Drafting the Case Statement:
the Parish Plan

One of the harsh truths of fundraising is that no one is interested in funding your past. Some will be interested in preserving your past as parishes with beautiful or historic buildings will readily be aware. Such support is often generous towards the building but much more limited for day to day running costs. Very few are interested in funding your present A passive acceptance that the church is worthy of some support means that people will tip you but they will not give generously and this kind of passive acceptance is found in an increasingly ageing donor base.

What motivates people to support you is your vision of the future, the belief that you are making a difference. What motivates the biggest givers is the sense that they are sharing in and forwarding the work of God in the church. Fund-raising is about change not money. A budget will reflect your past, present or your future. The numbers don't lie.

The parish plan is mission in numbers and in order to set financial targets it is necessary to know what the likely income and expenditure for the coming year will be. The steps in Completing the Parish Plan help to construct a simple Parish Plan which links money with mission.

Begin by downloading the Excel spreadsheet The Parish Plan and begin work on the sheet called 'Plan'. This sheet includes sample figures for illustration purpose. Delete the sample figures, edit the column headings for the appropriate years and edit the row headers to adapt the categories to suit your local situation. Customise the spreadsheet by inserting an image of the church.

A sample Parish Plan illustrates how the finished document might look.