How much money should I give to my church’s capital fundraising campaign?

Over decades of studying generosity in the life of a Christian, one thing has remained a consistent observation of mine: it is still very complex. 

When it comes to our regular financial giving to our local church, many wonder what is an expected, required, godly or appropriate amount. Take tithing for instance. There is little agreement and even less actual giving behavior that would indicate we all agree about that (see any stat on Christian giving for the last 100 years). Even the basic stuff that many think is widely understood in Christian theology is not so easy to settle on. 

Add to this complexity that a church capital campaign brings. This is a relatively new phenomena in church history. But for about 75 years now, churches have used this separate format - a “pledge” campaign where members give extra over a period of a few years toward large projects.  A church may ask for additional funds in this way when a project or initiative is well beyond the capability of the general fund which primarily funds the day-to-day operation of the ministry. 

As exciting as these campaigns can be, one of the common questions that arises is: How do I decide what to give to a capital campaign? 

The following are 4 Rs for decision making - four categories for discussion and prayer for anyone wanting guidance in deciding an amount to give:

1) REASONABLE - in this very basic approach, a person can consider their personal budget. What is my income and what is it being used for? Is there a way that part of the money flowing through my hands can be given to my church for this campaign? How much more of my discretionary income would I re-route toward a special project at my church? This is the personal budgeting pathway that centers on what money is readily available. It is not complex - it is simply the numbers being crunched. In this approach, one can conclude based on their typical approach to generosity, “It seems reasonable that I could give _____ dollars.” 

2) RELATIVE - the next category that can be considered in arriving at a dollar amount is to compare the project or the church and its mission to other ways that one invests or uses discretionary dollars. This requires an inventory of where money is flowing. One can consider memberships, subscriptions or anything that is money not used for basic life expenses, bills and obligations. This, of course, does not mean any of these things are wrong inherently, but generates thoughts like “If I am willing to spend X on _____, how does that compare to my commitment to my church and this project?”  

3) REPRIORITIZE - in this zone, the giver starts to consider a temporary or even permanent re-arrangement of what is at the top of the “use of money” list. When the goal is to decide on what to give, one option is to move the church project higher on the list of priorities. This is where we consider different behaviors or lifestyle choices related to saving and investment goals, home improvements, vacations, vehicles and more. A decision to re-stack the deck means that the church’s campaign may move higher or even “bump out” something currently in our lives and in our spending. This person asks, “What could I change in my life so that I can prioritize funding this project at my church?”

4) RELY - there is a category of decision-making that becomes less mathematical or even financial. The budgeting and reprioritization may lead to a dollar amount that seems likely. For some, there is still another spiritual practice or mode. People of faith can develop a muscle that enables them to give not exactly knowing yet where the money will specifically come from. This may be considered radical giving for some people. This is the giving that results when one prays about a stretch amount beyond what can be seen or calculated. In this instance, the person asks, “If I was to depend on God’s provision beyond what I can see right now, what may I commit to give?” 

The four categories of deliberation do not remove the complexity altogether. And there is very little that is universally true about every person and every capital campaign. Instead of deciding arbitrarily or without thoughtful consideration and prayer, these concepts may allow for a starting point on the journey.