just financial, it’s spiritual.
Women are increasingly becoming the primary financial and philanthropic decision-makers in their families. Many are already managing their own wealth, and as the Great Wealth Transfer, the largest transfer of wealth in history, unfolds, American women are projected to control an unprecedented $34 trillion in assets by 2030.
But the opportunity before us isn’t just financial. It’s spiritual.
God is inviting women to discover the joy, faith, and true freedom that come from living generously with everything He has entrusted to them.
As my friend and I explored the vision for that small luncheon for the women in her ministry, two things quickly became clear.
First, God was calling us wider.
What began as a gathering for women with significant giving capacity wasn’t meant to stay small. The invitation to generosity isn’t reserved for a particular group of women, a particular income level, profession, or life stage. God’s generosity is for everyone, which means every woman is invited into a life of generosity.
So our vision expanded. Instead of a small luncheon, we created a gathering where women of all ages and backgrounds could explore biblical generosity together. The hope was that we could help each woman reflect on the resources God had entrusted to her and how He might be calling her to use them.
Second, God was calling us deeper.
Women were created by God on purpose, with purpose, and for purpose. So equipping women to live generously wasn’t just about teaching financial tools. It was about helping women grow in relationship with God and one another.
After all, generosity isn’t just a financial strategy. It’s a reflection of the heart of God.
Our giving should always point back to the ultimate Giver, a God who is generous with His mercy, grace, joy, and love.
Generosity can begin in unexpected places
Instead of focusing only on giving strategies, we focused on something bigger: understanding the generous character of God and how He calls us to mobilize every resource He’s entrusted to us, financial and otherwise.
That small idea eventually grew into what is now an annual gathering called Better Together—taking place this year on Sept. 22—where women come to worship, learn, and encourage one another. The event is hosted by the National Christian Foundation Indiana, where I’ve watched the transformative power of generosity firsthand as chief operating officer for the last nine years.
A local ministry once brought several women who were in an active addiction recovery program to the event. Recovery is an incredibly vulnerable season of life, and many of these women had never imagined that generosity had anything to do with them.
But after the event, their program director shared something remarkable: the women left believing they had something to give.
Despite their hardships, they began to see that they too had a role in God’s story. Their imaginations had expanded, and they left eager to serve and love others.
Their response reminded me of the moment when Jesus praised the widow who gave two small copper coins. While others gave from abundance, she gave all she had. Her offering was small in the world’s eyes, but in God’s economy, it was immeasurable and incredibly valuable.
That story reminds us that generosity has never been about how much we have. It’s about the posture of our hearts.
As the Great Wealth Transfer continues, women will increasingly shape the future of generosity and philanthropy. Ready or not, we are becoming key decision-makers in how resources are used for good in the world, which means the question isn’t whether women will lead. The question is how we’ll lead.
We’re better together
One of the most powerful steps women can take is simply to gather together.
When women gather around faith and purpose, something powerful happens. We encourage one another. We grow together. We discover that generosity is not reserved for the wealthy or influential but is available to every woman at every stage of life.
We discover, together, that generosity looks different for each of us. Sometimes it’s financial giving. Other times it’s time, hospitality, mentorship, relationships, or service. It may be a ministry we start or support. It may be the effort we invest in caring for ourselves so we can love others well.
Whatever form it takes, generosity reflects the love of God to a hurting world. And it transforms us in the process. Our lives are never the same.
God calls us not only to generosity, but to one another—to grow, encourage, and walk together in faith.
Celebrating women’s history builds a stronger future — for all of us
The future will require women who lead with courage and a generous heart. So often, those women are the ones standing right next to us. And when women answer that call, together, the impact can reach far beyond anything we imagined.
Anna is the chief operating officer at NCF Indiana. Originally from the Chicago area, Anna moved to Indianapolis in 2011 to complete her degree in Tourism, Convention, and Event Management from IUPUI. In 2017 she left the retail management field for National Christian Foundation and a work life balance more conducive to a young family and a focus on the Kingdom.
She and her husband Jonathan are enjoying the sweet chaos of navigating parenthood to their three joyful and energetic daughters, Cadence, Elora, and Ruby.
Anna is convinced there are no such things as coincidences in life just the wonderful timing of a purposeful and loving God. She is inspired by the incredible work God is doing in Indianapolis and the surrounding communities. She is honored to be able to serve NCF’s Generous Givers and humbled by God’s abundant Grace and Generosity in her own life.