Stewardship F.A.Q.

Q. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PLEDGE? CAN’T I JUST MAKE REGULAR DONATIONS?

A: The key to the Chapel running smoothly throughout the year is a well-planned foundation. While your regular donations and weekly cash offerings sustain the budget, your pledge helps create that plan. Immediately following the Stewardship campaign period, the Finance Committee will establish a Budget plan for the next year. The summation of all the pledges is the main communication the financial planning committee uses to predict the donations for the next calendar year. Consider your pledge a very important part of the planning cycle. You help the Chapel in its overall health and well being through both participating in financial planning by giving and pledging.

Q. WHAT TIME PERIOD DOES THE PLEDGE PERIOD REPRESENT?

A: The Stewardship campaign happens in the fall of the year (usually during the month of November) prior to the active pledge year. Pledges made during the Stewardship campaign should reflect your anticipated giving for next calendar year. St. Augustine’s fiscal year coincides with the calendar year.

Q. WHERE DOES ALL THE MONEY FROM MY PERSONAL DONATION AND THE WEEKLY OFFERING GO?

A: Pledged offerings empower the Advisory Board to plan for next year. The majority of our current budget pays our clergy, staff, and upkeep for the A-Frame building. While we are grateful for the many people who volunteer, we could not operate without the staff who devote so much of their lives to St. Augustine’s. This pie chart shows you our budget. Approximately 90% of our income is from your offerings and pledges. We receive around 10% of our total income from the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee directly in support of Canterbury CIRCLE (Vanderbilt Student group).

Q. DOES MY DONATION TO ST AUGUSTINE’S SUPPORT OTHER ENTITIES LIKE THISTLE FARMS OR CCJ?

A. No. Your donations to St. Augustine’s remain at St Augustine’s to fund the Chapel’s operations and ministries. Non-profit organizations deeply tied to St. Augustine’s like Thistle Farms + Magdalene House, the Center for Contemplative Justice, Escuela Anne Stevens, Holy Cross Hospice and Larkspur are separate 501-c3 non-profit organizations. The money you donate to these organizations is not reflected in the Chapel financials because these are separate legal entities conduct their own fundraising activity. Your support of the Chapel is instrumental in fostering an environment and a culture that promotes the development and growth of organizations like these who act in the name of social justice to change the world for the better. Collectively, these groups independently raise more than ten times the total operating budget of the Chapel.

Q. WHAT’S THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE MY 2024 PLEDGE?

A. Pledging online is the easiest way to make your pledge. Online pledges are automatically tracked for individuals and families that manage their donations using Kindful. Click the “Pledge Now” button on in the stewardship section of the website. You can also request a paper pledge card and place it in the offering on Sunday or mail it to: St. Augustine’s Chapel, Attn: Peggy McMurray, Box 6330B, Nashville, TN 37235. To receive a paper pledge card, please contact the Peggy at peggy.mcmurray@comcast.net.

Q. WHAT IF I AM MARRIED? DOES MY SPOUSE OR PARTNER NEED TO ALSO FILL OUT AN ONLINE PLEDGE CARD?

A. No - only one member of your family household needs to complete the Online Pledge Card. When a member of the family makes a Pledge online, you are finished. However in some instances, spouses may want to Pledge and give separately. In this case, each person should complete their individual Online Pledge. If you have questions about your family’s pledge, please contact Peggy McMurray at peggy.mcmurray@comcast.net.

Q. WHAT IF I CAN’T OR DON’T WANT TO MAKE MY PLEDGE ONLINE? WHAT DO I DO?

A. You can still make your pledge using a paper Pledge Card. The Pledge Card will be available at every service at Benton and at the A-Frame during the Stewardship Campaign and can be returned in the donation basket. You can also stop by the A-Frame Chapel on the Vanderbilt campus to pick up or drop off a pledge card during the Stewardship Campaign. If you have questions about your family’s pledge, please contact Peggy McMurray at peggy.mcmurray@comcast.net.

Q. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP WITH THE STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN?

First, thank you for your support and consideration in planning and giving. Our community always amazes us with participation. Pledging early is the best thing you can do to help our Stewardship Campaign. Following your Pledge submission, you have an option to create an account in Kindful if you do not already have an account. Once you are logged in, you can set up a recurring donation to fund your Pledge amount. If you currently have a Kindful account with a recurring donation, you will want to log in to your account in January 2024 to update your recurring donation. By using the Kindful system, you are once again helping the Chapel to efficiently manage and track your gifts. Donations made through Kindful are readily available and take less time for the Chapel to process. If you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with on-line giving, you can always give by check. Please make checks payable to “St. Augustine’s Chapel” and send to St. Augustine's Chapel, P.O. Box 6330-B Nashville, TN 37235. Thank you again for your generous support and kindness.

Q. WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT KINDFUL OR STEWARDSHIP?

A. For questions on the Kindful system, pledging or donations, please email: giving@staugustineschapel.org. For questions on Stewardship 2024, please contact
Eric Cummings, ewcummings@gmail.com
Hannah Alexander, hannah.g.alexander@gmail.com
Andrew Bouldin, andrewbouldin@gmail.com
Jenni Moscardelli, jennimosc@gmail.com