Presbytery of Southern New England

Presbytery of Southern New England: who are they?

The Presbytery of Southern New England is comprised of 26 congregations, each of which is a unique community rooted in the love, peace and justice of Jesus Christ.

One of the ways the Presbytery seeks to support these congregations is by empowering leadership for each community to guide their congregants as they discern how to use and maintain their properties in service of their various needs, ministries, and priorities.

We’re providing support for presbytery leadership, and working with three congregations exploring land and property possibilities. We've organized this complex work into two phases.

Phase I: congregation + property assessment

• assess the needs and opportunities in the three individual congregations

• engage in congregational and community listening

• communicate with member churches about potential property strategies

Phase II: theology, core values + strategic filter

• articulate a theology of land and property that is rooted in their context

• discern core values that will reflect that theology

• develop a strategic filter for property decision-making based on these values

St. David’s Episcopal Church

St. David’s Episcopal Church: who are they?

St. David's Episcopal Church is "on a mission to know God in Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to others.”

St. David’s gives over a third of its operating budget to both local and international outreach programs to help share the love of Christ with those who are in need. There is an energizing spirit there, and a lot of programs and activities to help their community build a Christ-centered life.

Fundraising, strategy + vision

St. David’s hired an interim rector after a long-term pastorate while they engaged in a call process. Transitional periods present opportunities to reflect on how things have been done, assess what has been working, and make plans for future change. 

Our work with St. David's includes considering stewardship practices because when done well, fundraising provides opportunities to strengthen relationships, create a robust year-round ministry, deepen commitments and articulate a vision for the future. 

Together, we are:

• developing an infrastructure for donor record data segmentation

• providing guidance in aligning data analysis with giving strategies and formation

• examining individual and collective money narratives, as well as training volunteers for annual giving, at an on-site retreat

• creating a plan for growth potential to prepare for annual giving

• developing a plan for on-going tracking, education and management of volunteers

St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church: who are they?

St. John’s is a diverse and growing parish in St. Paul. In the 1970s, they were active in the civil rights movement, promoting voting rights, staffing a women’s center, and housing refugees. They continue to follow the radical teaching of Jesus in their commitment to justice, offering a Racial Healing Eucharist every month, and working toward the repair of the world, in their community and beyond.

Phase I: listening

St. John’s is discerning the potential for a capital campaign. To prepare, we first led a process to foster healthy relationships with money. We unpacked individual and collective money narratives and deconstructed dominant systems of power and control as they relate to financial resources.

During this listening process, we:

• facilitated a congregational-wide survey that asks questions around individual and corporate money narratives, in addition to asking questions around potential capital projects and how they connect with St. John's identity

• led a day-long, in-person retreat to explore money narratives

• interviewed community partners to understand how St. John’s is perceived and also what areas of future partnership might be ripe for exploration

• provided a report that is rooted in their faith community’s context with recommendations for future practices regarding a holistic relationship

Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts

Insight Meditation Community: who are they?

Insight Meditation Community of Western Massachusetts is a non-residential community meditation center. Its mission is to offer the Buddha’s teachings to all who are interested, to help sustain and deepen meditation practice and to bring wisdom and compassion into daily life.

Fundraising, strategy + vision

Mieke started working with IWM as we were coming out of the pandemic. This community was asking big questions around the nature of their future, how to increase fundraising practices, and how to communicate their need. We engaged in a coaching relationship which included:

• leadership of a strategic visioning retreat

• creation of a timeline and assisting in implementation for a fundraising campaign celebrating their 25th anniversary

• data segmentation

• articulating and transitioning money narratives

• training volunteers

• planning for a new year

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church: who are they?

St. Mary's Episcopal Church has been thriving in the Napa Valley for over 150 years. In a hurting and divided world, they seek to follow Jesus on the Way of Love. Their beliefs are formed by scripture, tradition, reason and experience.

Phase I: listening

In recent years, St. Mary’s has experienced significant identity shifts between a change in long-term leadership, the pandemic, and shifting wider cultural norms. We worked with St. Mary’s to help articulate to what makes their community unique, and explore what might be in store for the future. In our listening process, we:

• worked alongside a core team

• organized and conducting focus groups

• wrote and reviewed surveys — analyzed data and reflected back what we heard

• made recommendations for next steps

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church: who are they?

The people of Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church seek to witness God's love in word and action. Located in State College, PA, they're a parish committed to students through their mission Episcopal At Penn State, and to local outreach at their Community Cafe.

