Stewardship report 2017 Pledge Campaign Giving team: Sue Gunter, Andrew Hunter, Wray Sexson, Richard Madigan, Leslie Stevens, Jennifer Ayers. And Special thanks to Lindsey Smith and Michelle Tello. Summary Over the last five years we created a new Vision for Stewardship based on the principle that the purpose of stewardship is GIVING, not fund raising. Our mission is to help people learn the art of giving to grow forward their generosity. People sacrifice out of compassion, community, gratitude and love. Our goal has been to create a motivational match between giving and what draws people to FUMC. Year 1 we built a campaign around relationships and getting people to ask How do I belong? Making the connections across groups will open other giving doors and find other ways to say thank you. This helped result in a successful giving campaign. Year 2, the stewardship committee had a strategic objective of increasing the number of new giving and pledging households. We met this goal and it was our best year ever. We used as our guide the parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate how we are to LOVE and honor people s passion as Samaritans. Year 3, the focus was on community and how we sow and reap bountifully at Fairlington. Our strategic objective was on increasing the number who participate in the stewardship activity with our emphasis on community. Year 4, we used as our guide the scripture in Samuel: Here I am. (I Samuel 3). Samuel s response to the Lord s calling was a simple and profound statement of faith. He offered himself, and his gifts, unquestionably to the service of The Lord and began to spread that spirit of service into the world around him. We used the opportunity to educate the congregation what pledging means and increase the number of new pledgers. 1 P age
Year 5 and this past year, we went with a very simple plan: a simple, direct and joyous request to pledge and to think about pledging in a proportional way to one s income. We also agreed to be more direct in showing progress toward our goal. The Bottom line : If we assume 18 e-givers rollover their 2016 giving into continued giving in 2017, we may count this year as the fourth best year in the history of Fairlington in terms of total dollars pledged. This campaign we set a very high goal (100 percent of budget) and were 22% shy of meeting that goal. Pledges total $750,243. This is $6,240 below last year s total of $756,483. We achieved 78.1% of total budget compared with 78.8 last year and 71% the previous two years. With our pledge goal to achieve 100% of budget, we made 78.1% of our goal. 75 households increased their pledge compared to 86 households the year before and 60 the year before that. We had 17 first time pledgers compared with 41 last year, 43 the year before that and 28, 33 and 35 the prior years. Average Household pledge: increased by $237 from last year for a total of $3,660. This represents the highest growth rate ever seen. Number of Pledging households was 205, 16 less than last year and the lowest number on record. This is the most worrying trend in all the data. Ranges of giving varies: o 30 households in the $52-1,039 range o 32 households in the 1,040-1,559 range o 37 households in the 1,560-2,599 range o 31 households in the 2,600-3,899 range o 45 households in the 3,900-7,799 range 2 P age
o 20 households in the $7,800+ range o Highest pledged amount for a household is $24,000 Like last year we started earlier rather than waiting till Thanksgiving time frame to initiate the pledge drive. We did not have a strong follow-up component to the campaign and this could be strengthened. While we did send out two rounds of e- mails and made a few personal contacts with those who pledged last year but not this year, it is increasingly hard to make that connection, via e-mail or by phone (cell or home). The committee will need to continue to examine its follow up strategies. 3 P age
