Short Synopsis
Veteran urban activist Robert D. Lupton reveals the shockingly toxic effects that modern charity has upon the very people meant to benefit from it.

Full Synopsis
In his four decades of urban ministry, Robert D. Lupton has experienced firsthand how our good intentions can have unintended, dire consequences. We fly off on mission trips to poverty-stricken villages, hearts full of pity and suitcases bulging with giveaways—trips that one Nicaraguan leader describes as effective only in "turning my people into beggars."

In Toxic Charity, Lupton urges individuals, churches, and organizations to step away from these spontaneous, often destructive acts of compassion and toward thoughtful paths to community development. He delivers proven strategies for moving from toxic charity to transformative charity.

Proposing a powerful "Oath for Compassionate Service," Lupton offers all the tools and inspiration we need to develop healthy, community-driven programs that produce deep, measurable, and lasting change. Everyone who volunteers or donates to charity needs to wrestle with this book.

"A must-read book for those who give or help others." ---Booklist

"Lupton says hard things that need to be said, and he's earned the right to say them. Believers would do well to receive his words with the mindset that 'faithful are the wounds of a friend.'" ---Christianity Today

"Patrick Lawlor is a warmly persuasive narrator." ---Library Journal Audio Review