Building HOPE Campaign, Presbytery of Western North Carolina

Three of the ministries (Malawi, Vital Churches and Camp Grier) approached the Presbytery initially about raising funds. The Guatemala Partnership, after their education fact-finding trip and plan, also asked to be part of the fundraising effort. The General Council felt that having different ministries approaching the churches separately would be confusing and put the ministries in competition with one another. So, the General Council decided to do a Feasibility Study to see if there was interest in a Presbytery-wide campaign for these ministries. The Feasibility Study showed that these four ministries were supported. Though there are many other great ministries in the Presbytery, leaders felt that adding other ministries would make the campaign too complicated.

May I designate my gift to one or more of the ministries (or “I don’t believe in one of the ministries, how can I keep my gift from going there”)?

Gifts may be designated for one or more of the ministries, or designated to support all of the four ministries. Please see the Response Sheet for instructions.

May I make my gift through my local church, or do I have to send my gift to the Presbytery?

Gifts to the campaign may be made through a local church or directly to the PWNC Ministries Campaign. Please see the Response Sheet for instructions.

How will funds be invested, administered and managed?

Funds generated by the campaign shall be managed and housed by the PWNC in a manner consistent with all funds of the Presbytery, adhering to approved policies and guidelines, and utilizing the Presbytery’s elected Finance Committee as an oversight body. For instance, endowments are likely to be held by the Presbyterian Foundation, as the Foundation is where other endowments of the PWNC are currently housed.

Who will make decisions as to how the funds will be received and disbursed?

The General Council has established a “Building HOPE Campaign Finance Policy” as to how the funds will be administered and has formed a Building HOPE Finance Committee to manage the administration. The General Council will have the final decision on any implementation or change in the policy. Any major change in focus would be taken to the Presbytery.

The General Council is made up of the Moderator of Presbytery, the Past Moderator, Moderator-Elect, Treasurer, representatives from the geographic areas of the Presbytery, representatives of the six program and administrative committees of Presbytery, and a representative from the Presbyterian Women, supported by the General Presbyter and staff as ex-officio members.

The Building HOPE Finance Committee is composed of the Moderator of Presbytery, the chair of the Administration Committee (which includes the Budget and Finance responsibilities), the two co-chairs or two representatives of the Campaign Committee, and two persons designated by the General Council (supported by Presbytery staff as ex-officio). The Finance Committee will be responsible for the administration of the funds and interpretation of the policy. They will make the day to day decisions of receiving and disbursing funds.

Who is making and how are the decisions made that relate to how much each ministry receives of the non-designated gifts?

The Building HOPE Finance Committee administers this according to the Policy:

“All funds received in the campaign will be treated as undesignated unless specifically designated by the donor for one or more of the four ministries represented in the campaign. All such designated funds will applied toward the specific ministry(ies) specified by the donor.

“Undesignated funds will be applied against the goals of each ministry in the ratio of that ministry’s goal as a percentage of the campaign goal (i.e., Malawi 44.2%, Guatemala 10.6%, Camp Grier 22.6% and Vital Ministries 22.6%).

“In the event the campaign goal for an individual ministry exceeds the campaign goal because of designated gifts and pledges, the Finance Committee may recommend that some of the undesignated funds credited to that ministry be reallocated to a ministry(ies) with attainment below the campaign goal. Such reallocation requires the approval of the General Council.”

What happens if the campaign raises more money than the goals that were outlined?

Each of the four ministries represented in the campaign outlined a program of needs well beyond those represented in the campaign. Should campaign attainment exceed goal, either the goal for the ministry or the aggregate goal, those funds will be distributed as specified above.

What happens if the campaign does not raise enough commitments for budgeted amounts?

All the designated money will go to the specified ministries. The Finance Committee will review the other goals and make recommendations to the General Council as the best allocation. Attempt will be made to use the percentages allocated for undesignated funds, but changes could be recommended to use the funds.

What group makes ongoing decisions about when to release money out of draw-down or endowment funds? Who evaluates the requests and on what basis will they evaluate them?

The Finance Committee will approve distribution of funds. Funds will be received over multiple years and can be distributed to each ministry project based on availability of funds and needs of the ministry. Each ministry area and even projects within a ministry area would be treated differently.

For example, much of Camp Grier funds are needed immediately for use. They are up-front funds to increase camper attendance, so money received for that ministry area will be disbursed quickly. The Ebenezer School money is an endowment and the endowment disbursement would be dependent on the principle. Other monies will require an application/a specific request to the Finance Committee by the ministry seeking the funds.

Are the people making such decisions (above) able to say "no" in some situations, even when that is hard to do?

Yes. People chosen for the Building HOPE Finance Committee are chosen with the “say no ability” in mind.

What happens to the funds if the foreign countries or ministries destabilize or if one of the ministries proves impossible to accomplish?

If a ministry is not able to fulfill its mission as described, or should there be destabilization within one of the four ministries or seismic shifts in the ministry’s ability to function effectively, (i.e., civil war within a country or the breakdown of leadership accountability) gifts to that ministry may be held in trust temporarily by PWNC or may be shifted to a ministry similar in nature and purpose. For example, if Malawi or Guatemala became an unstable country, or if their ministry misused money, then an evaluation would need to be made for further use of funds. In this case, the Building HOPE Finance Committee would make a recommendation to the General Council. If this were to be a major change in mission, it would be taken to the Presbytery.

Don’t other presbyteries support these ministries (like Camp Grier)? Why aren’t they being approached?

Camp Grier’s Board of Directors and staff have been soliciting funds in the other presbyteries (Salem and Charlotte) that have supported Camp Grier in the past.

How much is being spent on fundraising costs of the campaign?

We are currently contracted for the “quiet phase” and the estimated cost is approximately $42,000, including printing, promotion, and consultation.

Doesn’t the Presbytery have a lot of money in reserve now? Why not use some of that money instead of raising more?

The Presbytery has reserves for several purposes. The first is cash flow. The Presbytery incurs expenses monthly and most of the income is received quarterly or at the end of the year.

Secondly, we never know when unforeseen expenses may come up that are over and above our operating budget. We would not want to be forced to pull funds from vital ministry areas because we did not plan for the unexpected.

Lastly, we hold mortgages on congregational property of about $400,000, with additional debt possibilities of another $300,000.

Is any of this campaign money going toward the General Assembly or the Synod or to the Presbytery for staffing?

None of the money will be going to the PCUSA General Assembly or Synod. The money raised will be going to the four ministries. In Guatemala, the Synod (equivalent to our General Assembly) receives 5%, which covers their ministry of the National Church.

Why is the Presbytery conducting this campaign and siphoning off money when so many churches are struggling?

The campaign has stated that it is not interested in money that is already being given to our churches. Any money for this project needs to be above normal giving. We do not want to siphon off any money.