With more and more churches across the country examining the possibility of putting in a Columbarium Program into their organization because of the demand of some members of the organization who are asking for cremation memorialization on their campus; the question sometimes comes up: “How do we pay for it?” “How do we raise the funds for the program?” “Our church is rather small but yet we have a need for a columbarium program, how do we raise the money to pay for it?” “One of our members who had a cremation in the family has come forward and asked if we could have a Columbarium Program at our church.” These and many other comments are being heard and discussed around the country as the choice for cremation rate is increasing exponentially.
A committee needs to be selected and “charged” with the responsibility of putting together a Columbarium Program. They will interview several companies and will select a company to work with who will partner with them and help them develop a plan and a program for success. The committee will work with the Columbarium Company on the design, cost, material selection and optional memorial products that will be incorporated into the final design. Once these steps are completed, the steps for fund raising can now begin.
Roundtable meetings and seminars to inform, educate, and respond to the comments and questions from the congregation need to be planned. These meetings will generate excitement and inform each and every member of the church. The meetings and seminars need to be conducted by and with the Columbarium Company selected for the Columbarium Program as they can reply and respond with exact facts and they bring in the product knowledge needed.
At the conclusion of each meeting or seminar, “reservations” are made, and an initial deposit for the purchase price is given . . . the process begins. In the reservation document, the additional payments are outlined and all of the details are listed and recorded in the document. This method of raising the funds for the construction of the Columbarium Program is the most used and the most successful way to generate the funding. The process is detailed and it does require sound business practices to insure success. The Columbarium Partner selected for the design and the construction of your program should provide your organization with a business plan that outlines and defines the steps in the fund raising process.
Follow the steps outlined, insure good record keeping and tracking of data, inform and educate the congregation as the program evolves into the future. Your Columbarium Company will work with you to develop brochures or literature that will inform and educate your congregation on the benefits of making the reservation for the Columbarium project.
The fund raising process is a step-by-step plan, that when properly executed will lead to a Successful Columbarium Program. Your Columbarium Partner can, and should, be your best resource for putting the plan in place.
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