Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I’ve put in my order for killer mac-n-cheese. The dolby torte and Coronation chicken.

It’s going to be a foodie weekend—and all without breaking a sweat. I’m cashing in my “promises” from the church’s promise tree. Each year at the beginning of May, our ECW hosts a garden party fundraiser. Some of the elements are standard fare: basket raffle, bake shop, silent auction. But the group also offers a promise tree. This is where folks from the congregation offer their talents. Four hours of DJing a special event. A BBQ dinner for twelve. An afternoon of babysitting. Two swim lessons. A primer on knitting. Hemming pants.   

The promise tree is fun because it gives some insight into the varied gifts of the congregation. It encourages everyone to participate in the fundraiser, not just the women of the church. And it’s a great place to offer a bigger taste of favorite potluck dishes, the ones with only a spoonful left in the container by the time you make it through the line.   

Another perk of the promise tree: it’s all profit. So if it’s a flop (which it won’t be!), then no big loss. But even if people only purchase half of the offerings, then it’s a win-win.   

Our church has offered the promise tree for years, and each May, we tweak it a bit. For instance, we learned last year to keep a list of the purchasers and their promises. By about December, someone is craving marinated bacon wraps but they’ve forgotten the details. The list comes in handy. It’s also helpful for the promise givers to know who purchased their gifts.   

A teacher heads up the collection of the promises. She can’t attend the mid-day garden party but wants to contribute. She begins making calls about five weeks before the event. And of course, it’s advertised in the church bulletin and newsletter.   

Pricing of the promises should be fair but not cheap. After all, the money is going toward good causes, such as youth camp scholarships, the local food pantry, and support for the homeless network. So for instance, the torte might be priced at $12, but a homemade BBQ ribs dinner with all the fixings should probably be valued around $40 or $50.   

Of course, some of these items are priceless. Fixing the hem on my pants. Providing dinner for a party. And especially three hours of babysitting, a free afternoon, and a torte all to myself.