Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are past and many congregations are working on their Spring pledge drives in earnest, this might be a good time to define some words associated with stewardship. Here is a short list of vocabulary, with some comments about each one – this is not your mother’s dictionary!
Stewardship
I’m not going to give you a definition of this one at all. Good way to start! I will tell you that if people in your congregation think it means, “you are about to be asked for money” you have some important work to do. I suggest that you ask people what they mean by the term stewardship. Really. You can ask people in a group (like the Board, for instance) or individually. I almost always find that people have a rich and deep definition to share, which is inspiring to me and others!
Pledging
This sounds ridiculously basic, but honestly pledging is an unusual transaction related to money and often unfamiliar to new members. Pledging, in our UU culture, is stating in written form what I intend to donate in the coming fiscal year to my congregation. It is not a legal contract, although a good-faith signature is often requested. I make a pledge in advance of the fiscal year, so that the budgeteers can make responsible financial plans for the coming year and the congregation can adopt a sustainable budget. Make sure that all your members and friends understand that pledges typically account for over 80% of the congregation’s revenue, which is why pledging is so vital.
Year-Round Pledging
This is a pattern where the congregation is divided into groups, usually by months of the year, and are asked to pledge during that month each year. I know how appealing this sounds to congregational leaders – no more pledge drive! The reality is that this program takes years to set up, is much more difficult to run, and makes it very difficult to understand the state of the congregation’s finances during the year. It has worked for (a very few) congregations, so feel free to consider it – just approach with caution.
Sustaining or Continuous Pledges
This is when your people set up a gift through their bank, charge card, or a Donor Advised Fund or trust, so that an amount of money is sent automatically to the congregation every month (or whatever time parameter the donor uses). Sometimes congregations help their members set up these repeat transactions, yet it is actually easy for almost anyone to do it themselves online these days. Sustaining pledges are so helpful for the congregation because money coming in is more constant, not going down in the Summer and up in the Fall, for instance. It also means that, for those folks, the pledge drive is not a “start again” moment; instead, it is a time to reassess and reup. Make a high percentage of sustaining pledges your goal!
What other terms do you use? What terms do you feel are misused, misunderstood, or confused with other words? Leave a comment or send us an email and we may expand this glossary!
Liz Coit, Kay Crider, Mark Ewert, Barry Finkelstein and Rachel Maxwell are part of the Stewardship For Us team. Please send your questions and topic suggestions for our blog or online Friday Forum discussions to team@stewardshipforus.com
Mark Ewert is a stewardship consultant, a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®), and a professional leadership and philanthropy coach (PCC) certified with the International Coaching Federation.
His experience includes founding a nonprofit, working as a fundraiser, and leading a national organization. Reach Mark at Team@StewardshipForUs.com