
Toxic Charity
How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It)
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.89
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Chris Andrew Ciulla
-
By:
-
Robert D. Lupton
About this listen
Veteran urban activist Robert Lupton reveals the shockingly toxic effects that modern charity has upon the very people meant to benefit from it.
Toxic Charity provides proven new models for charitable groups who want to help - not sabotage - those whom they desire to serve. Lupton, the founder of FCS Urban Ministries (Focused Community Strategies) in Atlanta, the voice of the Urban Perspectives newsletter, and the author of Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life, has been at the forefront of urban ministry activism for 40 years. Now, in the vein of Jeffrey Sachs’s The End of Poverty, Richard Stearns’s The Hole in Our Gospel, and Gregory Boyle’s Tattoos on the Heart, his groundbreaking Toxic Charity shows us how to start serving needy and impoverished members of our communities in a way that will lead to lasting, real-world change.
©2011 Robert D. Lupton (P)2019 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
When Helping Hurts
- How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself
- By: Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert
- Narrated by: Brendan Hunter
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy - and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself.
-
-
A must read
- By Diana Kamidi on 07-31-21
By: Steve Corbett, and others
-
Psycho-Cybernetics
- Updated and Expanded
- By: Maxwell Maltz
- Narrated by: Matt Furey
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its first publication in 1960, Maltz's landmark best seller has inspired and enhanced the lives of more than 30 million readers. In this updated edition, with a new introduction and editorial commentary by Matt Furey, president of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation, the original text has been annotated and amplified to make Maltz's message even more relevant for the contemporary audience.
-
-
A Must Read!
- By 🗣 ✳️ MASON'S REVIEWS ✳️ 🗣 on 08-29-17
By: Maxwell Maltz
-
The Psychology of Money
- Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
- By: Morgan Housel
- Narrated by: Chris Hill
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Money - investing, personal finance, and business decisions - is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.
-
-
Could be summarized in one sentence
- By Alex on 05-30-21
By: Morgan Housel
-
Charity Detox
- What Charity Would Look Like If We Cared About Results
- By: Robert D. Lupton
- Narrated by: Mike Lenz
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would charity look like if we, instead, measured it by its ability to alleviate poverty and needs? That is the question at the heart of Charity Detox. Drawing on his many decades of experience, Lupton outlines how to structure programs that actually improve the quality of life of the poor and disenfranchised. He introduces many strategies that are revolutionizing what we do with our charity dollars, and offers numerous examples of organizations that have successfully adopted these groundbreaking new models.
-
-
a must-read for everyone hoping to help the poor
- By Amazon Customer on 04-16-20
By: Robert D. Lupton
-
Dead Aid
- Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa
- By: Dambisa Moyo, Niall Ferguson - foreword
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A national best-seller, Dead Aid unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined - and millions continue to suffer. Debunking the current model of international aid promoted by both Hollywood celebrities and policy makers, Dambisa Moyo offers a bold new road map for financing the development of the world's poorest countries.
-
-
Dangerous / Right Wing US view
- By David O'Donovan on 03-05-19
By: Dambisa Moyo, and others
-
Radical Forgiveness
- A Revolutionary Five-Stage Process to Heal Relationships, Let Go of Anger and Blame, Find Peace in Any Situation
- By: Colin Tipping
- Narrated by: Colin Tipping
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all like the idea of forgiveness - doing it is the hard part. If you're holding an old grudge, feeling guilt, or shame from past events, or simply unhappy with the way your life is working out, then you're ready to start testing a set of tools for real change. With The Power of Radical Forgiveness, Colin Tipping invites you to learn a whole new way to acheive forgiveness.
-
-
not the same as the book of the same cover.
- By Rachel on 03-05-19
By: Colin Tipping
-
When Helping Hurts
- How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself
- By: Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert
- Narrated by: Brendan Hunter
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy - and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself.
-
-
A must read
- By Diana Kamidi on 07-31-21
By: Steve Corbett, and others
-
Psycho-Cybernetics
- Updated and Expanded
- By: Maxwell Maltz
- Narrated by: Matt Furey
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its first publication in 1960, Maltz's landmark best seller has inspired and enhanced the lives of more than 30 million readers. In this updated edition, with a new introduction and editorial commentary by Matt Furey, president of the Psycho-Cybernetics Foundation, the original text has been annotated and amplified to make Maltz's message even more relevant for the contemporary audience.
-
-
A Must Read!
- By 🗣 ✳️ MASON'S REVIEWS ✳️ 🗣 on 08-29-17
By: Maxwell Maltz
-
The Psychology of Money
- Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
- By: Morgan Housel
- Narrated by: Chris Hill
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Money - investing, personal finance, and business decisions - is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together. In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money.
