Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Year-End Giving is a wonderful opportunity to:

• harvest the loyal generosity of established members of your faith community
• build a stronger bond with those who are growing in commitment to your parish
• inspire new gifts from those who are becoming acquainted with your ministry

Here’s a few ways you can make the most of this important season of provision in the annual life cycle of your congregation:

1. Emphasize Impact

Impact inspires generosity. What impact stories can you highlight from this past year that will inspire year-end generosity?

• Have you made a capital improvement to your building/campus?
• Have you hosted a popular program or important event?
• Have there been meaningful seasonal celebrations?
• Have you served your community or touched the wider world?

A short interview or testimonial from someone impacted by your ministry lays great groundwork for inviting year-end generosity. Sharing impactful photos from the past year helps people remember the positive effect of your ministry efforts and know that their contributions are making a difference for good.

2. Give Thanks

Gratitude and generosity pair together in a virtuous circle. Giving thanks for past generosity throughout the year paves the way for fresh generosity at the end of the year. How can you say “Thank You” to those who have supported your faith community’s ministry with gifts of their time, talent and treasure during the year?

• Thank committee members for donating their time
• Thank skilled volunteers for contributing their talent
• Thank loyal donors for their faithful support
• Thank newcomers for the gift of their presence and participation

Starting your year-end appeal by giving thanks sets the virtuous circle of gratitude and generosity in motion. A personalized note of thanks is a powerful way to express appreciation to loyal donors, to build a stronger bond with those who are growing in commitment and to let newcomers know that they are noticed and appreciated.

3. Set Your Strategy

Setting a strategy for your year-end giving campaign will achieve the results you’re counting on to support your ministry. A well-formed year-end giving strategy positions you to help those who want to support your ministry make the most of their generous intent, increasing the harvest of your efforts. Have you incorporated these steps into your year-end giving strategy?

• Review your roster of pledged supporters to confirm gifts-to-date. Use this information to create personalized giving reminders for your loyal donors.
• Refresh energy and focus by setting a goal and a theme for year-end giving that motivates participation and generosity from established, emerging and new supporters. Even when your goal is simply to fully fund your annual budget, translate that into ministry impact, showing how funds raised for the budget change lives, strengthen the church and touch the community.
• Remember year-end giving tax incentives that help supporters make the most of their charitable donations. In your year-end messages, include reminders about tax-advantaged giving vehicles such as Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and gifts of Appreciated Securities.
• Raise up giving options that make it easy to be generous:

1. Gifts by cash or check - tried and true for many loyal supporters
2. Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) - good choice for recurring gifts
3. Online giving - quick, convenient, remote access, card-based gifts
4. Text-to-give - great for engaging younger donors
5. Gifts via DAF’s, QCD’s and Appreciated Securities - See above. These giving vehicles can convey some of the largest gifts.

ECF’s Stewardship Toolkit provides further resources to assist you.