Pledge campaigns may look simple at first glance. You’ve got a specific need that requires financial support, so you’re asking your congregation to commit to giving a certain amount of money over a set period of time.
It might not sound complicated, but plenty of planning goes into making a pledge campaign work.
Whether this is your hundredth pledge campaign or your very first one, you can easily set your congregation up for success with these seven steps.
Step #1: Determine Your Goals
Before you can launch a successful campaign, you have to determine what you’re collecting contributions for and what your goals are.
Work with your church staff and key leaders to decide why you’re raising money.
- Do you need to launch a special campaign to finance a building project or repair?
- Are you working to encourage your congregation to give regularly, and want to use a pledge campaign to reinforce the push to contribute financially to the church?
- Is there a missionary or ministry your congregation wants to support for the foreseeable future?
- Are you trying to meet a specific need in your congregation or your community?
Once you know why you’re planning a pledge campaign, you must determine your goals.
- Do you have a specific amount of money you need to fund the project fully?
- Do you want to see a certain percentage of your congregation commit to participating?
- Do you have a timeline in mind for ongoing mission support?
- Are there smaller goals you can set throughout the campaign to help encourage your congregation and give you milestones to celebrate together?
Whatever your goals, make sure they’re specific and clear. Without well-defined goals, you’ll have trouble accurately tracking your progress and keeping your congregation engaged.
Step #2: Spread the Word
How you share your plans with your congregation is crucial to the success of your campaign. Promoting your pledge campaign, the purpose for collecting contributions, and the goals you have set for your congregation are all part of getting your whole church involved.
Your members can’t participate if they don’t know what they’re signing up to help with or what expectations you have. Be specific about what you’re asking them to commit to supporting.
- Do you want them to pledge to give a specific amount?
- Do you want them to commit to giving any amount, but for a specific time?
- Do you want them to pray for the campaign even if they can’t commit to giving financially?
Take time during your Sunday services, share in your small group Bible studies, and put announcements in your newsletter and regular communications.
In addition to what you’re asking them to commit to, give your congregation details on how their pledges and contributions will benefit the church as a whole and the impact their giving can have on your community.
Using testimonial stories from others who’ve participated in pledge campaigns in the past can make a huge difference in encouraging your congregants to commit to giving.
Make sure you provide a precise start date for your campaign. Let people know when to make their pledges and when collection begins.
Step #3: Launch Your Campaign
You’ve determined your purpose and goals, promoted the campaign to your congregation, and secured their pledges to participate. Now it’s time to get started!
Launching your campaign should be a big deal.
You’ve spent weeks preparing your congregation for this campaign. Plan a special event or meal to get your congregation excited about the campaign and officially kick off the occasion.
Step #4: Track Each Gift. Use your online giving tools to track each pledge and gift throughout the campaign.
Add designations to your giving options for contributions so congregants can easily give toward the pledge campaign.
Plug each pledge into your accounting system and create a special fund to organize gifts so you can easily see your progress throughout the campaign.
Your members have committed to giving a certain amount over a set period. That means you need to accurately track their gifts so you can help them stay on track to fulfill their pledges.
Step #5: Encourage Your Members
Whether your pledge campaign lasts for a month or a year, your members will need encouragement throughout.
Some may have never participated in a pledge campaign before and need to hear how their gifts matter and understand the impact they’re having.
Some may either forget to give or choose to stop giving at some point and need to be reminded of their commitment and God’s call to generosity.
There may also be some who give faithfully throughout the campaign who just need to know that you value their contributions and see their participation as an asset to your ministry.
Steps #5 and #6 go hand in hand. As you report your progress throughout the campaign, encourage your congregation to continue running the race and honor the Lord by fulfilling their pledge.
Step #6: Report Your Progress
Giving regular updates is incredibly important if you want to see the successful completion of your pledge campaign.
No matter what each person pledged to give, they need you to check in regularly and let them know where things stand. Use the data you’re collecting through Step #4 to keep your congregation informed.
Reporting your progress to your congregants will help those who’ve made pledges see how their contributions are adding up. Acknowledge members fulfilling their commitments and check in with those who’ve fallen behind on what they pledged to give.
Let your members know how close you’re getting and how much longer it will be before you reach your goals. Building anticipation for collectively achieving a goal will help encourage your congregation to continue supporting the campaign.
Step #7: Celebrate Milestones Together
For each milestone you reach, celebrate together. Simple acknowledgements during your Sunday service or thank you cards for faithful generosity go a long way in encouraging your members and reminding them of the impact their giving has on your church.
At the end, plan a gathering for those who pledged and contributed to the campaign. Thank them for fulfilling their commitments and show them how their gifts will impact their church and community.
Share photos and testimonials of the campaign’s results. Don’t stop with the end of your campaign. Take your congregation on a journey to see the results and the fruit of their giving.
Let your members see the tangible outcome if you were raising money for a building or repair project. If you are funding a missionary or ministry, have them call or send a video letting your congregation know how their money is helping reach others with the Gospel.
Taking the time to celebrate a successful pledge campaign will help your members see how God moved through them and through your ministry. It will leave lasting memories of how their small part can make a difference, and they’ll be eager to sign up for the next campaign!
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