Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

83
Chapter X
The Gift Chart – Substituting
Process for Values
From time to time, notwithstanding good ongoing
stewardship, a Christian community may feel itself
called to an extraordinary outlay of resources, and therefore, the
need to conduct a financial campaign. For too long, parishes in this
position have been taught to make use of an “Essential Gifts Chart.”
The gift chart has its roots in secular fundraising, and is the method
of choice for almost every financial campaign administered in
universities, hospitals, libraries, and other secular non-profit
organizations. It is a dual purpose tool, which not only evaluates an
organization’s potential to raise money, but also sets out a method
for doing so.
The use of the chart allows organizations easily to review their
donor list to determine if they have the financial resources available
to succeed in their fundraising efforts. The gift chart method is not
concerned with the development of donors as stewards, and it is
altogether silent on the subject of time and talent. One might well