3E has been working the past couple of Coronavirus isolation months on a new program for those congregations who participated in Stewardship for All Seasons Cohorts 1-3. Understanding what works and how to maneuver through this extraordinary time of economic crisis and distancing makes stewardship fundraising more challenging.  We have teamed up with GSB Fundraising and its consultants, Evan Moilan and Paul Marsh, to help us design a new SAS Year 2 program just for these times.  A review of key principles for some and a restart for others.  Now more than ever it is the time to understand and deliver the messages on generosity culture-building, and sustaining our missions and service to our communities.

The plan is to conduct eight once-a-month online ZOOM gatherings beginning August 15th. We will support and assist you during your fall appeal. After the first of the year, we plan to create study groups on generosity-culture building to fill in gaps and reinforce new behaviors.

With our GSB partnership, we are offering this program at no cost to you to participate.  Additionally, you may use the GSB graphic designers at a group rate, if you so choose. The curriculum will look like this:

  • August-December: We will offer two new deep-dive videos (Planning and Governance) along with Cohort 4 stewardship webinars as refreshers. Support for your fall appeals include contact with GSB consultants and access to their graphic designers if you so choose.  3E SAS Advocates will do periodic check-ins to offer support, provide resources as available and to address your specific questions and concerns.
     
  • January-March:  We will offer an additional two new deep-dive videos (Appreciation and Volunteers) and access to Cohort 4 stewardship webinars as desired.  We will supply each congregation with three books by GSB Fundraising Partner Mike Ward entitled "Abundance: Building a Culture of Generosity".   We will read it together in a book club format, discuss how we continue this generosity journey and keep building on SAS principles.

So many of you expressed your appreciation and enthusiasm for Stewardship for All Seasons in your respective cohorts.  We are all stunned by the confusing and unexpected place we find ourselves in now.  As written for my own congregation in Salt Lake City, "Now has been a great time in this pause to evaluate how things are working, what is going well and what things needs to be changed? That can be difficult for anyone, but it’s particularly challenging for a church leadership and pastor whose mission is to serve others. A deliberate pause can also help a church evaluate the positives and negatives of missions, programs and technologies."  

3E wants to be there for you and double-back on our SAS efforts.  These are definitely culture-building times and we're here to support you!