Annual Stewardship Campaigns

Stewardship Happens – Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall

Lee Gagen reflects on planning a year-around approach to the annual campaign of a congregation. She provides practical ideas to organize a committee for a year of effective promotion of giving.  Learn more here.

Cultivating Generous Congregations Seminar 

Extravagant Generosity Videos 

Andrew Warner created a series of videos designed to teach leaders the basics of effective annual stewardship campaigns. Because fundraising arises from our faith commitments, the series begins by looking at the spirituality of generosity through conversations with the national leaders of the UCC. Then, it looks at ways to express gratitude for people’s generosity. Lastly, the series turns to the practical elements of a campaign, such as giving a testimonial and creating a narrative budget. You can watch the videos as a series or singly. The videos on the spirituality of generosity might be useful as devotionals before a board or committee meeting.

Overview

1. Teach and Thank As Often As You Pass the Plate

Step One: Generosity as a Spiritual Practice

2. Generosity as the Stewardship of Hope
3. Generosity: Stewardship of Values
4. Generosity as the Stewardship of Risk
5. Generosity as the Stewardship of Gratitude  

Step Two: Offering Thanks

6. Saying Thank You  

Step Three: Running an Effective Campaign 

7. Developing a Year-Around Plan
8. “Why Pledge?” 
9. Calendar for your Campaign 
10. Developing a Case Statement 
11. Why Pastors Need to Know about Giving 
12. A “Message Map” for Testimonials
13. Developing a Narrative Budget 
14. The Power of Asking 

Stewardship Theme Materials 

The 2021 materials use the theme of “Rooted in Love” (Ps. 1:3) to help congregations tell their story while making a request for financial support.  The materials include everything needed to run an effective campaign. In addition to bulletin inserts, pledge cards and graphics, a campaign guide provides support for leaders running their first campaign and offers suggestions for those looking to customize stewardship messages to their own setting. Rooted in Love stewardship resources available for purchase for download. Printed materials are also available for purchase in a bundle or individually from UCC Resources. 

Inspiring Generosity  

This 118-page manual features four fundraising methods for the local church, including “Consecrating Stewards,” as well as chapters on the theological background on the motivation for giving and understanding mission.  Available from UCC Resources here.