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Give to St. Bart’s Now!
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So what’s the right number?
By Ann Hall Kaplan
“I love St. Bart’s and want to generously support the mission here but don’t know how much to pledge.” Does this reflect how you feel? Most nonprofits list their annual fund donors by giving levels so it’s easy to see what people give. Here, pledging is considered to be a private communication between the donor, God and St. Bart’s.
Instead of listing how much people give, we stress proportional giving—and not only is this different for each person but it can change greatly from one year to the next. Some find it helpful to know that the national pledging average for Episcopalians is 2.6% of income, but this percentage is a bit confusing because it does not distinguish between pre-tax or after-tax donations. We encourage people to pick a percentage of income that is challenging but doable and then try to increase that percentage each year.
And the needs and expectations of each parish are different. Due to large and steady annual income streams from endowments or real estate holdings, many other large New York City Episcopal churches are not dependent on donations from congregants. St. Bart’s does not have that safety net. In order to raise at least half of the annual operating budget each year, we need to rely upon the generosity of each and every person who comes here.
And to add to the confusion, the range of 2007 pledges goes from less than $100 to several hundred thousand—the average pledge is approximately $3,500. Even though it helps us to plan for our budget if you pledge early, please know that pledges do not have to be paid until the end of the calendar year and can be easily increased or reduced—no questions asked. Whatever you decide, each and every pledge is extremely important to St. Bart’s and greatly appreciated.
(Reprinted from the August 2007 Crossroads)
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