The Six 'C's of a Successful Campaign

The rule of thumb goes something like this:  a church should be able to raise 2.5 to 3 times their annual budget in a capital campaign and 1.5 times their annual budget in a debt reduction campaign. So why is it that many churches can raise 4 - 5 times their annual budget while other churches struggle to raise anything? The answer boils down to several critical factors — the Six 'C's of a Successful Campaign.

1. Church health. Based on five key indicators, the overall health of a church is a major factor in the success of a campaign:  a strong sense of community, a clear and congruent code, shared leadership, an outward focus, and ability to navigate change.
2. Compelling vision. A campaign will fall flat on its face if members don't know why they are giving. People give to vision, not debt. Even in a debt-reduction campaign, the vision must be clearly articulated. More importantly, the vision must be shared. It can't be handed down.
3. Culture of stewardship. If stewardship is not stressed on a regular basis at the church, a campaign can come as shock to members.  Stewardship is the process of helping members connect to a greater sense of purpose and mission by aligning their own resources: time, spiritual gifts, talents, and money.
4. Communication. The 7-11 principle applies here. The average person won't remember something unless they hear it between 7 and 11 times. The campaign must make use of all available means of communication: eblasts, brochures, public visuals, sermons, newsletters, one on one conversations, home gatherings, and more.
5. Clarity of process. Too many campaigns falter because the process is unclear. False starts, stops, and delays can kill momentum. This is one of the greatest values in bringing in an outside specialist who can help map out a process and keeps the church on task.
6. Committed leaders. Your leaders must be willing and able to lead the charge in a campaign. They need to walk the talk. Leaders must be the first ones to give their time and money to support the church's vision and mission. A successful campaign never relies on one major donor. A great campaign is supported by all of the church's leaders.

A stewardship campaign's success is dependent on the work that is done before the campaign ever begins.

The Pre-Campaign Process
Too often, churches launch a campaign without doing the necessary upfront work to ensure success. In our research, approximately 60-70% of churches hit their campaign targets. That figure rises to 95% if the church has engaged a pre-campaign process with TAG. The pre-campaign process is critical in creating ownership and buy-in from the members. More importantly, it helps establish the 6 Cs from the outset.

There are many types of stewardship campaigns. Capital campaigns for new construction or renovations, debt reduction campaigns, and visioning campaigns for new ministries and staffing are the three most common. But the pre-campaign process for all three is the same:

1. Assess the congregation's health through the Healthy Church Index and an onsite assessment with one of TAG's consultants.
2. Assess the congregation's financial capacity to conduct a campaign.
3. Develop a strategic ministry plan with one of TAG's consultants to create the compelling purpose for the campaign.

Working with TAG

• TAG partners with stewardship consultants -- from large organizations (such as RSI and Viscern) to high level stewardship consultants (like Ron Lundeen or Doug Pillsbury).

• TAG is a partner in the Cornerstone Knowledge Network where we also have relationships with top architects and construction companies.

• One of TAG's consultants will work with your church through the pre-campaign process.  During the course of the assessment, TAG will help you determine which of our strategic partners will be the best fit based on a variety of factors – the type of campaign, the culture of the church, the strategic plan, the size of the church, and the location of the church.  A stewardship campaign's success is dependent on the work that is done before the campaign ever begins.

• Once the foundation is built, a stewardship consultant can be incredibly valuable.  But in many cases, a church has the talent and capacity to do a capital campaign internally.

• Some churches may need to do a private phase before going public. Others simply need some guidance and coaching. Still others need an experienced guide throughout the process.

• Our strategic partners provide us with over 40 stewardship consultants, each with different skills and unique approaches to campaigns. We'll help you decide whether you need to do an internal campaign or hire a consultant.

Once the stewardship consultant joins the process, TAG remains available to help the church navigate the inevitable leadership and strategy issues that often emerge. If your church is considering a campaign, please contact us.