Twelve Baskets Full - August 2023

August Resources

Download annual campaign resources for fall campaigns
Register for our next webinar: Breaking Through the Pledge Plateau
Is your campaign ready to launch?

Dear Davey,

As Summer vacations wrap up and the program year begins in our churches again, it is time to also turn our attention to our fall fundraising campaigns. The more we prepare for our campaigns, the more effective they will be. A well-run campaign has a clear timeline, follows a theme that can be integrated across all ministries, and activates our congregation spiritually, theologically, and liturgically. Consider this short primer as you plan and implement your campaign.

Materials and Messages

Update your website giving page and test your online giving portal - make sure all components work before going live. Need a reliable online giving method? Check out our partnership with Vanco for a discounted platform.
Create or update stewardship brochures or materials. Need some new ideas? Check our our previous webinar on Making the Case! Designing for Impact.
Consider adding some campaign swag: banners, flags, buttons to promote stewardship fundraising in your church

Theological Formation

Use the weekly inserts from Rooted in Abundance to generate rector's forums, small-group discussions, preaching and teaching
Bring your campaign into your liturgy: download Prayers of the People, Offertory blessings and sentences, and post-communion prayers for your campaign season

Get out the word

Check out sample letters from clergy, wardens, and campaign chairs. Your letters should go out in email or paper to all members giving them an opportunity to learn about your fundraising priorities and making giving options available.
Your clergy letter should go out 4 weeks before the kick-off
Your warden letter should go out 2 weeks before the kick-off
Your campaign chair letter should go out at kick-off with pledge cards and supplemental materials

As ever, get in touch with us at TENS if you need any advice on running your campaign. Check out our Resource Library and our Previous Webinars for creative ideas. And let us know how your campaign went - share how you adapted our resources.

All good gifts,

Cn. J. Davey Gerhard III

Executive Director

Promote your campaign with collateral

Consider aligning the messaging and visibility of your pledge campaign this year. When your messages are aligned, your members know that there is something exciting happening at church - something different. Your campaign should be a time of high energy and enthusiasm where the love for the ministry you do together and the community you have formed should be highlighted for your members.

This year, after receiving many requests over the years, we have partnered with Printify to produce swag for your campaign.

Banners for indoor or outdoor use can raise the visibility of your fundraising effort.

Buttons, stickers, and magnets are great tokens to hand out to folks who have turned in their pledge materials or volunteered for the campaign.

Mugs make a nice thank-you gift for your campaigners and members.

We hope that you'll find these low-cost, high-quality items useful as you roll out your campaigns. Let us know what additional designs we should create next year!

Vanco - proven to increase donations for your ministry

Did you know?

· eGiving increased from 30% of donations in 2019 to 48% in 2023.

· eGivers are more likely to attend church and engage in activities than those

who give in person.

· 81% of givers are willing to cover the processing fees

The newest edition of the Vanco Churchgoer Giving Study highlights key trends in online giving, attendance and engagement. Featuring insights from 1,000 churchgoers across multiple Christian denominations about how they give and part icipate in their congregation. Download your free copy today and put this knowledge into action at your church.

Download the study

The 2023 Webinar Calendar is uploaded - fill out your training plan today!

We are revisiting some favorite trainings and offering some new ones this year as we combine materials for annual campaigns with practical teaching on stewardship topics. See our Webinar page to learn about and register for all our webinars this year!

Did you miss our last webinar on preparing for Fall Campaigns?

On Saturday, July 29 we gathered virtually to review best practices for effective fundraising campaigns. You can check out the webinar, download the slide deck, and learn from the robust chat log how faithful stewardship committees across the Church are implementing Stewardship campaigns this year.

Breaking Through the Pledge Plateau

There comes a time with each congregation when the campaign plateaus: when members make the same gift year after year; when the pledges are on autopilot. What can you do to shine a new light on your programs and ministries to help your members make their best gifts?

Right as you return from your summer break, learn best practices for breaking through the plateau and increasing the impact, gift size, and cheerfulness of your members so that your ministries can flourish.

Complete Materials for 2023-2024 Annual Pledge Campaigns

Ready for Download

The 2023 - 2024 Annual Pledge Campaign materials have been uploaded and are ready for use. All year, you have been using the Seasonal Reflections to underscore good stewardship practices, and taking advantage of training and the timeline to form your committee. Now you have access to the complete package for your annual campaign. In addition to the weekly reflections, this year's package includes:

Sample letters from the Clergy, Wardens, and Committee Chair
Prayers for the Pledge Cards and Prayers at Ingathering
Prayers of the People during your campaign season and a Post-Communion Prayer you may use during the weeks of your pledge drive
Pledge cards that focus on time, talent, and treasure
Proportional Giving cards

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