The Annual Appeal is the fundraising campaign that supports the mission and yearly programs of the parish. The effort is placed in the larger context of Christian Stewardship, which acknowledges that all we have is a gift from God, and that we bear responsibility for giving for the spread of God’s kingdom.

- You can set up a recurring donation, made automatically as often as you choose. You can set your recurring donation to be made on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis.

- You can make a one-time annual donation

- You can make a pledge, or a commitment, to give a certain amount during the upcoming year. Payments toward this pledge are made at the intervals of your choosing, such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

Donations can be made by credit card, check, through a Donor Advised Fund, or through the transfer of securities. For more information, click here or contact Elizabeth Peyton, epeyton@christchurchgreenwich.org

Parish members have the option to make a pledge or indicate their intention of annual financial support to sustain our mission and programing. Payments may be fulfilled throughout the appeal’s fiscal year as the donor is able, be it one-time, quarterly, monthly, or weekly payments. Stating a pledge or an intention allows the parish leadership to plan and budget effectively and to manage with the confidence that programmatic needs will be met.

Setting up a recurring gift or making a pledge benefits you and Christ Church. A recurring gift can be automatically paid at the interval of your choosing, making it easy on you to manage. It also helps ensure steady and predictable cash flow to Christ Church all year long. Your recurring gift automatically renews until you decide to change or stop your commitment.

Making a pledge – in other words, telling Christ Church how much you intend to donate for the coming year – helps Christ Church more accurately budget and plan.

The earlier you communicate your giving intentions to us, the better we can plan for the next year!

The 2024 Annual Appeal supports the 2024 budget. In the last quarter of each year, we appeal to parishioners for the upcoming year. Thus, in September 2023, we launch the 2024 Annual Appeal. Knowing the giving plans of our members in advance helps us best plan for the year to come.

The Church’s fiscal year is the calendar year, so we seek to have all pledge and intention payments received by December 31. The easiest way to make your payments is online by credit card. Other methods include by check, a donor advised fund, or a gift of securities. If you are age 70 ½ or over, direct donation from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is also an attractive option, as the distribution is not treated as taxable income.

In a typical year, over 350 households contribute to the Annual Appeal. The amounts of the donations vary greatly – but every gift makes a difference. In considering your gift amount, we encourage you to think about an amount that holds significance in your charitable budget.

We encourage members to give a gift that is personally meaningful to them. The spiritual practice of giving to the Church is grounded in the biblical standard of the tithe, which emphasizes the concepts of proportional giving and giving back to God as first priority. In prayerfully considering your annual giving, we invite you to consider your household income and to place Christ Church Greenwich as your top philanthropic organization. You might also think about growing your giving to the Church over time and as a reflection of your spiritual maturation. Start with at least 1% of your income and step forward with each year until you reach a full tithe.

The 2023 annual budget for Christ Church Greenwich is $3,860,000. The largest source of income is member donations. The Annual Appeal alone funds 64% of the budget. We are strongest when all members participate. Learn more about what your gift does for christ Church here.

Plate income is only 4%. Other sources of income include various fees at 8%, endowment at 11%, and other restricted parish funds at 13%. These restricted funds will expire in 2025, and as we look to preserve and expand our ministries, member donations will become ever more important.

No, unlike other denominations, Episcopal parishes are fully self-supporting. They are, however, constituent members of the local diocese, under the authority of the bishop. Dioceses are in turn part of the national Episcopal Church structure. We contribute an annual assessment to our diocese, the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, to fund our common life together, provide diocesan resources for the parish, and outreach to missions and ministries of the diocese.

The Annual Appeal seeks to fund the annual budget enabling our common life, mission, and outreach in the community. If you would like to discuss a special gift to support a specific program, please contact the Stewardship Office.

Yes, the Church can receive Matching Gifts. Corporate Matching Gifts are an excellent way to provide further support for the mission of Christ Church, as many companies will match charitable contributions made by their employees. If your employer does not match contributions to religious organizations, your annual pledge payment may be made to the Horseneck Foundation, our community outreach partner for historic preservation of the Christ Church buildings. This in turn makes your donation eligible for matching.

Elizabeth Peyton, Director of Annual Giving, will be happy to speak with you. She may be reached in the Parish Office at 203.869.6600, x11 and epeyton@christchurchgreenwich.org. Thank you!