Event Type: Capital Campaign / Multi-Event Series
My Role: Lead Producer, pre-launch event series
Scale: 6 pre-launch gatherings across distinct community segments

Background

Renaissance Church set out to raise funds for a permanent home in Harlem, one of the most ambitious initiatives in the organization’s history. The campaign was developed in partnership with a national consulting agency specializing in capital campaigns for churches and nonprofits. Before the vision could go public, the right people needed to hear it first.

Goal

The objective was to secure early alignment and anchor commitments from the church’s foundational partners and community members before the campaign launched to the broader congregation.

Strategy

Produce a sequenced series of intimate, high-touch gatherings for the church’s most influential community members: its board, top donors, elders, diaconate, and community leadership.

Each gathering was tailored to its audience, both in format and in the level of conversation it was designed to create. Formats included Momentum Desserts, intimate wine and dessert receptions, seated dinners, and town hall style forums where leadership could present the vision, field questions, and invite participants into active roles on the campaign team.

The sequencing was deliberate. These events were not passive presentations. They were designed to convert influential community members from observers into advocates, giving them the information, access, and ownership they needed to carry the campaign’s momentum into the wider congregation.

Results & Impact

The pre-launch series established the foundation of trust and early commitment that Vision Night needed to succeed. When the campaign went public, the broader congregation wasn’t hearing the vision cold. They heard it from board members, elders, and community leaders who had already said yes.

Across the full campaign, Renaissance Church received $3,284,995 in pledges from the broader community, clearing its $3M Dream goal. To date, $2,217,997 has been received in actual giving, with the campaign ongoing.