For many years, ADF has partnered with Christian Investors Financial (a part of the Evangelical Free Church of America) to provide capital fundraising consulting for Alliance churches. I've asked the vice president in charge of capital campaigns, Steve Johnson, to write a guest blog emphasizing the benefits of a consultant-based capital campaign. ADF is a firm believer that capital campaigns are a critical element of any capital project, so I encourage you to read what Steve has to say:

In my last blog series, I discussed why planned giving is essential to ministries—today and in the future. This fact is becoming increasingly apparent as we learn more about donors’ giving tendencies. Studies have found that major gifts are outpacing smaller donations across the board. So, now more than ever, it’s essential for your church or ministry to have an established planned giving program so you can accept these larger gifts.

Thanksgiving is a great time to stop and think about thankfulness and generosity. These two things go hand-in-hand. As we give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings, it should remind us to be generous with all He has entrusted to us.

In parts one and two of this series, we learned that 90 percent of people’s wealth is in non-cash assets and $41 trillion worth of assets are currently being transferred by baby boomers. What this means to you is that now is the time to act. Now is the time to make sure those who support your ministry are aware of the many giving options available to them during this wealth transfer— and to ensure you are equipped to receive these types of gifts.

In my last blog post, I explained that your supporters typically have 10 percent of their wealth in liquid assets—such as checking and savings accounts—and 90 percent in non-cash assets like real estate, wills, stocks, IRAs, etc. So, how do you address this 90 percent and provide other ways to give to the Kingdom?

Whether you’re a church or another ministry, chances are you rely on the generosity of your supporters to sustain your work. While the weekly offering plate or cash donations help keep the lights on, those gifts really represent funds from only 10 percent of a person’s wealth.