Author - Mark Brooks

It Starts With a Vision

If you want to raise significant dollars in a capital campaign you must realize It Starts With a Vision. That is the title of this Coach and the key to a successful campaign. I’m starting back my series on how to do your own capital campaign, entitled Giving Away the...


Let’s Make a Case for Your Vision!

When I work with a client for a significant giving initiative, I start by asking the Pastor to write out the vision behind whatever we are raising money for. Technically, this is called a Vision Case Statement. I want a broad overview of what we are raising money for on...


The 4th of July Giving Coach

July 4th is days away, and in this Coach, I will help you devise a plan to increase giving! I’m taking a break from my series on capital campaigns to focus on this issue, entitled The 4th of July Giving Coach. If you have followed me for any length of...


The Case for Special Offerings

In my experience of working with churches of all types and sizes, special offerings work if you do them right. Let me make a case for special offerings. Why hold special offerings? First and foremost, special offerings give you the ability to recast your vision every time you hold one. And...


Half Time for Giving

The following is posted at https://www.onlinegiving.org/blog and is used with permission. We're now halfway through the year, and it's time to assess the state of giving in your church. Are you meeting your budgeted needs, or are you falling behind? Based on my experience, most churches are struggling to meet...


Identifying the Common Mistakes in Project Planning

“You never have to recover from a good start.” My mentor in capital campaigns, Dave Sutherland, drilled that statement into our heads on the importance of planning out a campaign. 99% of campaign mistakes could have been avoided during the planning phase of the campaign. A big part of being...


How Long Does It Take to Hold a Capital Campaign?

A lot longer than you think. But when I get asked this question they always mean the “public phase” of a campaign. This comes after months and sometimes years of planning. In most “public phase” campaigns, the average time is at least six months from initial planning to completion. In...