Core values + strategic thinking

Leadership at Saint Andrew's understands that — given rapidly changing cultural understandings and expressions of faith and religiosity — churches are best served by articulating the core of who God is calling them to be in the world, and by making decisions consistently based on those values. We worked with leadership to:

• articulate their core values

• lead a Vestry retreat to practice the work of collective decision-making based on those core values

• translate their core values into a strategic filter for the entire congregation to utilize so that every decision, no matter what the scale, can be rooted in this parish's most meaningful shared beliefs

• utilize their new strategic filter to evaluate three areas of their life together — such as stewardship, buildings and grounds, and programming

Episcopal Diocese of Missouri

Deaconess Anne House: who are they?

The Deaconess Anne House was founded in 2012 as a ministry of the Diocese of Missouri and as a branch of the national Episcopal Service Corps program. This residential ministry sought to house young adults who spent a year living in intentional community, working at partnering social service/non-profit organizations, rooting all their work in Benedictine spiritual formation, and sharing in a communal rule of life.

Strategy + vision

In an on-going effort to ensure the program was meeting the needs and priorities of the Diocese of Missouri, Bishop Deon Johnson placed a pause on the program and engaged Vandersall Collective in August of 2022 to perform a review. This review included:

• a document review of over 300 pages of founding documents

• 19 stakeholder interviews

• creation of a diocesan-wide survey of delegates

• data analysis

• competitive analysis of the field

• comprehensive report with recommendations for short and long-term next steps

St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church

St. Cyprian’s: who are they?

St. Cyprian's was founded in 1866, and is both the oldest and first Black Episcopal parish in North Carolina.

Known for their legacy of creating spaces of refuge and belonging for people of color in their local community, St. Cyprian’s has been described as the "center of ripples" throughout New Bern. This community welcomes all people to join them for worship and ministry. 

Strategy + vision

After Hurricane Florence in 2018, St. Cyprian’s building was severely damaged and the congregation was not able to meet. Then, after a long period of building repairs and years of being closed due to the pandemic, St. Cyprian's partnered with us to ask deep strategic questions about their identity.

To support this congregation in their work toward reconnection and deepened engagement in their community, we:

• engaged their leadership planning group in measurable goal-setting

• identified problems of gatekeeping and systemic racism to be addressed

• provided an analysis to both the leadership group and the judicatory body as to how variables within the system impact the ability to proceed

New York Aikikai

New York Aikikai:

who are they?

Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art focused on learning to "become an integrated and balanced individual and explore our full human potential." — Yoshimitsu Yamada

Since 1964, the New York Aikikai has cultivated an energy that is unique to their dojo and community. The energy of Yamada Sensei and those who trained with him has transformed this dojo into the unique place it is today, making aikido accessible to everyone who finds their way to this special school in Manhattan.

Phase I: annual campaign

New York Aikikai has been a center for this beautiful martial art for more than fifty years. For their community to continue to thrive and to adhere to city regulations, their school needs a variety of improvements. We saw the need for a capital campaign, but first, we knew it was essential to establish a fundraising base.

In the middle of laying this foundation, the aikido community experienced a great loss: the first chief instructor of the New York Aikikai passed away in early 2023. Fundraising generally and capital campaigns specifically are deeply linked to who a community is, who they have been, and who they are becoming. Grief, of course, plays a part in all of this. We walked alongside leadership as they navigated reflections on their community’s identity, and helped them strengthen their bonds with each other as they moved into a new era.

When we first started working with the New York Aikikai, there wasn't a history of strong annual campaigns. When done well, annual campaigns thread the needle between donors motivations and giving, and also train leadership to communicate, organize and ask. Annual campaigns train fundraising muscles for capital campaigns. Prior to launching a capital campaign, we ran two annual campaigns.

Phase II: feasibility

On the heels of the pandemic, we conducted a feasibility study, which continued to thread the needle between motivation and giving. We communicated the great care that this community has for each other through:

• creating a case statement

• interviewing and surveying individuals throughout the world

• making recommendations not only for an appropriate goal and timeline, but also for necessary changes in infrastructure to ensure long-term success.

• onboarding a new database, procedures for thanking, and more regular communication and transparency

Phase III: solicitation

As we were preparing to begin the solicitation portion of the campaign, the school’s beloved chief instructor and leader Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei passed away. After a few months of adjusting to the new normal and hosting a memorial service that drew people from all over the world, we started up again.

