Today, three years into the merger of Hope for Chattanooga and Inner City Ministries, we praise God for a ministry that is united around a shared mission and whose finances are stable. We understand that financial trust must be earned, not only with our donors and vendors but also with the whole community. Below are some principles that guide our commitment to financial stewardship:

1. We are internally accountable (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). Hope for the Inner City practices careful internal financial accountability. All financial decisions by our executive director and staff are subject to regular review and control by our board of directors. Our 22-member board is comprised of well-known community, business and church leaders with reputations for personal integrity.


2. We are publicly transparent (Romans 12:17). Hope for the Inner City is audited every year by a local CPA firm. Since we routinely apply for public grants, our finances are also examined by government agencies. In addition, our ministry is registered with GuideStar, the national database of nonprofit organizations. Our IRS Form 990, which we file each year with the U.S. Government, is a matter of public record and can be viewed online.


3. We strive to budget wisely (Luke 14:28). Hope for the Inner City makes every effort to count the cost of ministry, especially in tough economic times. Our executive director and our entire board of directors take a careful, line-by-line approach to planning our expenses.


4. We strive to spend prudently (Proverbs 21:20). Hope for the Inner City strives to avoid unnecessary and wasteful expenditures. We don’t have impressive executive offices or large expense accounts. Our modest campus is a former Salvation Army post. We print much of our literature in-house, and we supplement the work of our staff with committed volunteers and transformed clients who rejoice at the opportunity to “give back”.


5. We trust God to provide what we need (Philippians 4:18-20). We serve a generous and merciful God. As long as Hope for the Inner City carries out his call, we have every reason to believe God will meet our needs through the support of our many faithful donors, supporting churches and partner organizations.