Giving Programs

Financial stewardship encompasses three types of giving programs. All three are essential to the financial health and well-being of the church.

See also: Resources for Major and Planned Gifts in a Parish

Annual Giving
What is often referred to in a congregation as stewardship, annual giving is the annual commitment program in which pledged contributions are solicited in support of the mission and ministry of a congregation as reflected in the operating budget. Types of annual giving programs include the Faithful Member Home Visitation program (every member canvas), the Festive Meal Program, the Personal Note Program, the Cottage Meeting Program, the Home-to-Home Commitment program and the telephone appeal. (More information about these programs and their supporting publications is available on the Resources page.)

The Faithful Member Home Visitation program is a program in which visitors are recruited and trained to make personal visits in the homes of the remaining members of the congregation. The Festive Meal program is a single dinner event for all in the parish. In the Personal Note program, a select group writes about their stewardship in hand-written letters to the congregation. The Cottage Meeting program involves a number of small group gatherings in parishioner homes. The Home-to-Home Commitment program involves dividing the parish into neighborhoods and calling on members in relay fashion.

What other parishes are doing:
St. John’s Beltsville – example annual giving letter [Word]
Proportional Giving Guide [html]

Planned Giving
These are end-of-life gifts to a congregation through a will, insurance or a life income instrument such as a charitable gift annuity or pooled income fund. Such gifts may be unrestricted or restricted and can include money, real estate or other properties. Often in congregations funds that are named memorial funds come from bequests.

Life income gifts are gifts made during one’s life from which retirement income is drawn. At the death of the donor the remainder of the gift goes to the gift recipient. Such gifts include charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, charitable remainder trusts and life estate reserved.

Parishes are encouraged to make people aware of the possibilities of supporting the church after their death. Planned gifts are gifts for future ministry and make important statements about how people want to be remembered and the values that mattered to them during their lifetimes.

Capital Campaign
This is an extraordinary gift from one’s assets given to the congregation in addition to the annual pledge for the support of an endowment, a renovation or expansion of an existing physical plant, or to retire a debt from an earlier building project.

Active churches can anticipate undertaking a capital campaign every 6-8 years.

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