Passionate Steward - 10th Anniversary Edition

Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular Fundraising 85
A formulaic method like the gift chart commends itself to
secular fundraisers because it is easily implemented, requiring
almost no special skill. It is process-driven: the unswerving
adherence to a prescribed method will produce predictable
outcomes. More than this, the gift chart method offers the promise
of a high return on a relatively low investment of time and effort.
There is not even the pretence of interest in developing a donor’s
sense of connection to the organization and/or community. Indeed,
the gift chart is based upon the assumption that the organization
does not want to invite every household to participate. Rather than
treating all households equally, the objective is to raise a large
amount of money from as few people as possible. The reason given
for this is to allow the organization to return as quickly as it can to
its “real mission,” whether that is to provide medical care, access to
books, the education of students, or whatever else.
The gift chart method is, therefore, fundamentally contrary to
the Church’s understanding and tradition of good stewardship and
community. It proceeds from the objectification of donors as
possessors of wealth, and leaves aside any attempt to encourage
personal commitment, faith or generosity—all key components of
our vocational understanding of stewardship. In short, the Church
cannot pursue resources through an objective methodology such as
the gift chart, and expect Christian stewardship, a subjective value, in
return.
Unfortunately, however, the gift chart has been used almost
exclusively in parish campaigns for decades. In the late 1950s a
fundraising firm that operated in both the United States and Canada
successfully promoted this method as “the only model for Church
fundraising.” The way these campaigns were “pitched” appealed to
a still rapidly growing Church. The gift chart method did not require
a lot of volunteers, sought gifts from only a few households, and
was quick. With no end in sight to mass immigration after World
War II, and for a Church worried about building quickly enough to