Ever since we started we’ve been trying to help the church communicate the gospel. It’s no easy task. We need your help.
There are three big ways you can help us out:
- Get involved.
- Donate.
- Pray.
The first and the last aren’t anything new. We’ve been asking you to get involved since the very beginning. And prayer goes without saying. Except that we’re saying it.
But that middle one—that’s new. It’s also a delicate subject for us. It’s easy for people to get nervous when money comes up, especially when the church is involved. So we’re going to shoot straight and just lay it out.
The Center for Church Communication, the non-profit parent of CMS, is now accepting online donations. We hope you’ll consider a donation to help churches communicate better.
Why Should I Donate?
To support a good cause. The Center for Church Communication (CFCC) has been helping churches matter for years. We run Church Marketing Sucks, we released a free church communications report, we started the Church Marketing Lab and we’ve got loads more in the works.
But quite frankly, none of this can happen without help. So far CFCC—and by extension Church Marketing Sucks—has been paid for from the pockets of our founder, Brad Abare. It’s been a great way to start, but it’s not an easy way to continue. Brad’s pockets are only so deep and we can’t continue to let one man support this burgeoning vision. It’s not good for Brad, and it’s not good for the vision.
By investing in CFCC you can help us go further.
Does It Make a Difference?
We like to think 500 blog entries and 2,500 comments have made a difference. We think 92 images posted to a community of 74 people in less than a month is making a difference. But don’t take our word for it:
“I stumbled on your site today and I have to say I have been absolutely engrossed; it has fantastic ideas, great information and it’s really helping me decide how to market the youth program at our church.”
-Stacey Burns, March 7, 2006
“Your site has put to words so much of what I’ve always thought as well as providing all those valuable ideas, articles and suggestions. … I can’t wait to learn more and put it into practice.”
-Sara Fam, Feb. 24, 2006“I recently came across your site and I just wanted to tell you that it is a breath of fresh air. There is not much out there for designers, marketers, film makers who are working in the church.”
-Corbyn Tyson, Jan. 31, 2006“Thanks for getting our piece up there for peer review. The feedback that we received was awesome.”
-Josh Ratcliffe, Dec. 7, 2005
Where Does My Money Go?
Your money goes to pay for all the stuff we do:
Writing & Editing
From blog entries and e-mails to web copy and press releases, writing doesn’t come cheap. Well, it has lately as Kevin D. Hendricks works for much less than he’s worth. Your donations can help pay Kevin the meager monthly pittance that we do, and maybe someday snag him full-time from his day job as a freelance writer.
Infrastructure
Web hosting, bandwidth, phone/voice mail, legal/accounting fees. We don’t have an official office, so our expenses are fairly cheap, but we do have to keep the web lights on.
Design
This snazzy design isn’t free. We get good deals from partners and volunteers, but sometimes if you want to be professional, you’ve got to pay for it.
Tech
Coding a form, uploading a page, or building our dream applications requires tech know-how. We often make do with our bare bones knowledge, but sometimes it’s only enough to get you in trouble. Sometimes you need a pro.
Promotion
Believe it or not, we have our own marketing expenses. You guys do a great job spreading the word for us, but some things do cost money. We have to print, package and ship those CMS cards. Our e-mail newsletters service is another monthly fee.
Events
We haven’t done much event coverage—mainly because it’s expensive. Your donations can help us get there and connect in person.
Big Ideas
We’ve got dreams. Your donations can help us get those dreams off the ground.
Bottom line: We’re a non-profit. Your donations aren’t lining our pockets. Your money goes to make sure we keep doing what we’re doing.
Is it Tax Deductible?
Yes, every donation to CFCC is tax deductible.
Can My Business/Church/Organization Give?
Absolutely. Personal donations are only one avenue. Corporations, churches and other organizations can support CFCC.
In Closing
Asking for money is never easy. But it is necessary. We’ve invested a lot into this, both in time and money. And while we will continue investing as much as we can, at some point it needs to become self-supporting. That can only happen with your support.
Thanks for reading. We’ll keep you posted on the results and where the money goes.
