SITUATION:

The church found itself in a financial crisis and needed to raise a significant amount of money to reduce a capital debt liability incurred several years previously by church leadership no longer associated with the organization. A secondary goal was to use this as an opportunity to extend the local reach and invite people from the community to visit and potentially join the church.

TASK:

Working with a third-party consulting firm and a team of church volunteers, provide communications and marketing leadership and practical collateral production skills to facilitate development and implementation of the capital campaign and outreach program.

ACTIONS:

Assembled a team of church volunteers to develop and produce the following collateral in support of the “One More Life” theme:

Video production to launch the campaign.

Print brochure to explain the campaign details and needs.

Donation envelopes and website to make giving as convenient as possible.

Provide classes on estate planning and how to incorporate giving into your plan.

Weekly devotional materials for the congregation.

Posters and flyers to maintain campaign awareness during the appropriate time frame.

Bookmarks and prayer cards to assist the congregation in remaining focused on the need to pray for the church and its leadership.

Weekly video productions to tell the stories of church members and attendees about how the church had made a significant impact in their lives.

Video production to wrap up the campaign and communicate success stories from the campaign.

RESULTS:

More than $675,000 campaign-specific funds were raised and many new members and frequent attendees were added to the church roles. Increased recurring tithes and offerings by more than 35% from previous giving and increased attendance in life groups by more than 20%.