One Fund Strategy Shift
Providing vision clarity with one significant giving ask is a key strategy for simplifying and unifying giving for future generations. Framing the entirety of the church’s missional work—local, state, national and international—as the essential working out of the Great Commission is the new approach to help a new generation of givers connect meaningfully with the scope of the gospel task.
This significant strategy shift to one unified offering is called a One Fund. We might summarize our three goals for a One Fund this way:
- Unify church financial needs with…
One Ask
One Commitment
One Mission and Vision - Grow overall levels of giving permanently
- Build a sustainable future giving base
What Is a One Fund?
You can visualize the One Fund with the analogy of three spending priorities or buckets. Essentially, the first bucket includes the normal ministry budget—ministry programs, people and buildings. The second bucket includes missions—previously budgeted missions and the World Missions Offering. The third bucket includes special projects—large capital expenses and facility renovations.
Most One Funds are presented with a 2-year timeframe and ask for a corresponding commitment to tithe and give above and beyond.
Here’s an example of three bucket approach from First West’s 2021-2023 See To It Fund:
- The first bucket is LOCAL MINISTRY:
- Ministry Programs
- Staff and Facilities
- The second bucket is MISSIONS:
- Previously Budgeted Missions
- Funds Previously Raised Through the World Missions Offering
- The third bucket is the PROJECT:
- West Monroe Campus Feazel Chapel
- West Monroe Campus Worship Center
- West Monroe Campus 3rd Street Entrances
- Potential Calhoun Campus Land Purchase
Will Each Bucket Be Fully Funded?
Since the first two buckets include previously funded priorities, we should expect to FULLY fund both of those items in the years ahead. The reason for that is simple: The generous gifts of God’s people already provide funds to make that ministry happen. The third bucket is a special project bucket. Because this is something new, we may or may not fully fund that bucket. But because the size and scope of the project depends on funding, this allows the church to adjust project pieces to match the funds in bucket #3.
One Fund Case Study
Consider the following One Fund growth history as a case in point.
This first foray into one fund territory was for one year only (2020-21), a departure from normal operating procedure due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. The church experienced modest success in this tumultuous first year with an additional $177,266 in receipts versus the previous year’s total receipts (2019-20, which includes both Budget and World Missions Offering receipts).
The first full 2-year See To If Fund from 2021-23 was a greater success. Against the last pre-One-Fund baseline, receipts were $526,782 greater in 2021-22 and $308,515 greater in 2022-23. While giving was relatively lower in the second year, recognize the unique economic and inflationary pressures affecting this time frame. But note the significant increase in 2023-24, representing an increase of $802,608 against the pre-One-Fund baseline in 2019-20.
By unifying the church’s financial needs with One Ask, One Commitment, and One Mission and Vision, we have grown overall levels of giving permanently and built a sustainable future giving base.