08723
October 3, 2008

‘Joining Hearts & Hands’ campaign raised $30+ million

Fundraising effort reached 75% of goal despite staffing, logistical problems

by Susan Lindsey
Senior Communications Associate

SNOWBIRD, UT — The Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands (MIJHH) — a star-crossed five-year campaign to raise $40 million for new overseas mission workers and new church developments in this country, particularly new immigrant congregations — wrapped up with more than $30 million raised, honorary campaign chair Tom Gillespie told the General Assembly Council (GAC) here Oct. 2.

The campaign, launched by the 2002 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), became a six-year campaign that was plagued throughout by staff turnover and lack of sufficient potential donor data.

Nevertheless, campaign funds now support 34 new PC(USA) missionaries around the world and more than $20 million has been raised to start new churches and revitalize existing congregations.

Summarizing the campaign’s final report, Gillespie reviewed some of the challenges the campaign faced, including transitions in leadership, a dearth of major gift prospects, and a shift in the nature of the campaign.

For example, when the MIJHH steering committee that a list of major donor prospects didn’t exist, it changed its approach to partnering with presbyteries who were conducting or planning to conduct capital campaigns for new church development. Those partnerships proved to be the major source of funds for the campaign, though most of the money remained in the presbyteries rather than flowing into campaign coffers.

The campaign also employed four different directors during its six years.

Gillespie outlined several lessons the campaign committee learned that could be applied to future campaigns, including offering flexibility in funding opportunities, recognizing the time required to cultivate donor gifts, involving pastors and congregations to a greater extent, improving accountability and collaboration among fundraising partners, and creating a written development plan.

MIJHH experienced a dramatic rally in its last year. Gillespie praised Bob Thompson, the GAC’s interim director of funds development, for engineering the eleventh-hour turnaround.

 “In the last year of the campaign, under the guidance of a comprehensive plan for contacting the top 200 churches and the higher budget presbyteries, over $10 million in pledges were raised,” said Gillespie. “If a comprehensive plan had been in place sooner, the campaign may well have reached its $40 million goal.”

Gillespie also asked for prayers for Thompson, a Pittsburgher, who is recovering from a stroke suffered a week ago.

“It has been a long and challenging road, and in the process we have learned a great deal,” Gillespie, retired president of Princeton Theological Seminary, concluded. “Members of the steering committee feel like they have seen some of the best of the church during the past six years, and also some of their most challenging moments in church life.

“We are each grateful for the opportunity to have served the church in this way,” Gillespie said, “and give thanks to God for the results that have been generated.”