New fundraising goals were set, leadership recruited, and we utilized the legacy of Yamada Sensei as a way for people to honor their relationship with the dojo, while looking squarely forward to the strong promise that the future holds for this community. Finishing the campaign at the end of January 2024, we raised funds from individuals, dojos and communities in 14 countries. The organization surpassed their primary and stretch goals, and exceeded everyone's expectations.

Phase IV: new website

Coming out of the gate with such strength in 2024 we turned our attention to a new website. Between the community having been gathered in new ways through the capital campaign, and the expectations for strengthened communications, we translated much of the learnings from the campaign into a brand new, interactive website.

Phase V: maintenance of website + communications

We continue to maintain this site, and manage New York Aikikai’s communications.

Good Samaritan Episcopal Church

Good Sam: who are they?

Good Sam’s close-knit community enjoys fellowship time together, highlighted by an annual outdoor worship service and parish picnic each autumn where they can truly marvel at the beauty of God’s creation all around us while we worship.

Good Sam’s parish motto is “Grow in Faith, Live in Hope, Share God’s Love,” and at Good Sam, we daily strive to meet these goals as our parish looks forward to the future together.

Phase I: listening

In the midst of the pandemic, the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan was asking crucial questions about their identity. As the congregation experienced online worship and virtual community, parishioners were reflecting what was of value and remained true over a changing season. Through a parish-wide listening phase we:

• implemented a process for all voices to be heard

• identified and defined the core values of the faith community

• created a core filter for making decisions together

• trained the leadership on how to use the filter across the organization.

In addition to identifying core values, the strategic visioning process prepared the congregation for a capital campaign as it provided a process for asking what it means to be a good neighbor in their context.

Phase II: feasibility

For some time, members of Good Sam dreamed of engaging in capital improvements. In the spring of 2023, they engaged in a feasibility study to determine the level of support for a proposed campaign. They wanted to move forward with the support of the congregation and, not having done a capital campaign in more than two decades, wanted to make sure they knew the:

• level of awareness of the proposed plans within the parish

• level of support for moving forward with a capital campaign

• level of engagement by the congregation with the projects and their perception of priority

• realistic and feasible goals should a campaign move forward

The results of our feasibility study strongly suggested that Good Sam move forward, and also provided insights into the congregation that would be invaluable to running a healthy capital campaign and to Good Sam's overall strategy for fundraising going forward.

Phase III: solicitation

With the feasibility study as as our infrastructure, we moved into the solicitation phase with confidence. In the fall of 2023, Good Sam launched Assurance of Things Hoped For, a capital campaign with a goal of $1,203,071. Leadership and volunteers invited gifts while also making sure to keep the congregation informed and engaged, and the process transparent.

In January 2024, Good Sam raised $1,305,155. They surpassed the goal the feasibility study pointed us toward, and just as importantly, they strengthened relationships and inspired the congregation to imagine new possibilities for love, active caring, and servanthood. A healthy capital campaign by all of our standards.

First Congregational Church

First Congregational Church: who are they?

First Congregational is a dynamic intergenerational congregation of the United Church of Christ in Appleton, Wisconsin. They’re committed to extravagant welcome, social justice, and transformative service and exploration — not dogma and rules.

They are faithful to scripture and seek to purposefully live the grace of God as witnessed in the life of Jesus Christ.

Strategy + vision

First Congregational Church is engaged in a series of transitions in leadership, in organization, in ministry styles and goals. With robust community assets, they are moving into a model of church that is more community-focused with plans to utilize their property for the needs of the surrounding area.

We worked with leadership to help them articulate their core values and purpose, utilizing this to transform the ways they are organized and engage in relationships. Together, we explored options for property development, and laid the foundation to establish a community hub. To accomplish all of this, we:

• led a retreat for leadership

• conducted interviews

• wrote and hosted a survey and analyzed data

• engaged in congregational change through a month on-site

• led 3 congregational town hall meetings

• conducted interviews of community partners to see how the congregation and its space usage was viewed externally

• analyzed the building and property for more efficient and effective usage

• worked with a potential developer, and analyzed city planning documents to create building strategy

As part of their month on-site at First Congregational Church, Mieke and Dave both preached.

Want to learn more about how we engaged with First Congregational Church in the summer of 2022?

Sycamore Collaborative

Sycamore Collaborative: who are they?

Formerly known as Schenectady Inner City Ministry or SiCM, Sycamore Collaborative is a thriving organization committed to social justice and equity.

They serve Schenectady County through the largest food pantry in the region, 2 acres of community urban farmland, the county-wide Summer Meals program, and a safe space for all.

