only in terms of its donor pool and campaign
leadership, but because of its campaign goal.
Traditionally, capital campaigns have had two
givens: they are about buildings and they are
about members. These two givens will still
apply and be important components of a New
Dollars campaign, but they will likely not be the
only components. A new approach to capital
campaigns will frame building improvements
– new roofs and boilers, renovations and
restoration, accessibility upgrades – as
important to the life of the congregation and the
community.
In some cases, building improvements may take
a backseat to other priorities, like salaries for
new staff positions or funds for programs and
ministries. A New Dollars capital campaign is
not restricted to support for bricks and mortar;
Grace Episcopal Church in Windsor, CT, went through New Dollars/New Partners it can be leveraged to raise funds for the full
training to learn how it could look beyond its walls for new fundraising sources.
spectrum of expenses that a community-serving
congregation incurs. Partners is working with
helped identify several government grants that could be
sacred places whose campaigns are geared toward everything
available to the church during its restoration effort. A true
from starting an innovative International Baccalaureate
New Dollars steering committee, Good Shepherd’s campaign
curriculum at a parochial school to hiring a Chief Operating
leadership will include leaders from the public and private
Officer to oversee social service ministries, from launching
sectors, as well as representatives of the faith, philanthropy,
an international professional association for women in
and preservation communities.
business to retrofitting a parish house to serve as a domestic
violence shelter.
For St. Francis de Sales, a Roman Catholic parish in
Philadelphia, Partners recommended a different approach
These campaigns are innovative responses to the challenges
for the New Dollars committee. They were charged with
facing each of these sacred places. They are the result of
identifying one or two alumni of the parish’s school
visionary leadership and years of hard work on the behalf
to lead the campaign. With more than 100 years of
of faith and lay leadership who chose to embrace the
history, the school has tens of thousands of alumni in
challenges they face – whether an economic crisis, a drop in
Philadelphia, up and down the east coast, and across the
membership, or a deteriorating building – as opportunities.
country. Reconnecting with these individuals and building
relationships with them was key to the success of the parish’s
The rewards for their efforts have been far more than
capital campaign.
financial. In addition to raising funds, New Dollars
campaigns build a foundation for a sustainable future.
For other congregations, the head of the local Chamber of
They allow for sacred places to grow and strengthen their
Commerce, a business owner, key nonprofit leader, local
network of donors and stakeholders. They help houses of
historian, foundation program officer, or government
worship reach out to their neighbors in new ways. They bring
official may be the right fit for the steering committee.
new and renewed energy and momentum into the life of
The decision will hinge on the campaign’s goals, the
congregations – and they bring hope. As Marcia Hinckley, a
congregation’s priorities and the community’s interest.
member of Grace Episcopal Church said after participating
in the congregation’s asset mapping, “We have learned
The (New Dollars) Capital Campaign
important lessons and we have new ideas. And we have hope.
With a feasibility study completed and a steering committee
I think we’ll need all of that for this campaign, and the next
in place, a sacred place is ready to launch its capital
campaign, and the rest of the life of the church”
campaign. While the structure and timeline of the capital
campaign – an initial silent phase (in which committees are
formed, the top eight-to-ten lead gifts are solicited, and any
final adjustments to the case statement are made) followed
by a public launch – is similar to a traditional campaign,
a New Dollars capital campaign will often be different, not
Sacred Places • Summer 2014 • 16