FUMC 2017 Stewardship Campaign: Summary of Changes: 2016 Versus 2017 Pledges 2016 TOTAL PLEDGES $756,483 Increased Pledges: 76 Current Members Increased (86 last year) $31,268 17 First Time Pledges (41 last year) $35,802 Subtotal, Increases $67,070 Decreased Pledges: 20 Current Members Decreased (18 last year) $17,770 8 Moved/Transferred/Deceased (9 last year) $17,960 31 Pledged Last Year But Not This Year (32 last year) $37,580 Subtotal, Decreases -$73,310 No Change: 75 Pledges Same Amount as Last Year (75 last year) $0 2017 TOTAL PLEDGES $750,243 *Numbers may not be precise due to rounding. 4 P age
How we did it In previous years the Giving Campaign included five steps: Setting strategy objectives, Education, Motivation, Invitation, and Follow-up. A. Setting a Strategy Objective: What is the task of the Giving Team related to budgeting and strategy? We should practice budgeting by objectives and organize the budget around the central characteristics that are the major priorities of the church. The premise is that people give to people not to budgets. People are not motivated by numbers unless you tell them the number of people served and doing the helping. We asked ourselves what is the strategy objective that will best advance the giving of our congregation in year one, two, three and four? Four years ago, the stewardship committee set the goal of increasing the number of new giving and pledging households. We met this goal and it was our best year ever. The next year our strategy goal was to advance the number of people who participate in helping and giving. Then the following year our strategic objective was on increasing the number who participate in the stewardship activity. The next year our strategic objective was on increasing the number who pledge for the first time and reach out to those who may give yet not pledge. This year and last year our strategy objective was to increase the amount of giving and introducing the concept of proportional giving. B. Creation of an educational focus. We asked what is the message we want to convey? And how do we inform people? 5 P age
We used as our guide the scripture In 2 nd Corinthians 9: 11-12, and 15, where Paul told new Christians that you will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! On October 16, the week before the two Giving Sundays, the Stewardship Chair gave a short talk on the upcoming Stewardship campaign. On October 23, the First giving Sunday we incorporated the St Andrew s Potato Drop as an example of giving in action. We had several parishioners give short 2 minute testimonies which would give time for the lay messages to sink in as people are making their pledges that week and the next. Their testimony answered a question that went with our theme: How does their thankfulness inspire me to give? At Children s church, the children were given two dollars each and asked to think about what they could do with it to bring joy to the world around them and to come back and share some of their stories of giving. On October 30, the second giving Sunday we described it as Love our Church Sunday. People spontaneously shared from the pews why they loved Fairlington. On November 12, the Stewardship team coordinated a Fairlington Improvement Day event with the Fairlington United Methodist Men to align with Love our church Sunday. The team wants to acknowledge the wonderful efforts of Lindsey Smith who volunteered her talent and time to the design on the letter and envelopes and pledge cards as well as the posters. We incorporated two save the date messages into the church bulletins leading up to Stewardship Sunday. They are below: 6 P age
