I'm Not Good at Fundraising

Dear Members and Friends:

If you are a current active member of FPCLG, in a few days you should receive in the mail a pledge form for 2024 along with your contributions statement for the first three quarters of 2023. We provide this information for your records and to openly solicit your generosity for the coming year.

“It’s all about money!” some protest when their church office reaches out to discuss finances. As a pastor, I’ve heard many stories about people receiving giving envelopes from their local parish as their very first encounter with the church in a new neighborhood. Folks have also shared accounts of pastors becoming so aggressive about contributions that people drop their affiliation rather than be insulted by the perpetual requests. And we all know the stories of charlatans who bilk senior citizens into believing their contributions were furthering some ministry, when most of the gifts were underwriting lavish lifestyles or covering legal fees for self-promoting crooks. These accounts stand as a cautionary backdrop whenever I find myself solicitating for a congregation or ministry for which I am a pastor or administrator. I want to be persuasive without being manipulative, so I tend to soft-pedal the appeal, suggesting you may want to share so we can make good things happen.

The fact is, I really believe in FPCLG. I think you are amazing people committed to Christ’s work and authentically seeking God’s Spirit to guide you in your relationships, your priorities and your understanding of the world. On the other hand, I also believe we have many untapped resources so, from a sense of optimism, I write a few letters each fall suggesting we inventory our blessings and stretch our giving. Our books are transparent, and our ministries are public; even my compensation package is printed each year in our annual report along with a full picture of our finances, assets and liabilities. And while giving shouldn’t be about getting your ‘money’s worth’, it should be about accountability and R.O.G. (Return on Generosity).

My problem as a fundraiser isn’t my faith in the congregation and corporation that is FPCLG; it is that I truly believe what matters is your generosity as God leads you to be generous. I know many preachers insist that the local church be the number one priority for members’ giving. I cannot in good conscience agree. I cannot be so arrogant as to suggest that your local church is the best or the most important priority of your giving dollars. I don’t know where God has touched your life, or with whom you sense God’s leading to share. There are so many ministries, organizations and people doing so much good in the world, I cannot suggest your church-giving should take precedence over all other places where you feel called to be generous.

But I can say this. Generosity matters! I can say without hesitation that people who share are happier, less anxious, more optimistic and, in most cases, profoundly more interesting. So, as one who is pastorally concerned about your spiritual well-being, I sincerely want you to be more generous in 2024, and as much as I flinch to say it, even if that generosity flows to places unrelated to FPCLG.

I would rather pastor a congregation of generous people giving elsewhere than one flush with cash but full of misers.

Hoping you discover the freedom found in sharing, I remain,

With Love,
Jonathan Krogh
Your Pastor