Phase I: communications audit

Serving Schenectady County in upstate New York, Sycamore Collaborative (formerly Schenectady Inner City Ministries, or SICM) has been a lifeline in a time of increasing food insecurity and an inspiration for community engagement to volunteers and clients alike. Embracing their decision to become intentionally interfaith, we walked alongside the organization to look across all its communications to understand more clearly what they want to say, to whom, when and how. 

In our communications audit, we: 

• reviewed all current communications

• conducted key interviews

• led a retreat among organizational leaders and key staff

• organized and analyzed data

• reviewed staffing capacity

• made recommendations and provided reflective language to move the organization forward

Phase II: strategic plan, renaming + rebranding process

As our communications audit concluded, we entered Phase II. In this iteration of our work, we:

• articulated core values

• created a strategic filter for decision-making

• collaboratively created a far-reaching strategic plan

• created a new visual identity, name, and website

Allies in Arts

Allies in Arts: who are they?

Allies in Arts supports artists who are women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S who face barriers as a direct result of race, gender, sex, and sexual orientation. The mission of this innovative non-profit is to break down those barriers by awarding grants, curating exhibitions and screenings, and connecting artists with the decision-makers who can hire them.

Allies in Arts has been engaged in wildly successful projects like @transanta which provides gifts to trans youth in need, and the Queer Black Futures project.

Coaching: strategy + vision, fundraising

Mieke consulted one-on-one with the Executive Director to help create a solid infrastructure for growth and sustainability. Together, they worked on:

• articulating money narratives

• review of organizational structure with recommendations

• engaging in organizational changes

Synod of Alberta and the Northwest

Synod of Alberta: who are they?

75+ years ago, members of the Presbyterian Synod of Alberta saw the need and recognized the rewards of camping for families.

In our fast-paced society, church camping gives people the opportunity to learn about Jesus Christ in natural surroundings and to develop a sense of worth and to know they are important.

Fundraising, strategy + vision

A Synod in the Presbyterian Church of Canada that covers a wide geographic region, they came to us to assess their needs and priorities, and to suggest a way forward based on this understanding. We conducted a financial and missional audit of two areas of their ministry with recommendations for how to proceed. In our work, we:

• recruited and worked with a core team

• did a comprehensive document review

• conducted interviews throughout the province

• created a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

St. Stephen’s: who are they?

St. Stephen’s was founded in 1822 as a racially integrated congregation that strives to be a “house of prayer for all people” by living into the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. 

In the mid-2000's it became a leader in the diocese as one of the few who welcomed LGBTQIA+ members in the midst of controversy over the ordination of the Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire.

Mindful of their roots, they carry forward this mission of inclusivity and radical welcome in 21st century Charleston and beyond.

Phase I: listening

As St. Stephen's continues to live faithfully into the commandment to love their neighbors as themselves, they've begun to burst at the seams. To support them in understanding how best to accommodate their growth, we engaged in a listening phase in which we asked the congregation critical discernment questions.

After three months of congregational conversations, St. Stephen's successfully articulated how their building and plant allow them to live into their identity of being a house of prayer for all people, and just as importantly, how their building and plant limit them from living into this identity.

Phase II: feasibility

To test the level of support for projects named during the listening phase, we moved into working on a feasibility study with St. Stephen's. We conducted personal interviews as well as a congregation-wide survey, and our analysis of the results — both quantitatively and qualitatively — provided leadership with data to answer these tough questions:

• what projects do you prioritize? what projects are less of a priority? 

• what is the level of support for a capital campaign, both financially and volunteer-wise? 

• what are your opinions about debt?

Arlington Presbyterian Church

Arlington Presbyterian: who are they?

Arlington Presbyterian Church is an open congregation committed to welcome, nurture, and serve all of God’s children; and to live out God’s radical call to love neighbor as you love yourself.

Fundraising + vision

After years of faithful discernment, Arlington Presbyterian was challenged with a new three-pronged vision: to create affordable housing, to be a place of crossroads and connection, and to nurture disciples of Jesus Christ. APC was called to sell its building and land to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) in order to build Gilliam Place, a 173-unit affordable housing apartment community on the site of our previous building on Columbia Pike. This vision was shaped by the stories of their neighbors, in particular their struggle to connect within the community and to find affordable housing in South Arlington. As one church member recalls, “the call to create affordable housing was bigger than the old building itself – so, the walls came down.”

We started working with Arlington Presbyterian in the wake of this major change and identity shift for Arlington Presbyterian Church. In the fall of 2020, we:

• lead a retreat to explore their money story and release anxiety in the system

• write an intensive recap report with extensive recommendations.