Save the Dates! Stewardship Sundays: October 16 and 23. Pledging is a way I make a promise beyond today. It is a way to declare my trust in God and my presence in the life and mission of the church not just for today but for tomorrow and next year as well! A pledge is intentional in that it speaks to my commitment to our church community. A pledge says Fairlington is and will continue to be an important part of my life. A pledge is a collaborative and communal act. It is comforting to look around and know we are all in this community and we all have shared hope for our future in carrying out God s work. As a practical matter, pledges are critical because they enable our Church to plan responsibly and to establish an operating budget for the coming year, just as you might establish a personal budget based on your expected income. The level of program and mission work at Fairlington is based in part on the monies pledged. Save the Dates! Stewardship Sundays: October 16 and 23. Your Generosity Supports and Nurtures in Many Ways. The FUMC budget supports: Youth (6% of budget) and Children and Education (8%): Those new to the faith require a steady and dedicated effort of feeding. And the budding faith of young people requires our committed high quality attention; extra care,, teaching, generosity, mentoring, and support. The nests we build are not for ourselves they are for the next generation, those new to the faith, the future of the body of Christ. This includes our ministry with children and young families. Worship and Music(23%): Worship and music bring us joy and enrich our lives. Music awakens joy and love within us and helps us communicate in our church community as we reach out in mission and in faith. We rejoice through music, which supports our worship as we lift our voices to God in song. Local and Mission partners (20%): We are members of a larger Christian community and our giving supports local and world activities through which we reach out to the poor. The Care and Upkeep of God s house (20%) and Congregational Care (18%): The building, programs, ministries, pastoral care and services we provide comfort, further faith and provide for future generations. Our giving serves our needs and serves God by serving the mission of the church to reach share the Good News with others. Save the Dates! Stewardship Sundays: October 16 and 23. Imagine if everyone KNOWS that everyone in the congregation is here to commit their gifts into the future! And it does not matter if it is your time, one dollar a week, or $1,000 a month. That intentionality and communal knowledge of commitment can have a powerful effect on our community of faith. In effect we are saying strongly and with conviction and with joy I am here for the rest of you. Just like Christ is here for us. 7 P age
C. Motivation: Do we convey the sense we are a winning cause or a sinking ship? Do we convey the spirit that we are Easter People? Do we build on the motivations of community, compassion and hope or the narrow ways of commitment and challenge? The spirit of motivation was to be a beacon of positive messages we are not giving to save the church. We are giving because of love and encouragement - for the foundational principle of help, hope and home that people long for. We created a visual thermometer showing progress to goal. This thermometer was in the shape of the Fairlington church steeple. We made two and colored in the progress made each week. We resurrected the annual giving joke. God enjoys a silly sense of humor and we are joyous when we talk about money and giving! The Newsletter article reiterated the concept of proportional giving. D. Invitation The invitation letter was sent to the congregation. We also had a direct link to the Giving page on the church website. Message needed to be simple and direct and joyous. Group agreed to state a giving goal: 100% of budget. With the new support in the church office, there was more time spent educating and coordinating logistics, mailing lists etc. However the team wants to especially thank Michelle Tello for her wonderful support and energy to make it all work. She gave weekly status reports to the Team Chairman with which to send out thank you notes and status reprts. On both Stewardship Sundays and the service leading up to them, we had speakers give testimonials as to why they pledge and inviting others to pledge. 8 P age
