Raising Money for Church Plants
For a complete chapter on raising funds see Go Big: Lead Your Church to Explosive Growth, Bill Easum and Bil Cornelius, Abingdon Press, (2006)
Differentiate between Raising Funds (Investors, Virtue Capitalists) and Stewardship of Tithing Members.
Bring the money into the "Storehouse" (Malachi 3) so that you all have some for a rainy day: think of it as ""virtue capital.""
Consider raising funds to cover "start-up" costs: How much do you need?
RE: It all depends
Rule of Thumb: Line up "enough resources to breathe" for at least 18 months (if a parachute drop: 3 years.)
NB: Comparison of Virtue Capital & Stewardship
Who: Anyone you know vs. Sheep
How: Vision-casting Sales Pitch vs. Pastoral Training & D�ship
Action: Annual one-time gift vs. Tipper to Tithers
Purpose: Startup & Launch & Expansion Costs vs. Ministry Operations
II. How to raise the funds
- List all friends, relatives, colleagues that you have a relationship with, NOT just anybody on a list!
- Not all givers are able to give equally, therefore they should be challenged equitably (write different letters).
- Separate prayer letters from fund-raising letters: the purpose of the letter is to ask for money.
- Optimally, raise your money is a non-competing calendar environment. For example, don�t try to compete with all the other fund-raising letters at the end of the year. Good times to send letters: early Fall, completed by November 1 and Spring: post IRS filing. (Ask yourself: what are times of the year that my group seems less anxious about this?)
- Keep the letter to one page (SEE below)
II. The 4 "paragraphs" of a fund-raising letter
Paragraph # 1: Dear_____, as you know we are starting a new church in the Denver area.
Paragraph # 2: Please consider making a one-time gift to our project.
Paragraph # 3: Prayerfully consider the enclosed card and return it by _____(3 weeks from the expected arrival date)
Paragraph # 4: Thanks so much for considering this.
III. Enclosed Card: give them 5 "options":
First three options:
1) A specific number in each box
2) At least three figures as the smallest amount
3) Most important amount is in the second box (highest % of people check this box, no matter what)
Box 4: "Other": let them fill in the blank
Box 5: I (we) cannot participate at this time
IV. Write a personal "thank you" note as soon as you receive any gift
1. At three-week mark write a general letter to everyone and report on the results to date.
2. After 6 weeks write a final letter to everyone who has given, reporting on the final results of the campaign.
V. Repeat this process yearly and, when appropriate, expand it to the emerging congregation.