The Four Phases of a Capital Campaign

Create a Unique Approach to Your Church’s Capital Campaign

A building is not as accessible to those who have handicapping conditions.  An expansion to be more welcoming could create a new environment for fellowship and hospitality.  An update to key areas for ministry for children and youth. An opportunity to purchase neighboring property for future ministry expansion.

They are sound like great reasons for local church leadership to dream about raising funds for capital improvements.  But before a church looks at needs or wishes, the first step is prayerful discernment about long range vision for ministry.  “What do you believe church will look like in 10-20 years? What does God want you to do?” Those are the first questions before a church embarks on a capital campaign.

Just because ministry has looked the same and our worship settings have followed a pattern for many years, that is not to say it will always be this way.  Churches once built large education space that was equal to the square footage of the worship center. Being attuned to the changes in ministry needs and the re-visioning process for effective use of ministry space are the criteria to preparing for a capital campaign.

Four Stages to a Capital Campaign:

VISION CLARITY : The number one factor in determining a campaign’s success. Gathering church leaders to dream and re-imagine what God is calling the church to be and do helps create a sense of direction and clarification.  There are two distinct components to this process:

1. Environmental Assessment.  Before a campaign is begun, the trustees need to review the building and assess its needs and how they can best be utilized to fulfill the vision cast.  But before they look at the space, the council or key leaders need to discern the specific culture and DNA in evaluating the current ministry and understanding your church’s rhythm and style as well as designing the target for ministry into the future. Both parts of this assessment is often guided by a consultant or resource person in crafting both the vision for ministry and building utilization to meet that ministry.
2. Financial Analysis.  A healthy study of the previous three to five years of giving and spending provides a useful understanding of your church’s stewardship and generosity trends.  It is also appropriate to study the trends of the community in which God has placed you. This ‘feasibility study’ equips the church leaders to plan for how to energize the members to support the future vision with their generous gifts.

Vision clarity provides a constructive, shared view of the path forward that captures your church’s culture and fulfills God’s view of the future.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Everything rises or falls on leadership, including the success of a capital campaign. Leaders are equipped to implement the strategy toward bringing the vision to life. Selecting key leaders and visionary people to mold the strategy of a campaign is important. See the ‘Dreams to Reality’ Key Players Infographic. There are four key leaders:

1. The Campaign Chair – often a key spokesman or trustee who can coalesce people to work together toward a goal.  The pastor and the chair will be in frequent contact as decisions are made and together they track progress from the different teams.
2. Inspiration Chair – focuses on key communications to the church family with a vision theme and various messaging/graphics to keep people inform and inspired throughout.  Compelling materials are needed to help people capture the vision.
3. Project Chair – tracks with the trustees on the specifics of the tasks and contracts being followed.  One key role is that someone is authorized to approve moves and changes in the building process; someone I often refer to as the ‘clerk of the works’.  When bills are submitted, this is the key person who manages the process – and has been approved to act as such by the trustees.
4. Finance Chair – maintains and tracks the capital gifts and pledges, then oversees the processing of expenses to ensure that budgets are on track.  Often the finance team need someone who is skilled to coach donors with planned gifts and legacy gifts to maximize the impact on the campaign.

These leaders work in concert with one another throughout the process, but also need to be recruited in advance and then trained in their roles to make for a successful campaign.  Much of their efforts are done quietly in planning behind the scenes to ensure that leaders are united and donors are engaged to consider their role in supporting the campaign.

GOING PUBLIC: The goals and ministry objectives for doing a capital campaign require various stages of congregational approval.  See the ‘Dreams to Reality’ flow chart. Before a campaign is launched publicly there will be targeted communication and personal testimony of the church’s impact in the past.   Also there comes a clearly articulated expression of the current needs being addressed to meet the new vision cast. This helps everyone in the congregation understand what God wants to do through the church’s ministry into the community.  As decisions are made, people are equipped to see how they can participate in the campaign by helping them take personal journeys of faith and sacrifice. There are testimonies of the history and previous impact on lives. This is a time for:

1. Prayer and Spiritual Journey.  The foundation for any successful ministry.  Through a message series and a strategic prayer journey, the congregation will enjoy environments which allow them to connect with the heart of God.
2. Commitment Events.  Following the Bible’s pattern when the temple was built (I Chronicles 28-29) the leaders make the initial faith commitment – followed by a targeted, planned process to inform and engage the entire congregation.

The ‘Going Public’ phase is the culmination of months of hard work, prayer and vision-casting.

FOLLOW THROUGH: This final phase helps the congregation walk in faithfulness to what God laid on their hearts at the outset, and ensures that the financial goals set at the beginning are met and the celebrated.

1. THE BIG REVEAL – an opportunity to fully leverage the momentum of the campaign with the announcement of initial results – along with periodic updates.
2. Regular communications through all available media to the congregation with progress updates.
3. Capture and Assess Results through the giving cycle to sustain and increase the congregation’s commitment.  Providing assistance to donors through updates on pledges and to church leaders through quarterly reports.
4. Key Milestones for ongoing celebration as the vision for ministry comes to life and people lives are impacted.

The Virginia United Methodist Foundation is able to assist churches in developing a campaign. Our expert staff can assist throughout the process – whether it guides a vision-casting process or works with church leaders on a feasibility study, or assists with creating compelling communications tools, or coaching the campaign leadership team.

A feasibility study will review financials and membership information to help understand the financial analysis. Once this study has been completed and presented to the church leaders, our staff will present proven options to make your church’s capital campaign a success.

Capital Campaigns can assist a church in developing a way to increase funds for much needed church capital improvements and acquisition of property. Contact us today to get started.