E. Follow Up The Giving team leader gave a status for four Sundays after the two pledge Sunday services. The Church Bulletin gave a status every week as to progress toward goal. Follow-up emails were made and a few phone calls to those who had pledged last year but not this year. Letters of gratitude were sent. A Giving Team report was submitted. 9 P age
Graphs and Figures Average Household pledge: Increased by $237 from last year for a total of $3,660 10 P age
Number of Pledging households decreased by 16 from last year. 11 P age
Pledges as percent of budget stayed comparable to last year. 12 P age
Due to same budget this year and slight decrease in pledges (-.9%), Budget vs pledge gap essentially stayed the same, holding ground against reversing a widening gap trend of a few years ago. 13 P age
Distribution of FUMC pledges by Annual Giving range -The range has been very consistent in the last 10 yars with approx 45% of pledgers giving in the $1,040 to $3,899 range and a slight skewing over time to the higher end at 29%. Total Campaign Year Pledges 0-$259 $260-519 $520-779 $780-1039 ANNUAL PLEDGE LEVEL $1040-1559 $1560-2079 $2080-2599 $2600-3899 $3900-5199 $5200-7799 $7800+ 1994 Campaign # Pledges 337 50 54 61 29 61 25 18 19 12 8 0 % Pledges 100% 15% 16% 18% 9% 18% 7% 5% 6% 4% 2% 0% 1995 Campaign # Pledges 311 30 48 58 28 50 35 19 23 9 8 3 % Pledges 100% 10% 15% 19% 9% 16% 11% 6% 7% 3% 3% 1% 1996 Campaign # Pledges 325 30 52 56 31 65 28 19 24 10 7 3 % Pledges 100% 9% 16% 17% 10% 20% 9% 6% 7% 3% 2% 1% 2005 Campaign # Pledges 246 4 28 27 16 51 23 20 33 20 14 10 % Pledges 2% 11% 11% 7% 21% 9% 8% 13% 8% 6% 4% 2006 Campaign # Pledges 246 12 16 20 19 51 22 24 33 20 17 12 % Pledges 5% 7% 8% 8% 21% 9% 10% 13% 8% 7% 5% 2007 Campaign # Pledges 293 25 29 25 28 54 23 25 31 25 11 17 % Pledges 9% 10% 9% 10% 18% 8% 9% 11% 9% 4% 6% 2008 Campaign # Pledges 272 26 28 22 18 45 32 23 30 18 13 17 % Pledges 10% 10% 8% 7% 17% 12% 8% 11% 7% 5% 6% 2009 Campaign # Pledges 274 17 27 28 15 52 26 22 29 22 16 20 % Pledges 6% 10% 10% 5% 19% 9% 8% 11% 8% 6% 7% 2010 Campaign # Pledges 277 15 23 28 21 55 21 23 35 21 18 17 % Pledges 5% 8% 10% 8% 20% 8% 8% 13% 8% 6% 6% 2011 Campaign # Pledges 255 13 24 18 18 45 26 20 33 22 18 18 % Pledges 5% 9% 7% 7% 18% 10% 8% 13% 9% 7% 7% 2012 Campaign # Pledges 255 16 21 23 14 50 15 22 31 16 26 21 % Pledges 6% 8% 9% 5% 20% 6% 9% 12% 6% 10% 8% 2013 Campaign # Pledges 245 13 16 24 15 45 22 23 28 18 26 20 % Pledges 5% 7% 10% 6% 18% 9% 9% 11% 7% 11% 8% 2014 Campaign # Pledges 221 13 16 24 15 45 22 23 28 18 26 20 % Pledges 6% 7% 11% 7% 20% 10% 10% 13% 8% 12% 9% 2015 Campaign # Pledges 220 11 13 17 11 37 20 24 31 16 23 17 % Pledges 5% 6% 8% 5% 17% 9% 11% 14% 7% 10% 8% 2016 Campaign # Pledges 221 7 13 18 11 40 18 17 32 24 24 17 % Pledges 3% 6% 8% 5% 18% 8% 8% 14% 11% 11% 8% 2017 Campaign # Pledges 205 12 8 14 6 32 17 20 31 20 25 20 % Pledges 5% 4% 6% 3% 14% 8% 9% 14% 9% 11% 9% 14 P age
Historical DATA Pledge Year Projected Budget % change in Budget Pledges ($) $ Change in Pledges % change in Pledges # Pledging households Pledges as % of Projected Budget Average Yearly Pledge Average Weekly Pledge 1981 $221,000 $170,170 293 77.0% $581 $11 1982 $241,000 9.0% $187,980 $17,810 10.5% 285 78.0% $660 $13 1983 $253,061 5.0% $197,388 $9,408 5.0% 272 78.0% $726 $14 1984 $293,125 15.8% $225,707 $28,319 14.3% 281 77.0% $803 $15 1985 $333,138 13.7% $229,866 $4,159 1.8% 278 69.0% $827 $16 1986 $353,245 6.0% $254,337 $24,471 10.6% 298 72.0% $853 $16 1987 $363,060 2.8% $246,881 -$7,456-2.9% 282 68.0% $875 $17 1988 $385,265 6.1% $263,500 $16,619 6.7% 282 68.4% $934 $18 1989 $403,993 4.9% $304,279 $40,779 15.5% 293 75.3% $1,038 $20 1990 $456,799 13.1% $280,864 -$23,415-7.7% 292 61.5% $962 $18 1991 $489,772 7.2% $348,260 $67,396 24.0% 320 71.1% $1,088 $21 1992 $524,880 7.2% $370,030 $21,770 6.3% 303 70.5% $1,221 $23 1993 $534,727 1.9% $354,197 -$15,833-4.3% 301 66.2% $1,177 $23 1994 $555,021 3.8% $398,834 $44,637 12.6% 337 71.9% $1,183 $23 1995 $573,376 3.3% $415,777 $16,943 4.2% 311 72.5% $1,337 $26 1996 $590,708 3.0% $427,082 $11,305 2.7% 325 72.3% $1,314 $25...................................................... 