1. What Works / What Doesn’t?
A participatory and experiential session to discuss strategies for Annual Giving Programs. Take home the approaches and tips that will engage the members of the congregation in a meaningful way for “faith-raising,” not “fund-raising.”
Tom Gossen, Executive Director
The Episcopal Network for Stewardship
345 S Hydraulic
Wichita, KS

2. Licensed for use by TENS

3. Numbers to Track Total Pledge $ / Number of Pledges = Avg. Pledge
The Median Pledge Amount
Total Plate + Pledge (P+P)
Average Sunday Attendance (ASA)
Total Operating Income (TOI)
P+P
ASA

4. Household Data to Track
Proper names & nicknames (common greetings)
Picture
Address
Telephone numbers
address
Dates of birth
Other anniversaries (wedding, baptisms, retirement)
Giving history
Ministry involvement

5. Why Is There an Annual Commitment Program?
Three mission and ministry absolutes:
Local outreach
International outreach
Parish project, program, or staff expansion

6. Initial Planning What program are we ready for?
What do we want to achieve?
Schedule considerations
What theme expresses our focus?
Education components (adults, youth and children)

7. Resource Needs Database management Demographic targets
Staffing requirements
Mentor/consultant requirements
Budget

8. Clergy & Vestry Roles New or revised vestry stewardship statement?
Personal visits or notes?
Approval of plan and budget
Advance pledges and reporting?

9. Recruiting and Training Leadership
Select the right persons for the right job
Recruit!!! DON’T ask for volunteers
Written job descriptions

10. Mailings Stationery How many? From whom? When?
Letters
Invitations & response cards
Thank you notes
Pledge cards
How many? From whom? When?
Customizing by demographics?
Personalized
Individualized
Postage

11. Witness Voices How many and who? How do we recruit them?
What do we want them to say?
Written or verbal? Both?

12. Theme Materials Vision for mission / ministry
Poster(s) / recognition wall
Stationery for letters
Thank you cards / letters
Invitations
Response cards
Decorations

13. Dinner Events Best time of day One time or multiple? Format (content)
Length
Catered?
Music?
Keynoter selection criteria

14. Ingathering Sunday Saying Thank You
Date
Format
Saying Thank You
How? (Notes, list in publication, billboard, etc.)
When?
Who authors?
Content?

15. Follow-Through When to begin? What (letters, calls, visits, other)?
Who does it?
To whom?
For how long?

16. Then What???? Reward those who worked Nurture those who don’t pledge
Newcomer incorporation
Envelope systems

17. Available From TENS & Morehouse

18. Available From TENS & Morehouse

19. Available From TENS (catalogue p. 17)

20. Available From TENS (catalogue p. 17)

21. New Consecration Sunday by Herb Miller
New response method Consecration Sunday by Herb Miller. This popular stewardship financial takes place during worship. It is a stewardship program for congregations of all sizes, rural or urban, and speaks from a spiritual rather than a fund-raising perspective. Abingdon Press, 2002, ISBN: , $9.00
New Consecration Sunday Stewardship Program Guest Leader Guide by Herb Miller, Abingdon Press, 2002, ISBN , $11.00.   
New Consecration Sunday is based on a biblical/spiritual theology of the need of the giver to give for his or her own spiritual benefit rather than on the need of the church to receive. Directed toward raising the level of stewardship rather than toward raising the church budget, its no-gimmick approach focuses on the question, "What is God calling me to do?" rather than on the question, "What does the church need in order to pay its bills?"