• facilitate a strategic thinking process to identify core values

• create a strategic filter rooted in core values for decision making

• work with leadership to develop a MOU with the judicatory body for future money considerations

• engage in ongoing coaching to provide professional support for ongoing culture changes around money.

Currently we are walking alongside them to implement recommendations, including coaching on the budget process, financial policies and procedures, a financial screen and rubric, and writing of a Lenten Bible study with the topic of What does God say about poor people and rich people?

Rev. Ashley Goff joined us for our webinar on strategic filters in 2022. Check it out below!

Arts, Religion, Culture (ARC)

ARC: who are they?

ARC is a collaborative community for those who cultivate embodied and just ways of knowing and being through creative and spiritual practices. It is the result of the 2017 merger of The Society for Arts, Religion, and Contemporary Culture (SARCC) and the Association for Theopoetics Research and Exploration (ATRE).

Fundraising, strategy + vision

Looking to strengthen their partnerships, board leadership, and income streams, ARC worked with our team to increase their giving and position itself for the next phase of organizational life. Together we:

• segmented giving records and created a plan for reaching out to previous donors

• created a concrete timetable that included both major giving and new givers

• developed an infrastructure for inviting and receiving gifts

Center for Earth Ethics

Center for Earth Ethics: who are they?

The Center for Earth Ethics envisions a world where value is measured according to the sustained well-being of all people and our planet.

They work to cultivate the public consciousness needed to make changes in policy and culture that will establish a new value system that is based on this vision of the world.

We worked with the Center to more clearly frame the way it does its work, its areas of focus, and the many areas where it is having an impact—from their work with indigenous communities to amplify the wisdom needed to care for the earth to policy development through the UN and other government agencies to curriculum, education and training for a more informed, better equipped presence on the forefront of climate change solutions.

By placing the ethical imperative for earth care at the center of the conversation, the Center for Earth Ethics provides the compelling why for this vital work while exploring the what, where and how that brings it to life.

Christ Episcopal Church

Christ Church: who are they?

The mission of Christ Episcopal Church, New Bern, NC, is to welcome and inspire all people to faith, hope and spiritual growth through worship, Christian fellowship, and service to one another and to the community beyond.

Phase I: feasibility

Christ Church came to us with meaty goals for a capital campaign, but with the need to test out those goals through a feasibility study. We led the congregation through the study by writing and developing case materials, interviewing prospective donors, and facilitating an online survey. We were pleased to find feasibility and are have now completed the implementation of their capital campaign.

“We chose Vandersall Collective because they care as much about the life and future of the whole parish as they do about the campaign they are assisting with. This challenges us to look beyond where we are and see where we can be, both financially and spiritually.”

— The Rev. Paul Canady

Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis: who are they?

The Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis is called by Christ to welcome and witness in Central and Southern Indiana.

Grounded in God’s love in Christ, the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis and its people serve as beacons of Christ in central and southern Indiana and beyond, offer a generous invitation and welcome, stand with the vulnerable and marginalized to transform systems of injustice, connect with other Episcopalians, ecumenical and interfaith partners, and advocacy groups, and develop clergy and laity to lead the church of today and tomorrow.

Communications, identity, strategy + vision

We worked with the diocese to lead a restructuring retreat for their Executive Council, as well as implementing their vision for the future through design work.

First Presbyterian Church

Echoing Jesus and his disciples, First Presbyterian Church, Rahway, NJ gathers to worship and joins in fellowship. creating community for all who come. This strengthens us to go out into the world to minister to the vulnerable. Emboldened by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we work and pray for a world where all people can live in peace.

We were asked to lead First Church through a process of education and discernment to untangle their complex relationship with money. Through multiple retreats, homework and coaching, we were able to explore money narratives, both personally as well as congregationally, and then provide the Session with a detailed report of our process with concrete recommendations for their future leadership.

Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion: who are they?

Holy Communion in University City, MO is a welcoming and diverse community seeking to walk in the way of Jesus and to reveal Christ’s reconciling love in their city, nation, and world.

Feasibility

To prepare to do a feasibility study for Holy Communion, we developed case materials and through this process, helped define the goals of the campaign.

Then, alongside leadership and volunteers, we conducted interviews and facilitated the process for a congregational-wide survey. Once we found that there was feasibility for the campaign, we successfully led the congregation through their capital campaign, exceeding their goal!

Knox Presbyterian Church

Knox Presbyterian Church: who are they?

