Where Do I Start?

So often one of the first questions that we are asked by parishes considering a Capital Campaign, is “How long will it take before we can start the capital campaign and where do I start?” In most cases, the process for initiating a Capital Campaign, which is a fund raising effort of $100,000 or more, would begin with the following steps:

1. Select a small working committee of key parish staff and constituents to work 
    with the Office of Development and Planning to begin preparing the parish for 
    a successful campaign.

2. Begin to develop a preliminary Case Statement of Support. This statement will 
    be a clear and concise description of the details of the projects being considered
    along with its rationale and estimated costs. 

    For guidelines and assistance with plans for new buildings and other capital 
    construction and maintenance projects contact the Diocesan Facilities Office at 
    614-228-2457.

3. Communicate with the Office of Development and Planning for approval procedures 
    and diocesan guidelines. It is a requirement of the Diocese of Columbus that a 
    parish or school must first receive the blessing of our Bishop in order to proceed 
    forward with a major fundraising effort. In most cases a Feasibility Study is also 
    required prior to moving forward with a capital campaign. 

4. Consult with the Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils and obtain initial pastoral 
    approval in writing from Bishop Robert J. Brennan.

When considering a timeline in preparation for a campaign, there are a number of things taken into consideration. The Catholic Church calendar, parish and local community calendar of events and timing in relationship to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal to name a few. Critical to determining the campaign timeline will be an assessment of the overall readiness of the parish and/or school to support a major fund raising effort. The parish community’s response to the following questions will also help in determining readiness:

• What are the specific needs (projects and priorities) that the parish is looking to   address?
• Does this specific need as described, match the long term interests and priorities of the parish?
• What is the total cost to meet the specific needs as identified?
• Can the determined cost/financial need be raised through a lesser effort? Can this money be raised using the Bishop’s Annual Appeal refund?
• How much of the total cost to meet the specific needs as identified are we seeking to raise with a campaign effort? If needed, how will we finance the remaining cost?
• Is the determined financial goal seen as reasonable and attainable over a 3 to 5 year timeframe?
• Who will lead and/or direct the major fundraising effort/capital campaign?
• How many established leadership gift relationships do we have?
• What are our potential obstacles to successfully addressing the specified needs we are looking to address? 
• What is our budget for conducting a capital campaign?

The Development and Planning staff is well experienced and well informed of the best practices guided by the USCCB's Bishop's Pastoral Letter, “Stewardship: A Disciple's Response.”. A director will support and guide the pastor and parish leadership through every phase of the campaign. For more information, please contact Andrea Pannell, Episcopal Moderator and Director at 614-241-2550 or toll free at 1-877-241-2550 or email apannell@columbuscatholic.org.