The Seven Common Mistakes Churches Make
A few years ago, I was on a conference call with a church, thinking about starting a capital campaign. One of the leaders on the call asked me about common mistakes churches make regarding capital campaigns. I sat down and came up with seven mistakes that we found most common. Make sure you are not making these mistakes.
Not starting soon enough. This is mistake number one. Churches often underestimate the time required for a successful capital stewardship campaign. If given my choice, I would like at least six months from start to finish. Some campaigns take longer. A few can be done in a shorter time frame. The rule here is to start sooner rather than later. The sooner you start, the more options you have. When you start later in the game, you are more prone to hurrying through the process and thus making mistakes. These mistakes can lead to a loss of money or even worse. Start now to avoid these consequences!
Single-focused vs. Multi-focused. Preachers drive most campaigns. We tend to approach all aspects of planning like we do sermons. We never think about point number two until we have completed point number one. So, when we come to the campaign, we put it off until we think we have all the other pieces in place.
It’s essential to maintain a balanced focus on three key areas: the project, financing, and fundraising. Each of these areas has its own timeline, and a smart church understands the need to manage all three simultaneously. Avoid the trap of sequential planning. Instead, concentrate on all three aspects at the same time to ensure a successful campaign. This balanced approach is the key to your campaign’s success.
Premature launch. This might seem contradictory to my first point, but what I mean here is the public phase of the campaign. Too often, in our excitement, we share things about the project or campaign that are yet to be fully developed. Most mistakes in a campaign are made months before the campaign begins.
Church members have long memories, especially when it comes to things you’ve said in the past. Be cautious about what you communicate, as plans often change. Prematurely launching a campaign can divert attention from the main goals. Instead, wait for the right time when all your preparations are in place for a successful public launch.
The Lone Ranger mentality. Another way of stating this is Do It Yourself. Churches that go it alone raise far less than those with a partner. It is much harder than you realize. For one thing, no one trained you in seminary or Bible College in stewardship. Don’t succumb to the tendency of many preachers to never ask for help. Going it alone will mean failure.
Going cheap. One reason so many attempt to do their own campaign is the fee of the stewardship firm. When you go cheap, you get cheap. Incidentally, if you go with the cheapest stewardship firm, you might find that you also get what you pay for. I know a church that decided to run its second campaign by itself and save $50K. They raised one million dollars less than the first campaign. I call that poor stewardship.
Funding fantasies. We think we can raise our annual operating budget by three to four times. Really? Does Bill Gates go to your church? Significant gifts ALWAYS drive that kind of ratio. Don’t believe the hype of my industry about pledge-to-budget ratios. Few companies tell you the truth. Honestly, due to this current economy, pledge-to-budget ratios for ALL campaigns of ALL stewardship firms are lower. Don’t think you are any different from other churches. Funds can be raised, but you should be careful about unrealistic expectations.
A design that does not fit. Make sure what you are building not only fits who you are but also what you need. Does your builder understand your needs? A good builder will begin not by asking what you want but what you want to do with what you want. There is a huge difference. Buildings are simply boxes in which ministry takes place. Make sure your design fits your ministry focus.
A vision that does not inspire. Good vision trumps everything, even a bad economy! People do not give to brick-and-mortar. They give to vision. Make sure that your vision for the project inspires your donors to want to sacrifice to see it happen. If your vision doesn’t inspire them, they will spend that money eating out at McDonald’s, buying another iPhone upgrade, or hiding it under their mattress. It’s a vision thing!
There you have it—seven of the most common mistakes churches make. Make sure you don’t make these mistakes. Making these mistakes will not mean the project won’t happen. However, if you make these mistakes, it might delay the process or cause you to raise significantly less than what you could have.