Knox is a Presbyterian Church that congregates on Sunday mornings to explore and discuss Christian faith.

They believe in social justice, community, and compassion. Their doors are open to everyone. Knox is a place of sanctuary; where you are embraced for being your authentic self.

Knox Presbyterian is an inclusive Christian atmosphere for spiritual nourishment and caring fellowship. Together with Parish Properties, through a series of interviews and retreats, we created a report with recommendations to help them discover how to become a sustainable community hub. We then worked to create and implement a season of fundraising plans.

Metro New York Synod (ELCA)

The Metro New York Synod came to us with a few short months to spare before their Reformation 500 Service at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. They needed a skilled event planner who could quickly onramp their work as they knew time was running out. In addition to needing help, the scope of the event kept growing!

The event grew from an expected audience of a few hundred to over 1,000. This included ecumenical guests from throughout the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition. In addition, liturgical planning was needed with two choirs, three ensembles, and dozens more liturgical participants. We coordinated countless details and subcontractors to provide a seamless experience for the guests who came and allowed the liturgy to shine through. A powerful event moving forward the ecumenical community committed to unity in Christ, we were proud to have played a part in creating this memorable night of a lifetime.

Music that Makes Community

A non-profit organization working with ecumenical communities and leaders, MMC empowers and liberates communities’ spiritual life through singing.

Case Study

When Paul Vasile took the reins as Executive Director, Music That Makes Community needed to raise funds urgently and quickly. A small, but engaged and energetic Board, took up the challenge to envision with Vandersall Collective how to bring the organizational skills and larger vision of their Executive Director to life in vibrant new ways.

1. How do we tell our story in a way that will foster active participation and financial engagement?

2. What are our priorities as an organization?

3. What are the new horizons we can explore as we invite people to support us?

VEHICLES FOR CHANGE

Fundraising—A customized fundraising initiative that incorporated the small pool of major donors and the wide-ranging group of individuals and organizations that had experienced the power of the ministry of Music That Makes Community over the years.

NEW DIRECTIONS

Collateral Materials—A fresh new face for a new era in the life of MMC, communicated in clean, bright, high contrast visuals, and accessible words to reflect an organization that is all about human connection

Board Member Training—Working with Board members in the basic mechanics of donor cultivation and funding requests, Vandersall Collective planted seeds that would outlive our hands on engagement

Donor Strategy—Creating a tracking system, tailored to the donor base, needs, and vision of the organization, along with communication and note-taking features to support tracking and maintaining relationships

Major Donor Campaign—Vandersall Collective then conceptualized, wrote, designed and launched a fall campaign, telling the story of the organization through the testimonies of those who had received MMC’s services and requesting support. We seized this opportunity to increase the grassroots supporters and also to increase the number of larger donors as well as opening the way for multiple conversations with prospective board members.

Grass Roots Cultivation—By connecting with those who had received MMC’s services, we not only gleaned beautiful stories, we helped to build another, broad-based constituency of individual giving and engagement for the future vision.

ON THE HORIZON

Having exceeded fundraising goals and met our quick timeline, we continue to work toward a bright and creative new era of transformation and community through music.

“On our own, we would not be able to navigate these waters. We’re grateful for the partnership we feel with Mieke and her team.”

— The Rev. Donald Schell, Board President

Nevelson Chapel

Nevelson Chapel is the only remaining, permanent, fully intact sculptural environment by Louise Nevelson. Nine wall-mounted sculptures, a tranquil white-on-white presentation accented with gold-leaf and enhanced by the play of shadow and light from a single window, the Chapel is an incomparable example of this 20th-century art form which is intended to involve or encompass visitors. Nevelson was instrumental in the conception and introduction of the form, which “sought to break down the historical dichotomy between life and art.”

Vandersall Collective has served in many forms as we work together to restore and renew the Chapel. We are integrated into all aspects of the Chapel life. Together we manage all events and communications, including the case materials, social media, eblasts and the website, and serve as the primary fundraising council. In addition to advising the Chapel project, we have created systems and structures for fundraising administration, and are deeply embedded in the enactment of them running smoothly. We continue to implement communication strategies through the curation of their Instagram account.

“Our campaign isn't simply raising money. We are building relationships, recalibrating our culture and renewing our mission. Mieke and her team are integrated into every aspect with competency, dedication and heart.”