2003 $888,195 $510,817 241 57.5% $2,120 $41 2004 $948,499 6.8% $541,743 $30,926 6.1% 221 57.1% $2,451 $47 2005 $999,099 5.3% $585,466 $43,723 8.1% 246 58.6% $2,380 $46 2006 $994,137-0.5% $630,550 $45,084 7.7% 246 63.4% $2,563 $49 2007 $999,638 0.6% $678,427 $47,877 7.6% 295 67.9% $2,300 $44 2008 $956,326-4.3% $655,697 -$22,730-3.4% 272 68.6% $2,411 $46 2009 $887,079-7.2% $711,801 $56,104 8.6% 274 80.2% $2,598 $50 2010 $885,461-0.2% $723,457 $11,656 1.6% 278 81.7% $2,602 $50 2011 $896,787 1.3% $733,228 $9,771 1.4% 255 81.8% $2,875 $55 2012 $896,556 0.0% $783,723 $50,495 6.9% 258 87.4% $3,038 $58 2013 $933,233 4.1% $750,333 -$33,390-4.3% 250 80.4% $3,001 $58 2014 $986,248 5.7% $700,730 -$49,603-6.6% 221 71.1% $3,171 $61 2015 $992,564 0.6% $699,385 -$1,345-0.2% 220 70.5% $3,179 $61 2016 $960,550-3.2% $756,483 $57,098 8.2% 221 78.8% $3,423 $66 2017 $960,550 0.0% $750,243 -$6,240-0.8% 205 78.1% $3,660 $70 15 P age
Weekly status chart 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign BUDGET $956,467 $887,079 $885,461 $896,787 $896,556 $933,233 $986,248 $992,564 $960,550 $960,550 % change over prior year 1st Sunday $ Pledges $474,192 $475,130 $433,832 $452,583 $529,009 $420,305 $358,092 $370,385 $454,373 $258,272 # Pledges 163 151 153 142 140 130 113 115 120 61 % Budget 49.6% 53.6% 49.0% 50.5% 59.0% 45.0% 36.3% 37.3% 47.3% 26.9% % of Goal 58.3% 63.0% 57.6% 59.4% 69.4% 53.0% 45.4% 46.6% 52.6% 26.9% 2nd Sunday $ Pledges $535,112 $526,150 $546,392 $575,863 $621,569 $556,314 $491,570 $530,705 $613,811 $468,147 # Pledges 184 173 187 172 179 174 154 156 155 121 % Budget 55.9% 59.3% 61.7% 64.2% 69.3% 59.6% 49.8% 53.5% 63.9% 48.7% % of Goal 65.8% 69.8% 72.6% 75.5% 81.6% 70.1% 62.3% 66.8% 71.0% 48.7% 3rd Sunday $ Pledges $581,246 $622,000 $609,912 $644,103 $668,044 $630,988 $573,626 $570,265 $646,761 $562,369 # Pledges 211 209 205 190 198 201 177 173 166 145 % Budget 60.8% 70.1% 68.9% 71.8% 74.5% 67.6% 58.2% 57.5% 67.3% 58.5% % of Goal 71.5% 82.5% 81.0% 84.5% 87.7% 79.5% 72.7% 71.8% 74.8% 58.5% 4th Sunday $ Pledges $604,042 $658,888 $657,712 $678,099 $681,824 $678,600 $607,250 $601,685 $681,343 $609,976 # Pledges 230 229 228 210 206 212 190 186 186 160 % Budget 63.2% 74.3% 74.3% 75.6% 76.0% 72.7% 61.6% 60.6% 70.9% 63.5% % of Goal 74.3% 87.4% 87.4% 89.0% 89.5% 85.5% 77.0% 75.8% 78.8% 63.5% 5th Sunday $ Pledges $628,152 $669,248 $691,748 $702,511 $689,204 $699,000 $632,590 $665,105 $706,223 $618,983 # Pledges 246 242 245 231 211 216 199 203 193 165 % Budget 65.7% 75.4% 78.1% 78.3% 76.9% 74.9% 64.1% 67.0% 73.5% 64.4% % of Goal 77.3% 88.8% 91.9% 92.2% 90.4% 88.1% 80.2% 83.8% 81.7% 64.4% 6th Sunday $ Pledges $641,092 $681,508 $698,159 $709,747 $724,918 $712,818 $639,130 $682,246 $723,083 $657,203 # Pledges 256 252 254 236 226 228 205 213 202 171 % Budget 67.0% 76.8% 78.8% 79.1% 80.9% 76.4% 64.8% 68.7% 75.3% 68.4% % of Goal 78.9% 90.4% 92.8% 93.1% 95.1% 89.9% 81.0% 85.9% 83.6% 68.4% FINAL $ Pledges $655,697 $711,801 $723,457 $733,228 $786,410 $754,493 $700,730 $699,385 $756,483 $750,243 # Pledges 272 274 278 255 259 245 221 220 221 205 % Budget 68.6% 80.2% 81.7% 81.8% 87.7% 80.8% 71.1% 70.5% 78.8% 78.1% % of Goal 80.7% 94.4% 96.1% 96.2% 103.2% 95.1% 88.8% 88.1% 87.5% 78.1% Goal: % of budget for that year: $812,997 $754,017 $752,642 $762,269 $762,073 $793,248 $788,998 $794,051 $864,495 $960,550 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 85% 80% 80% 90% 100% 16 P age