Curious about our potential Capital Campaign? Here’s where we are!
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Process Overview
What's a Feasibility Study?
Campaign Leadership
Meet our Consultants
What can I do?
Capital Campaign Process
What’s Happened So Far:
November 2022: Vision Team is commissioned by Session to consider possible projects for a future capital campaign.
November 2022-May 2024: Vision Team spends time dreaming, researching, and discerning potential project scopes.
May 2024: Vision Team presents their ideas to Session; Session approves the creation of a Capital Campaign Readiness Committee to select a consulting firm to help lead a feasibility study.
June 2024-September 2024: Readiness Committee is formed, consultants are researched and interviewed
October 2024: Readiness Committee recommends to Session that we hire Armstrong McGuire to lead our feasibility study; Session approves
November 2024-present: Armstrong McGuire guides the Readiness Committee in the feasibility study pre-work.
What’s To Come:
January-February 2025: Feasibility Study
Spring 2025: (if feasibility study is favorable) scope and structure of the campaign are finalized and presented to Session for approval
Fall 2025: (if approved by Session) public launch of the campaign
What is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study is a process by which we determine what parts of the campaign vision resonate with the congregation, and what a realistic fundraising goal is for the campaign. Conversations within the congregation are a crucial part of this process; look for information in early January about ways you can participate in those conversations.
Our consultants will lead these conversations, taking note of all that is said and shared, and will offer their analysis in a report that details our readiness for a campaign and the suggested size and scope we should pursue.
Campaign Leadership
Campaign Readiness Committee (June 2024-present):
Allison Chambers
Megan Crunkleton (Co-Chair)
Beth Keith
Jay Klompmaker
Anna Rose Medley (Co-Chair)
Bob Slater
Scott Smith
Bill Whisenant
Meg Peery McLaughlin (staff liaison)
Erin Collier (staff liaison)
Campaign Vision Team (Nov. 2022-May 2024)
Martha Aldridge
Jeff Howard
Beth Keith
Jay Klompmaker
Gordon Merklein
Than Powell
Donna Van Engen
Meg Peery McLaughlin (staff liaison)
Jarrett McLaughlin (staff liaison)
Joey Fala (staff liaison)
Meet Our Consultants
After a thorough interview process, the Campaign Readiness Committee recommended, and the Session approved, that we hire Armstrong McGuire to be our consulting firm for a feasibility study. Meet our consultants!
Mendi Nieters
Mendi Nieters, a Senior Advisor with Armstrong McGuire, will serve as lead counsel, working in partnership with Managing Director, Shannon Williams.
Mendi brings 22 years of development and nonprofit management experience to Armstrong McGuire. Her passion is creating mission-centered, high-performing development teams comprised of staff, board members, and volunteers. Her nonprofit career began at the National MS Society where she tripled her chapter’s annual income, transitioned the board to a strategic fundraising base, and ultimately served as the organization’s Vice President of Development. Mendi also served as the Regional Vice President of Development for the American Lung Association and Director of Development with Alliance Medical Ministry and later Comfort Zone Camp. Mendi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from North Carolina State University.
She is a lifelong native of North Carolina living in Apex with her husband and her two sons. She is an active member and lay leader at Apex United Methodist Church.
Shannon Williams
Shannon Williams joined Armstrong McGuire in 2008, bringing more than two decades of development experience to the team. Today, she serves as Managing Director. Before joining Armstrong McGuire, she worked with independent schools and human service organizations, including the YMCA of the Triangle, focusing on both annual and capital development. Throughout her career Shannon has been a leader of successful capital campaigns ranging from $1 million to more than $96 million. Effectively motivating and managing volunteers, donors and staff has been a trademark of her career.
She is the wife of a Triangle businessman, the mother of two 20-something sons and an active community volunteer. She lives in Chapel Hill where she engages in ministry and worships at the UNC Newman Center.
What can I do?
A capital campaign is a big undertaking! Here is how you can help:
Pray.
Prayer is crucial to every step of this campaign! In particular, we ask that you pray for:
- our Readiness Committee and consultants as they lead us through this process
- our congregation as we begin to discern the shape of the campaign
- ways in which you might be led to participate in this campaign (volunteering, giving, etc.)
Participate in the feasibility study.
Invitations to conversations will be sent in the new year. Please be sure to respond and participate so that your voice can be heard.
Stay tuned.
We’ll share more as the process continues, including volunteer opportunities!
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