FEAR NOT !
Capital Campaigns in the Time of COVID
by Gianfranco Grande
Executive Vice President , Partners for Sacred Places
March 12 , 2020 is a day seared into my memory . I was in New York City , excited to attend a Broadway show with my wife . Instead , two hours before the performance , a text informed me that Broadway was closing . There would be no shows . No dinners . No cheerful crowds . Covid-19 had arrived .
Between March and April 2020 , as the number of new cases kept growing , the world became a scary and confusing place . Suddenly we were in lockdown and streets were empty . The virus paralyzed major cities and towns and it was as if time itself stood still . Dramatic shortages surfaced . There were not enough surgical masks , gloves , antiseptics , and ventilators . Even the so-called experts did not have straightforward answers .
For Partners for Sacred Places , there was another aspect to consider : what about congregations that had begun capital campaign projects before the pandemic or those just about to launch a campaign ? Capital campaigns are organized , planned efforts to raise substantial sums of money in a relatively short period to make capital improvements , fund new ministries , or perhaps create an endowment — and are never easy in the best of circumstances .
A capital campaign is far more than asking for money — it ’ s a sacrificial effort realized by an entire community . For a major capital project to be successful , especially with older buildings , solid planning , organization and , above all , a strategy that will fit the mold of that particular congregation and community are required .
What would a capital campaign look like in the midst of Covid ? Was it even realistic to contemplate one ? As congregations scrambled to learn how to conduct virtual worship , suddenly their focus on capital campaigns shifted to the back burner .
Interior of St . John United Church of Christ , Arlington Heights , Illinois . Alberto Mantovano , Choir Director , St . John UCC
Fortunately , we began to discover that technology can be our ally , and many of the “ details ” of a capital campaign could be successfully completed remotely . We learned that many of the fundamental elements of a capital campaign — such as the case statement , donor identification , the pyramid of gifts and the feasibility study — can be executed from a distance , often hundreds of miles away from our clients . Meetings , conversations , and even training could happen via Zoom . Congregations found their rhythm for conducting worship virtually , bringing spiritual sustenance to their members and friends , and beyond . Even former
members who had moved away could now attend worship again . In churches , synagogues and temples , volunteers and clergy quickly became familiar with technology , including people well into their retirements .
Despite the trials and pain of the last two years , many congregations have demonstrated their ability to
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