Grace Episcopal Church

Client

A 150-year-old redwood-and-stone church in California’s Napa Valley, Grace Episcopal has a strong community of worship and outreach.

Challenge

Most religious organizations think about fundraising as passing the plate and seeking annual stewardship pledges. Raising revenue to sustain the church was not progressing as needed under their current systems. They wished to grow their permanent fund to enable them to generate flexibility where it was needed in the present, for a variety of programs as well as capital concerns, while also establishing sustainable revenue for the future.

Our Solution

Innovative Resources worked closely with the church volunteer leaders and clergy to encourage them to adopt a more holistic approach to generating philanthropic investment and embrace its 150th Anniversary with a game-changing initiative for the Church.

Instead of asking for investment in a piecemeal fashion, we guided the adoption of a five-year fiscal forecast designed to put the Church on solid footing for growth and impact. Since it will fuel both short-term financial flexibility and long-term sustainability, building this fund allows them to grow their ministries and pastoral care, and to have a greater capacity for outreach.

We advised the vestry and helped create an Engagement Team to guide this effort. We developed digital and print materials, including a prospectus for the philanthropy program to support the effort of revisioning how the church could have a robust revenue for generations to come.

Impact

The church has made a significant move forward toward its long-term sustainability by adopting a relationship-based, volunteer-led approach to revenue generation. Innovative Resources remains as counsel for Grace Church and its leaders as they undertake the 150th Anniversary Sustaining Grace Initiative.