Mission Springs Community Church

Fremont, California

Challenge: Raise funds for new church home

When the congregation at Mission Springs Community Church gathered at the beginning of 2006 to review its largest needs and goals, one issue overshadowed the rest. The church was set to lose its lease on the building it had used for its weekly services for the past decade, and needed to raise funds toward the purchase of a permanent home.

"When we started to do something to raise funds, we had no idea how much we were going to be able to raise," said Sandra Young, a member of the Fremont, Calif.-based congregation who served as campaign manager. "We talked about a goal of raising $1 million -- we knew our need was bigger than that, but just didn't think we were going to be able to do it."

Tasks: Design first-ever fundraising campaign

The congregation and church leadership were unsure of their ability to raise the funds needed for the campaign, she added, because they had never conducted an annual or capital fund drive of any kind in the past. "Because we'd never done a campaign, one of our key questions was, how do we do it? What does a campaign look like?"

With the help of Generis consultant John Bash, Mission Springs put together an especially effective set of communications materials that explained the campaign with clarity and simplicity, in ways that made the reason for fundraising understandable to everyone in the church. "The materials were very much an advantage for us," added Young.

Solution: A new building, and a renewed sense of possibility

Less than two months after its campaign ended in the spring of 2006, the church had already received $700,000 of the $1.67 million pledged by the members during the campaign. The selection of a building during the campaign proved to be a boost to giving, Young added.

"Going through the campaign, we were able to talk about the campaign and talk about the vision, and we had something concrete for people to know that they were giving to, and being a part of," she said, adding that its new 14,000-sq.-ft. facility will include a large new kitchen and fellowship area, as well as enlarged space for its active youth groups.

Individualized Guidance

Among the guidance and consultative work Generis performed during the preparation and actual campaign, Young said that she especially valued the patient, steady encouragement we provided throughout.

"John Bash was very accommodating whenever we needed to get a hold of him, whether by email or by phone," she noted. "That's a great asset to have. He was able to lift me up when I needed to be lifted up, and keep me encouraged when I got discouraged. That's a wonderful part of what he did for us."

The assistance, planning and help Generis provided in navigating the varied tasks necessary for a successful campaign were invaluable, she added. "There's so much to do in a campaign, and I believe there's no way we would even have hit the million dollars without using Generis."