Capital campaigns in the church are dedicated, special initiatives with a specific purpose.

In times when I’ve lost sight of why doing the small things—the “faithful activity” of fundraising—is important, one story from my experience has served as an encouraging prod.

Thinking through and preparing for the future can bring up many fears, emotions, and challenges, but if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, remember that our legacy is as children of the King. Even so, we (both donors and organizations) get to be stewards of the gifts the King has entrusted to us. What an honor that is!

Several years ago, the leadership of First Pres began exploring what a revitalization of its church facilities might look like. While blessed with a prime location and beautiful, historic buildings, the aging facilities needed renovation and expansion. It became abundantly clear that the Lord was leading toward a plan to improve efficiencies, to accommodate growth, and to increase gospel impact in downtown Chattanooga and beyond.

We love these short, small group retreats because we’ve been impacted ourselves by the earnest, vulnerable settings, and we’ve also watched donors flourish as they encourage one another in generosity.

In the nonprofit world, fundraising is often viewed through a transactional lens. We identify a need, communicate the impact, and invite donors to invest in the cause. But fundraising can, and should, be so much more—especially in our churches!

At Canaan Group & Associates, we often run into people—mature, faithful Christ-followers—who view fundraising work as an either/or.

Canaan Group & Associates has been honored to partner with The Maclellan Foundation since 2020. The Chattanooga-based foundation isn’t one of our typical nonprofit or church clients. Instead, we work with the foundation to support its grantee organizations.

Board members not only help steer the ship from the helm; they’re also the flags flying proudly that identify the ship and encourage passengers to come aboard.

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Canaan Group & Associates has enjoyed working with AGI, a client that stands out from our typical nonprofit/ministry groups, for the last three years.

In relational fundraising, listening to hear is a fundamental skill. If you think about it, it might seem like a manipulative tactic: practice being a really good listener so that people like talking to you and want to give to your organization. However, this isn’t what we’re encouraging. Instead, listening to hear completely removes manipulation from the picture.

In 2024, Spring Run called on CGChurch to gather congregational feedback on a proposed building expansion and renovation project.

While successful meetings with donors are worth celebrating, what happens after the visit makes or breaks a donor-fundraiser relationship.

Canaan Group & Associates began working with Oak Hill Classical School in 2023 when the school realized they needed more space.

What is our true mission and vision? Can we define it succinctly and clearly? Why do we desire growth?

Enjoying the work of fundraising—the actual doing of it, not only the idea of it—is essential for the long-term flourishing of a fundraiser.

CG&A began working with Tennessee Valley Presbytery in 2017 and since then, TVP's annual contributions have grown by over 430%. We are honored to be partnering with this church planting initiative for the past seven years.

Does your organization have a board rotation schedule? Do your bylaws call for one?