Two Million Dollar Commitment to Vetted Organizations Working Afghan Crisis Announced by Strategic Resource Group

Given the crisis and unthinkable tragedy on the ground in Afghanistan, many are looking for ways to help those who are suffering and support those who are equipped to help.

Strategic Resource Group (SRG), a group that brings together high-capacity donors for ministry funding, has announced the formation of a $2 million Afghanistan Ministry Fund to ministries who are helping those in crisis in Afghanistan.

SRG already has commitments of over $1.5 million from its members towards its goal.

Although it has not previously worked directly in Afghanistan, SRG already has ties with over 150 ministries serving in the Middle East, North Africa, and Arabian Peninsula. 

“We have experience dealing with crisis situations,” Paul Schultheis, one of SRG’s managing partners told Ministry Watch. 

SRG has recently been involved in serving those impacted by crises in Beirut, Yemen, and by ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Schultheis said that to be strategic means “the wise deployment of kingdom resources for maximum impact.” This includes intense vetting and research to find those ministries best positioned to help.  

SRG plans to help with immediate needs for those experiencing the crisis situation in Afghanistan, but its aid will extend beyond into a post-crisis and longer-term phase.

Once the immediate crisis needs are met, the post-crisis phase involves helping refugees who are in host countries like Canada, which has agreed to accept 20,000 refugees.

Longer term, there will be needs for language skills, housing, jobs, and trauma counseling. 

Beyond that SRG aims to have an impact on Afghanistan by helping those who can take the Gospel to the people there.

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Calvin Edwards of Calvin Edwards & Company, a philanthropic advisory firm, is helping lead the vetting process for SRG’s Afghanistan fund. The vetting team has a combined 600 years of experience, Schultheis said. 

Edwards explained the vetting process, which began with over 50 organizations who provide services to Afghanis, have similar short and long-term priorities as SRG, and have a Great Commission focus.

After applying those criteria, about two-thirds of the organizations on the original list remained, Edwards told Ministry Watch. Intense research of about 24 factors into the organizations, their missions, budgets, history, programs, and core competencies is done. The vetting includes an interview with the ministry’s leaders.

Edwards expects that SRG will eventually choose between eight and twelve groups to receive funding. A list of funded organizations may come as early as next week. 

According to Schultheis, SRG tends to work more often with smaller, indigenous ministries and churches who have a proven track record and are on-the-ground in the affected area.

Both Schultheis and Edwards are concerned about opportunists asking for support even though they do not have any meaningful presence in Afghanistan. 

“Suddenly so many ministries are claiming to work in Afghanistan, but we are trying to find the legitimate ones,” Edwards explained to Ministry Watch.

When the crisis in Afghanistan arose last week, SRG was holding a meeting in Dallas.  Immediately, the Board made a decision to respond and ask its funding partners to commit money to the cause. It didn’t take long for the commitments to roll in, Schultheis said.

But SRG doesn’t only depend on funding. “We have an expansive prayer network,” Schultheis added.

Disclosure:  Paul Schultheis is a supporter of MinistryWatch.