Rambam's Ladder

I'm working through the steps to receive an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising from Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, a part of the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.  As part of the class, I read the book Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why it is Necessary to Give by Julie Salamon. 

Rambam's ladder is an illustrative ladder that consists of eight rungs - each run another step in Charity.  It was conceived by a 12th century rabbi named Moses ben Maimon, known by his Greek name of Maimonides.  Rambam is an acronym of the first letters of his name.  The first rung is to give begrudgingly.  The next one is to give a small amount, but to do so cheerfully. As you "climb" the ladder, the focus shifts more to the dignity of the donor and the recipient, until you reach rung seven: To give to someone you don't know, and to do so anonymously.  The final rung is the gift of self-reliance, so that the recipient no longer needs to ask for help. 

Often in churches we talk about proportional giving - encouraging people to increase the percentage of their income that they donate to the church, with a goal of tithing.  What struck me about Rambam's ladder is that it is less transactional and more relational - with a focus on both the donor and the recipient. It seems to me that the Rambam's ladder approach (even if the rungs are not what we would choose) places more of an emphasis on spiritual development than proportional giving. Maybe we need to examine our approach to encouraging people to give in the church.