The Pastor, the General Chair and the Major Gift Chair must be involved in
gift solicitation. The involvement of key church leaders demonstrates the
importance and significance of the project. The confidence and credibility that is
connected to leadership can not be underestimated in communicating long-term, expensive
plans to members.
A formal meeting for the campaign should be held every week, usually
over an 8 - 12 week period. Weekly meetings serve to keep volunteer leaders active and
informed. Momentum is key to a campaign’s success and it’s important to build
upon every success. These meetings also serve to build a sense of team work and community
within the ranks of volunteer leaders.
Leaders and volunteers must make their own gift first. This
demonstrates support for the project and lends credibility to the campaign. It is also
difficult to ask someone else to give if you haven’t given.
The pastor and all key leaders must strongly support the case and the plan,
speaking positively throughout the campaign. Verbal support of the campaign
promotes word-of-mouth, involvement, questions, excitement and encourages active
participation in the campaign process. People are more likely to give when leaders are
enthusiastic.
Open communication with members must be made a priority. This
encourages ‘buy-in’ and personal commitment to the plans. It can be done through
weekly pulpit announcements & bulletin inserts to inform parishioners of progress and
campaign-related news. Regular communication also helps to build momentum, enthusiasm and
participation.
People should be asked to consider specific gift levels in all phases.
This takes careful planning, research and thoughtful consideration of each member’s
ability to give so that every member is asked to give a level that is appropriate to their
capability. The benefits associated with most building or renovation projects is usually
significant enough to justify asking members to ‘stretch’ or give sacrificially.
This is based in the basic tenet that people give because they are asked.
Meeting attendance must be made a priority. Meetings will be
limited in order to respect busy schedules, but every meeting will have a purpose that is
a step towards a successful campaign. Attendance is crucial, and good attendance starts
with reminder phone calls, letters and coordinating useful, helpful short meetings.
Materials (brochure, case statement, surveys, reports, etc) must be
easy-to-read, effective tools for understanding the campaign, building enthusiasm and
making a decision regarding support. Most members will appreciate any attempts to
keep them informed and included in the process. Cleanly-written, concise and relevant
information goes a long way in promoting enthusiasm and willingness to participate. It
also prevents misunderstandings about the details and purposes of the project.
The campaign timetable should calculate going over goal in the final phase of
the campaign. This gives the campaign some room to make adjustments, strategize
and remain flexible when in the ‘home stretch’.
The focus of the campaign must be on the benefits to church and community as
opposed to ‘bricks and mortar’. People give to benefits not needs. People
are asked to give to so many causes that they probably can not keep track. The campaign
must communicate the significance of the project beyond the details of architecture and
cost. Vision and mission are what motivate people to sustain multi-year pledges. Giving is
a choice. Vision and mission are what motivate members to choose one project over another.