-
-
Could be summarized in one sentence
- By Alex on 05-30-21
By: Morgan Housel
-
Charity Detox
- What Charity Would Look Like If We Cared About Results
- By: Robert D. Lupton
- Narrated by: Mike Lenz
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What would charity look like if we, instead, measured it by its ability to alleviate poverty and needs? That is the question at the heart of Charity Detox. Drawing on his many decades of experience, Lupton outlines how to structure programs that actually improve the quality of life of the poor and disenfranchised. He introduces many strategies that are revolutionizing what we do with our charity dollars, and offers numerous examples of organizations that have successfully adopted these groundbreaking new models.
-
-
a must-read for everyone hoping to help the poor
- By Amazon Customer on 04-16-20
By: Robert D. Lupton
-
Dead Aid
- Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa
- By: Dambisa Moyo, Niall Ferguson - foreword
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A national best-seller, Dead Aid unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined - and millions continue to suffer. Debunking the current model of international aid promoted by both Hollywood celebrities and policy makers, Dambisa Moyo offers a bold new road map for financing the development of the world's poorest countries.
-
-
Dangerous / Right Wing US view
- By David O'Donovan on 03-05-19
By: Dambisa Moyo, and others
-
Radical Forgiveness
- A Revolutionary Five-Stage Process to Heal Relationships, Let Go of Anger and Blame, Find Peace in Any Situation
- By: Colin Tipping
- Narrated by: Colin Tipping
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all like the idea of forgiveness - doing it is the hard part. If you're holding an old grudge, feeling guilt, or shame from past events, or simply unhappy with the way your life is working out, then you're ready to start testing a set of tools for real change. With The Power of Radical Forgiveness, Colin Tipping invites you to learn a whole new way to acheive forgiveness.
-
-
not the same as the book of the same cover.
- By Rachel on 03-05-19
By: Colin Tipping
-
As a Man Thinketh
- By: James Allen
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook version of As A Man Thinketh is true to the original. Every word written by James Allen is spoken with clarity and authority by the narrator, making it easy to remember the information and absorb the timeless wisdom. This short audiobook, originally published in 1902, has had a huge impact in the field of personal development. It is regarded as one of the most important books of the new thought era. It's written in such a way that makes it easy to understand the most powerful message you could ever learn.
-
-
I listen to this book every week.
- By Chris L on 11-08-15
By: James Allen
-
The Laws of Human Nature
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Paul Michael, Robert Greene
- Length: 28 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of listeners, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding, and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.
-
-
Tempo is key! (1.25X)
- By James Hawkins on 11-12-18
By: Robert Greene
-
Unscripted
- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship
- By: MJ DeMarco
- Narrated by: Scott Thomas
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You live in your dream house, but there's no mortgage. No alarm clock, no boss, no bills. No claims on the day's time other than what you choose. It is making more money before breakfast than you made for an entire week at your last job. It is a crazy expensive car parked in your garage, a victorious symbol that your dreams no longer sleep in fantasies, but are awake with reality.
-
-
Making money, yeah. Cut the rant though.
- By Mary C. Dunford on 07-31-17
By: MJ DeMarco
-
Think and Grow Rich
- By: Napoleon Hill
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Think and Grow Rich is the number-one inspirational and motivational classic for individuals who are interested in furthering their lives and reaching their goals by learning from important figures in history. The text read in this audiobook is the original 1937 edition written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie - and while it has often been reproduced, no updated version has ever been able to compete with the original.
-
-
Classic Book, 21st Century Version Better
- By Razvan Rogoz on 12-29-12
By: Napoleon Hill
-
The Fiat Standard
- The Debt Slavery Alternative to Human Civilization
- By: Saifedean Ammous
- Narrated by: Saifedean Ammous, Guy Swann
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fiat Standard, world-renowned economist Saifedean Ammous applies his unique analytical lens to the fiat monetary system, explaining it as a feat of engineering and technology just as he did for bitcoin in his global best seller The Bitcoin Standard. This time, Ammous delves into the world's earlier shift from the gold standard to today's system of government-backed fiat money—outlining the fiat standard's purposes and failures; deriving the wider economic, political, and social implications of its use; and examining how bitcoin will affect it over time.
-
-
keep narrative to economics related topics
- By HM on 06-14-22
By: Saifedean Ammous
-
Deception
- The Great COVID Cover-Up
- By: Rand Paul
- Narrated by: Joe Louis
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
COVID-19 was deadly, but the real killer was the coverup, led by America’s most durable medical bureaucrat—a man for whom the truth was too often expendable. Senator Paul makes a powerful case that funding dangerous bioengineering in a totalitarian country is madness.
-
-
Not so much a book for today...
- By Mermaid on 10-15-23
By: Rand Paul
-
The Triple Package
- Why Groups Rise and Fall in America
- By: Amy Chua, Jed Rubenfeld
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It may be taboo to say, but some groups in America do better than others. Mormons have recently risen to astonishing business success. Cubans in Miami climbed from poverty to prosperity in a generation. Nigerians earn doctorates at stunningly high rates. Indian and Chinese Americans have much higher incomes than other Americans; Jews may have the highest of all. Why do some groups rise? Drawing on groundbreaking original research and startling statistics, The Triple Package uncovers the secret to their success.
