A Solid Vision for Church Fundraising

What compels people to give generously is a vision for ministry growth.

Fundraising involves clear vision-casting when it is done right.  What’s your vision?  Though your church may have a substantial financial need, it is unlikely that a finance-focused vision or a building-focused vision will be enough to motivate people to give. 

What compels people to give generously is a vision for ministry growth, not a building concept, debt reduction or adding convenience for church attendees.  Rather, leaving a legacy brings out the best in people when it comes to their giving to the Lord’s work. 

Someone once said:  “The capital fundraising efforts of any organization in the absence of a good strategic plan is like going on a hike in the middle of the night without a flashlight, a map or knowledge of the terrain.” You may actually reach your destination, but by a circuitous hit-and-miss route. Or you may become lost or stop before you get where you want to go. Even worse, you arrive and find out it's not where you really wanted to be. 

This is an all too frequent reality in churches today. Good intentions are not enough to create a lasting legacy of ministry growth. You need a realistic, reachable goal and a plan to get there.

Connecting a church fundraising effort to a broader organizational vision-oriented strategy does a number of things to positively impact fundraising:

  1. It gives the church and its constituent’s confidence in a clear purpose for ministry.  This certainty is essential to build the trust needed in the hearts of your donors.
  2. It frames the fund raising effort in a clear context to the organization's vision and desired outcomes rather than as a separate project.
  3. It clarifies for the target audience how their involvement can impact their sphere of influence positively. People want to see real change occur, and they want personal involvement.
  4. It helps you create a Case for Support. A clear purpose helps a church distinguish itself from other churches or mission agencies, especially if the fundraising goes outside the closed community of its immediate members.
  5. If the fundraising is for a new church facility, a clear purpose will also influence the design and location of the building.  There is nothing more difficult than raising money for a building that people cannot identify with, or envision how it will be utilized.

At Faith Based Fundraising, we strongly suggest that you re-think your reason behind the reason for the project you envision prior to engaging an architect or fundraiser. This will help you answer the question that your parishioners will undoubtedly be asking: "Why should I give my hard earned money to this project?"

We highly recommend that you engage the services of a Christian strategic planning consultant to point you in the right direction. Contact us today to find out how we can steer you down the right capital campaign fundraising path.