"We believe that in this process, many intangible goals have also been attained."

Our JDK&A Consultant has been unfailingly friendly, courteous and respectful. He made an effort to get to know the people of the congregation, while allowing himself to be known in return. He's been a regular participant in our common life during and beyond the worship hour. The Consultant has been able to motivate our campaign workers to get the job done, balancing correction with praise and conveying a sense of enthusiasm and encouragement. He is able to communicate the theory and practice of a Capital Campaign in the language of scripture, theology, and spirituality.

– Rev. Jonathan Hutchison
St. David's Episcopal Church
Bean Blossoms, Indiana

This short campaign obviously put our JDK&A Consultant under a lot of pressure, especially in the early weeks. He persevered with good humor and without complaint. The committee was more than satisfied with the visuals he produced, especially the campaign brochure. I said at the beginning that making campaign visits was way out of my comfort zone, but that I was willing to have faith in our consultant's training and assistance. He was always ready with encouragement and suggestions and always available. The congregation appreciated his attendance and participation in our worship services and even our monthly Euchre group! I just can't think of anyone with a personality more suited to this vocation than the JDK&A Consultant you sent to us. We've already achieved more than any of us thought was possible. We know that it wouldn't have been possible without your program and a wonderful consultant.

– Sandy Ridenour
Capital Campaign Steering Committee

As you know, St. David's Episcopal Church is a small church in rural Indiana. After a Long Range Planning process, we strongly believed that we were being called to grow in mission. Our buildings had to change to accommodate that call but we were determined that 10% of all funds raised would go directly to outreach. To raise these funds, St. David's had to conduct the first capital fund drive in its 50 year life. Furthermore, neither the Vicar nor the Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee had ever been involved in a capital stewardship drive. We knew we needed the services of a consultant.

We considered both part time and full time consultants. Initially it seemed like a full time consultant would be extravagant for our small church. After giving it careful consideration, we realized that using the services of a full time consultant gave us the best chance to reach our capital stewardship goals. When we interviewed J. D. Klote and Associates, we were struck by their emphasis on sacrificial giving rather than dollars, of not being caught up in specific goals but letting the Spirit work, and of building enthusiasm for the project.

Our J. D. Klote consultant is leaving tomorrow. The pledge drive is not over but we have made almost all of the calls and are ready to send out a mailing to the Friends of St. David's. He got to know us and we got to know him. We have exchanged countless phone calls and emails about the questions, frustrations, and concerns that arose during the campaign. He attended at least one and often two or more meetings per week and ran various training sessions for the committee members. I cannot imagine going through the campaign without a full time consultant.

As of today, pledges total 4.5 times our annual giving. I am sure that this figure will increase as the remaining pledges come in. Not only have we raised the money for our building fund but we have had to form a committee to oversee the 10% tithe to outreach. We do not just have promises for donations; we have actually received gifts equal to 22% of our capital stewardship goal!

There is no way to know how we would have done without any consultant or if we had used a part time consultant, but I am sure that we would not have reached these goals. Furthermore, the process was unifying for the congregation and often spiritual for those of us on the committee.

– James Huber
Capital Campaign Committee Chair

It is sometimes hard for a small parish like St. David's in Bean Blossoms, Indiana to plan big and be successful. It was a big step for a parish of under 100 members to choose a capital stewardship counsel with a national reputation. We chose Klote because of the Readiness Assessment, the compressed time frame, the expert help on-site during the campaign, and the successful history of your capital stewardship process.

We benefited from the theological approach to the campaign that focused on equal participation and sacrifice, not equal giving. Everyone in the parish was involved with the campaign. Our results far exceed the initial expectations of most of us, but do match the enthusiasm and hope that was generated by the campaign within the parish.

– Gene Niednagel
Senior Warden