Day: July 27, 2017

7 Reasons Churches Fail in Fundraising…Part II

Last week we began a series on 7 reasons churches fail at fundraising, and what to do about it. Specifically we mentioned:

The pastor and church leadership who establish unrealistic goals, and have nothing to back those goals beyond needs or wants.

As fundraising consultants, we recommend that churches begin the campaign process with a planning study to help determine both the capacity and the will of church members to achieve the goal. Conducting such a study also helps church leaders determine exactly what a reasonable goal is.

Churches that are not teachable because the leaders believe they are experts in every area.

To address this we recommended that churches not only hire outside counsel to help them with the campaign, but also listen to that counsel. A good consultant can save you time and energy and help you increase donations as a result of their experience.

Now today, we’ll look at a few more reasons that churches fail in fundraising and what churches can do about it.

The church leadership approaches the campaign casually and they lack a comprehensive campaign plan.

Often churches will start a campaign by simply announcing it, talking about the projects and then having people make their commitments one Sunday. Others might be a bit more sophisticated, so they decide to visit with each church family asking them for a specific amount. However, neither method involves much of a plan nor does it work as effectively as it might. In a church, the best way to maximize results is to have volunteers working a comprehensive plan with a master schedule, communications strategies, deadlines, and more.

In the campaigns we facilitate, there are several operational committees that we personally meet with at least twice (sometimes more) to explain their responsibilities, provide training and give them advice. Each of these committees has specific activity schedules, instructions, deadlines and prototypes for their work This committee work tends to build ownership, consensus and enthusiasm over time, and that usually translates into higher giving and motivates church members. When a church lacks this, campaign success becomes a lot more questionable.

The Pastor has a hard time giving up control and empowering others to act.

One of the primary elements of successful campaigns is the involvement of church members. When we structure campaigns we have several committees of people involved. In fact, rather than have a few people do a lot of things, we have a lot of people doing a few things. This tends to build ownership and enthusiasm and stimulate giving. However, if the pastor isn’t willing to let go of the reigns and allow people to lead in some key areas, then the campaign isn’t as likely to succeed.

The Pastor is reluctant to get involved and ask others for help.

The pastor may not be the only leader, but the pastor should be the primary leader. At the start and throughout the time of the campaign, the Pastor must be out front, identifying and helping recruit key committee chairs and talking about the importance of the campaign.

In addition, while the vast majority of members won’t be asked for specific amounts, there are a few lead gift prospects with whom the Pastor should visit at some point about making a major gift. Campaign leadership can accompany the Pastor, but the Pastor needs to be involved.

Without the Pastor’s involvement in some of these key activities, it’s not likely that the campaign will be successful. In fact, people shouldn’t have to ask, “where is the pastor,” or “where is the pastor on this campaign?” That should be obvious from the start!

by Len Moisan

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church