— The Rev. Jared Stahler, Nevelson Chapel

Not So Churchy

Not So Churchy is a place of healing and hope, where queerness and curiosity expand the spiritual journey beyond boxes and binaries. This eclectic community also happens to have been started by Mieke, and is where she currently serves. We engage as their regular designer, including the beautification of annual reports and the website that serves as a spiritual home for this geographically diverse community.

Presbytery of Baltimore

We are delighted to have joined the Presbytery of Baltimore as part of the Thriving Congregations initiative. In partnership with Parish Properties, we led "Reimagining Church: From Buildings to Community—Weaving a fabric of love and care in the neighborhood," with representatives of local congregations who are asking, "How can we be the church in these unsteady and quickly changing times?"

Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM)

All people and all societies need wise spiritual leadership to inspire, inform and renew our lives. The Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM) guarantees the identification and education of outstanding faith leaders whose public imagination and witness matter in our world. SIM is expanding scholarships to increase the positive impact of faith leadership on our common life.

SIM, having served the Episcopal Church since 1857, found themselves at another crossroad with a renewed desire to influence theological education and church leadership for the 21st century. We began our work with SIM through leading the board on a retreat to explore strategic direction, and then then continued our work together through their year-end fundraising efforts, and the creation of a strategic plan and development plan. We continue to provide support through year-end fundraising campaigns.

Sunnyside

Sunnyside is a United Methodist space in Portland, OR which has not had a faith community present for years. Working with a gifted church planter who is currently using the space, and who has been empowered to work out a plan for the transformation and upkeep of the space, we partnered with Parish Properties to refine their mission and vision, strengthen community partnerships and explore potential development of the building.

Synod of the Northeast

The General Assembly of the PCUSA asked synods around the country to answer the question of why they should exist. We worked with Synod of the Northeast to come up with their response.

---

“We are glad to be working again with Vandersall Collective on branding our biennial worship, learning and fellowship gathering. Working with Vandersall Collective is accessing creativity, diligence, and passion commitment to radical welcome and pursuit of justice.”

— The Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañón-Santos, Synod of the Northeast

Several years ago, the Synod of the Northeast of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was responding to a mandate from its national body to examine its effectiveness and purpose. While being open to complete disbandedment, they learned that they have particular gifts to share, and that the diversity of the gathered community was too important to lose. To emphasize the gifts of this gathered body, they worked to refocus their energies, flipping the balance so that gathering received more emphasis than governing, allowing the gathering time to be filled with energy and the governing time to be filled with purpose.

In three key areas, we have been honored to work with the Synod to help implement its new strategic vision.

COMMUNICATION

We created and implemented a cohesive and cross-platform communication plan in consultation with the Synod, and as a result of a communications audit. The website was used as a community hub where information was shared clearly and effectively. A video was created to communicate the personalities and the impact the Synod is having on the life of its constituents. An eblast schedule and template (both visual and content) was created to further tell those stories, driving traffic back to the website. Finally, we created special branding for their two biennial conferences, known as Come to the Table. 

To effectively communicate their vision, and the new ways of engagement that come out of that vision, their website needed to become a vital location centralizing communication and provide opportunity for community-building. After completing a communications audit and report, we took their existing logo and vision, flushed out a verbal and visual brand identity, and created a new, easy to update website.

To communicate with their constituency in between events, as well as to communicate the weight and importance of their work with current and potential donors, we created a robust package of print materials. Their Robert L. Washington Scholars & Fellows program was established to provide leadership opportunities for young and/or people of color, and we also created a gorgeous and hefty annual report.

The Synod also needed a way to personally and persuasively communicate their vision and warmth to the people in their large geographic area without physically having to be present. Our creative team reflected their story back through a short video. Working with a team from the Synod we wrote a script, gathered leaders from throughout the Synod together for a day-long shoot, and then edited together a video currently used in their local communities, and at fundraising events.

Stories of hope and innovation that exemplified the Synod’s deepened purposed needed to be shared persuasively and effectively. We created a communication schedule and guidelines, integrating the website, social media and new eblast templates to reflect the new brand identity. We also worked with the staff to train them to take their design templates and do it on their own.

Finally, as the Synod's focus shifted to gathering, the first non-governing event was a major undertaking. Our services were contracted to help the planning team create and execute a hospitable, organized experience for their guests. We took the branding platform and guidelines and implemented them through the creation of a registration process and conference booklet. We also worked with the worship team to align our worship time with the new vision of the Synod. Mieke Vandersall, Derrick McQueen, Paul Vasile, and Larissa Kwong-Abazia of the Vandersall Collective were instrumental in making this event a success. 