-
-
Triple Thumbs Up!!
- By CBlox on 02-07-14
By: Amy Chua, and others
-
Woke, Inc.
- Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam
- By: Vivek Ramaswamy
- Narrated by: Vivek Ramaswamy
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s a new invisible force at work in our economic and cultural lives. It affects every advertisement we see and every product we buy, from our morning coffee to a new pair of shoes. “Stakeholder capitalism” makes rosy promises of a better, more diverse, environmentally friendly world, but in reality, this ideology, championed by America’s business and political leaders, robs us of our money, our voice, and our identity.
-
-
Must read of 2021
- By chris boutte on 08-22-21
By: Vivek Ramaswamy
-
The Naked Communist
- Exposing Communism and Restoring Freedom
- By: W. Cleon Skousen
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Naked Communist has sold almost two million copies. It found its way into the libraries of the CIA, the FBI, the White House, and homes all across America and the world. The Naked Communist contains a distillation of more than a hundred books and treatises on communism, many written by Marxist authors. We see the communist the way he sees himself - stripped of propaganda and pretense. Explained here is the amazing appeal of communism, its history, and its basic and unchanging concepts.
-
-
The History of Communism
- By Freedom on 11-16-15
By: W. Cleon Skousen
-
False Alarm
- How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet
- By: Bjorn Lomborg
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
False Alarm will convince you that everything you think about climate change is wrong. It points the way toward making the world a vastly better, if slightly warmer, place for us all.
-
-
Stop climate change panic!
- By Wayne on 07-16-20
By: Bjorn Lomborg
-
Doing The Impossible
- The 25 Laws for Doing The Impossible
- By: Patrick Bet-David
- Narrated by: Patrick Bet-David
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Doing the Impossible is a roadmap for those who want to do something big with their lives. The book goes over 25 steps that the reader should take to re-create themselves, identify their cause, and make history. Patrick Bet-David shares his own impossible crusade and gives key principles for anyone looking to do the same.
-
-
Author/Reader Needs to slow down
- By Ryan Anderson on 04-13-17
-
The Soul of Money
- Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources
- By: Lynne Twist
- Narrated by: Cynthia Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This unique and fundamentally liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money - earning it, spending it, and giving it away - can offer surprising insight into our lives, our values, and the essence of prosperity. Lynne Twist, a global activist and fundraiser, has raised more than $150 million for charitable causes. Through personal stories and practical advice, she demonstrates how we can replace feelings of scarcity, guilt, and burden with experiences of sufficiency, freedom, and purpose. In this Nautilus Award-winning book, Twist shares from her own life, a journey illuminated by remarkable encounters with the richest and poorest.
-
-
Terrible Reader
- By Hound Mama on 01-31-16
By: Lynne Twist
What listeners say about Toxic Charity
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ana
- 06-17-24
Important input
Important input for people who wants to help others. It helped me with how I will move forward in the future with my charity.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Akena
- 08-15-23
Good information but at times insensitive
I enjoyed some of the information but lacks empathy when speaking of low income communities. Some times the writer comes up as imperialistic but the theory presented is good overall analysis.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DR
- 12-24-24
Helping in the wrong way does more harm than good.
Great overview of the poverty programs and how they can be done wrong and done right.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jmtrylor
- 08-06-21
informative
a different perspective that provokes thought..social srrvants should pass it on...empowerment is the order of the day
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-10-24
Not my cup of charity
The book is very specific on what needs to be done with charity. I'm not a fan. Not poorly written, but no room for discussion.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Roberto
- 03-19-22
Insightful Eye Opener
Coming from a religious background, with ton of emphasis on service, this book definitely brings afloat valuable points to consider when doing or embarking in service projects!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ginger
- 07-21-23
Insightful!
This book tells poignant truths about where we are in charity work, and where we need to go. I am inspired in my nonprofit work, and plan to implement many of these strategies!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel Johnson
- 03-12-20
read it before your next service project
A hard book since it challenged things I had been doing g for years. Is the issue crisis or chronic? Both require a different approach.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 05-26-23
Good Read Woth Unique Perspective
Overall the book was good. The author makes his points clearly and definitely. I think the content is a bit idealistic and almost biased. Having been on both sides of this equation, I'm not sure that the author's points are all valid or even necessary. I do appreciate the honesty and conviction that he writes with. Good Read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brian M
- 09-20-23
I thought this was a 25 year old book initially
I knew the author was a much older person from a time passed. The phrases “ghetto children” and “urban mothers” smells of Regan & Clinton era super-predator language. I was waiting for the word colored to come out of his mouth. His broad stroked observation that Vietnamese immigrants are good fishermen speaks to this. Very antiquated.
HOWEVER, there is still value in the perspective offered if you’re able to listen beyond the delivery of the embarrassing uncle who’s foci are solely on the inner city and the African continent and devoid of any observations of wester nations dependent on US aid or the rural poor. But again… although he speaks like somewhat completely out of touch, there are usable observations.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!