Ministry Funding Plan

A Ministry Funding Plan (MFP) is a comprehensive financial strategy designed to support current and future mission of the congregation.  It provides insight to unrealized planned gifts and opportunities for major gifts.  It provides a solid foundation for faithful response to giving through the creation of policies that work in concert with one another.  It gives insight to the feasibility for future projects.  In the best case scenario, the MFP is driven by the Finance Team.

The essential elements of an MFP-in order-are:

• Congregation Discovery – a meeting with a Gift Planner, Pastor and Congregation Council President to perform an initial interview to assess what is currently in place, and grasp a short view of historical stewardship practices.
• Financial Needs and Wants  – Gift Planner meets with all committees, teams and groups to assess the financial needs and wants of every ministry for today, 3-5 years, 5-10 years from now.  The comprehensive list is presented to the Congregation Council.  The list is refined by the Council to line up with the strategic plan.  The list is then presented as a part of legacy presentations to the teams who participated in creating the lists.
• Gift Acceptance Policy – Meeting with Gift Planner to review and update the current policy or complete worksheet  to generate a policy that once adopted by the Congregation Council, establishes what type of gifts the Congregation is willing to consider accepting, who makes that determination, what will be done with the gift once received.
• Mission Endowment Fund (MEF) By-Laws – Written or revised through a meeting with the Gift Planner.  Ultimately, the MEF By-Laws are adopted by the Congregation in a process established by the congregation’s constitution.  
• Legacy Presentations – Offered by the Gift Planner to committees, teams and groups, at events, during Sunday School and wherever it is determined to be most appropriate for the congregation context.  Legacy presentations are not opportunities for products to be sold (financial representatives) or clients to be solicited (lawyers or funeral directors).  They are intended to be the opportunity for general information to assist disciples in beginning the process of organizing their financial gifts for legacy giving, receiving relevant literature to facilitate planning and make appointments with the Gift Planner for free consultation and planning.
• One-on-one Congregant Gift Planning – Congregants are encouraged to meet with the Gift Planner to complete their gift plans in consideration of their intentions.