Teleconference Panel Stresses Urgency of Fund-raising Task
Episcopal News Service. November 7, 1996 [96-1619]
Lindsay Hardin Freeman, Free-lance Writer
(ENS) Hundreds of people at 91 downlink sites came together through satellite technology October 19 to address an urgent question: How might the Episcopal Church encourage its members to give generously as some $10.4 trillion is passed from one generation to another in the next few decades?
This question and others like it were examined in depth as part of an interactive teleconference, "The Future of Episcopal Philanthropy," broadcast live from Trinity Parish, New York City. Moderated by the Rev. William Tully, rector of St. Bartholomew's, New York City, the telecast fielded questions from viewers working in groups around the country.
According to one of the panelists, Suzanne Mink, vice president of advancement at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), an unprecedented sum of money from older Americans will be soon passed down to their children, the government (via taxes) and various charities. "Some $10.4 trillion will be passed to the next generation by 2035," she said, "and most of that by 2005."
Such an amount, she said, requires that the church systematically provide Episcopalians the opportunity to give to parish, diocesan and national programs of their choice.
"We cannot sit still," she said. "We must get word out on the street. The competition is enormous, aggressive and sophisticated. Unless the church is prepared, financial resources will go elsewhere."
Such new issues, said panelist Loren Mead, founder of the Alban Institute and author of Financial Meltdown in the Mainline, are further complicated by changes he expects mainstream churches to experience over the next decade: a decline in membership; the aging of many current donors; a legacy of unrepaired buildings; an increasing inability of congregations to afford trained clergy; and continued, if not escalated, pressure on diocesan and national budgets.
"How we are preparing our people for these changes is crucial," Mead said. "Coming down the pike are very difficult times for ordinary churches. We've got to do some things fairly rapidly."
Larry Carr, president of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation, who oversees the management of more than one billion dollars in planned gifts and endowments, believes that church leaders first need to be less apologetic about raising money.
"Church leaders at all levels need to understand their vital role and responsibility in developing the financial resources required for the Church's vital mission in the name of Jesus Christ," he said
An added component in the emerging philanthropic pattern is the growing awareness that women generally outlive their mates, are making more money than in years past, and are participating more in family financial matters.
Taking these indicators into account is essential, said Mink. "Women... will be in charge of many of the estates transferred to this generation. For so many years, they gave of their time, now they give of their money. Women give out of personal need. They want to make a difference. This means our parishes must find opportunities to involve women as fully as possible in personally significant ways."
Helping Episcopalians direct their money where they want it to go has spurred on the work of the Episcopal Church Foundation, according to William G Andersen, Jr., its executive director. The foundation, which began a substantial planned giving ministry on behalf of the larger Episcopal church in 1994, is now coordinating the work of 55 planned giving officers nationwide, developing a variety of educational tools, and is processing planned gifts for the benefit of parishes and dioceses.
"We want parishes and missions to have the funds they need come the turn of the century and beyond," said Andersen. "If we don't give people the information they need and the message that their participation is crucial, the money will simply be given away elsewhere, or worse, lost altogether."
"The window of availability is closing," said Carr. "If we don't put these mechanisms in place during the next fifteen years, it will be too late for funding 21st century ministries."
A videotape of the October 19 broadcast is available, along with printed information for parishes. To order, send a check for $32.45 to the Episcopal Church Foundation, 815 Second Avenue, New York, New York, 10017 (telephone 800-697-2858.)