GRANT-MAKING

In their process of re-visioning, the Synod reallocated significant funding to support innovative ministry within their geographical bounds. When we began our work with the Synod they asked for help in reconstructing their grant applications, application process, and review process. Using best practices, putting more trust in the applicants, and encouraging them to explain their needs in their own words, we first wrote a report after speaking with various past grantees with recommendations for change and then worked with the Mission and Ministry Commission (their Board-equivalent) to refresh their process and encourage a more mutual relationship between the applicants and their Synod. The stories of the applicants were also the basis of our communication strategy.

FUNDRAISING

With so many new people, congregations and organizations seeking funding from the Synod, and the heightened communication about the granting opportunities, the generous funding set aside in the Synod’s budget was being spent faster than ever before. In order to understand how best to raise funds, we completed a development audit, and then began a robust major-donor program, integrating the opportunity for giving on the website, organizing multiple cultivation events throughout the northeast, and launching the Synod's inaugural year-end campaign highlighting the impact of the grants made to innovative ministries.

Kaleidoscapes

The Kaleidoscapes is an eco-theatre company dedicated to performing accessible storytelling and facilitating experiential learning in nontraditional spaces with those most affected by the climate crisis. We worked with them to create systems of organization. Through our process we helped them come to the decisions that the right choice was closing shop, and led them through a healthy process to do so.

Trinity Episcopal Church

A small but thriving parish in urban St. Louis, this congregation bridges long-held divides in the city. Committed to Anglo-Catholic worship and social justice, they sought to both align their money narratives with their core values and increase giving. We worked with the leadership to articulate those core values, translated them into a strategic filter, conducted a development audit, taught leadership how to utilize giving data, and coached them through their 2021 annual giving campaign.

West End Church

Phase I: communications audit

West End Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is a community with deep roots, curious spirits, and hearts set on God’s way of justice and peace. They want their neighbors, and the whole world, to know what they're up to, why it matters, and how to be involved, especially in this time when connection and community are so vitally important. 

After leading a robust communications audit including a strategic retreat, series of interviews and a survey, we created a framework authentic to them through which to view their communication strategy. We then rebranded West End Church through a new logo and communication system, and built and launched their new website. We continue to provide on-going communications support as they live into their new look and articulated identity.

Phase II: fundraising

Alongside our on-going communications support, we work with West End to develop annual campaigns that reflect their culture, identity, theology of giving, and goals. Our work together has included:

• creating opportunities for leaders to reflect on money narratives

• creating and implementing segmentation of giving data to consider appropriate strategies

• increasing volunteerism through training, ongoing coaching, and celebration

• developing compelling communication pieces for multiples audiences and special occasions

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a congregation in West Hartford, CT that found itself at a crossroads. They needed help exploring what worship means to them, as well as exploration of staffing models. We worked with them by providing a congregational assessment tool, and then using that as well as a staffing audit and worship audit to provide recommendations for their life moving forward. We then coached the pastor in implementing our recommendations.

Case Study

A traditional church must find a path between the comforts of tradition and the challenges of deeper engagement in spiritual growth and community life.

1. Who are we as a congregation?

2. How do we relate to our community?

3. How do we re-invigorate a once glorious music program?

4. How do we attract people to worship?

5. Do we have the right structure to support our work and worship?

6. How do we stay relevant and serve God fully?

VEHICLES FOR CHANGE

Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT)—Surveying beliefs and priorities, rather than likes and preferences, the CAT reveals aspects of congregational identity that lay the foundation for meaningful, sustainable growth and change.

Staff Audit—Focusing on the needs of the congregation and its larger context, staffing is aligned and re-framed in life-giving ways that reflect the true priorities of the church’s mission and vision. No more structure for structure’s sake.

Worship and Music Audit and Modeling—Coming out of the choir loft and revisiting the relationships among the elements and entry points that deepen and expand opportunities for worship, the audit, along with coaching and guidance, breathes new life into the center of congregational experience. 

NEW DIRECTIONS

Congregational self-understanding leads to new ways of being that are authentic and full of possibility.

Staffing that reflects the life and mission of the church, rather than serving a structure that no longer fits, frees church leadership to be more creative and engaged.

Breaking a mold of passive and performative traditions, worship and music is integrated with congregational and community life, taking full advantage of space and time, infusing life and opening toward the movement of the Spirit

ON THE HORIZON

Outward facing priorities that look beyond whether we’re keeping the congregation happy.

Intergenerational spiritual engagement and integration with day-to-day life.

Diversity and creativity in music, art, use of space, conversation, and worship patterns.