Center on Philanthropy to offer Faith and Fundraising Class
It’s one thing to sustain pastoral excellence. It’s quite another to sustain the “sustaining.” Since the very beginning of the SPE grant program, virtually all SPE projects have wrestled with the question of “sustainability”— how to become financially independent and self-supporting, how to continue their good work long after their SPE grants end.
SPE project officials and participants who want to learn more about the critical role philanthropy can play in that effort are invited to enroll in “Faith and Fundraising,” a new class being offered next year at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Developed jointly by two Center programs, the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving and the Fund Raising School, the course will examine the relationship between faith and fundraising and give participants practical tools for creating a “culture of generosity” within their faith communities.
“One of the challenges facing the SPE projects as they work to become independent is that they have to find the resources they need to continue to do their work,” says William G. Enright, Ph.D., executive director of the Lake Institute and former senior pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis. “But most clergy have not been trained to engage in fund raising. They don’t know how to talk about it, they don’t understand it, they’re not comfortable with it, and they don’t do it well”
Indeed, in most congregations and other faith-based organizations, money is often a taboo subject, says Enright. Yet, it is essential that pastors and leaders of faith-based organizations learn about philanthropy.
“Fundraising plays a vital role in securing the resources needed to sustain the work of faith in this world,” says Enright. “And giving is an important means by which believers can express their faith.”
In the Faith and Fundraising class, participants will learn about the following:
- The opportunities and challenges facing religious and faith-based organizations today;
- The interplay between religion and generosity;
- The six elements of fundraising—vehicles, organizational readiness, dynamic functions, human resources, management, and markets;
- The role of pastoral leadership, theological integrity, and organizational transparency in the creation of a culture of generosity;
- Donor motivations; and
- A results-oriented approach for achieving success in growing philanthropic support.
Participants will receive a comprehensive, easy-to-use Study Guide with background reading as well as “best practices” advice and exercises on building a fundraising program that is based on giving as an expression of faith and wise stewardship of resources.
The class will be offered June 2-5 and September 22-25 at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center, Indianapolis. The cost is $1,215 and enrollment is limited to 40 participants.
For more information, visit The Center on Philanthropy.
