What is the Annual Appeal?
The Annual Appeal is the campaign Hancock conducts every fall to solicit giving commitments for the coming calendar year. It is separate from the current Capital Campaign, which is funding capital improvements to the church. The Annual Appeal funds Hancock’s everyday expenses: staff salaries, building maintenance, electricity, printing, etc.
What is a pledge, and why am I being asked?
A pledge is your estimate of what you or your family plan to give to Hancock in the coming calendar year. We ask every member of our Hancock community to pledge – it reflects our mutual covenant to build a strong, vital church together, and it’s how, as a community, we estimate our anticipated annual income and thereby construct a thoughtful budget for the coming year.
When should I pledge? How do I pledge?
This year we are asking everyone to pledge as soon as they are ready, and no later than November 3. We encourage you to attend one of the small groups being offered to learn about the church’s finances and our hopes and aspirations for the coming year, to give you context for your decision.
You can pledge either by clicking here to go to the online commitment form, or by filling out and returning the pledge card you should have received in the mail.
What if I can’t fulfill my pledge, or I need to change it?
Life holds surprises for all of us. Your pledge is just your current good faith estimate and is not legally binding. If you find it necessary to change your pledge during the year, just notify Suzie Barry, our Director of Operations, at suzie@hancockchurch.org or 781-862-4220.
How much am I being asked to consider? What do others pledge?
Pledges of all sizes are welcome. Only you can decide what’s appropriate for your family. We don’t want you to pledge more than you can afford or feel good about. We do ask that you prayerfully consider what you can do to help sustain this church and community for all the good it accomplishes for you, your family, our church community, and others we help.
Among the 105 pledges we received for 2024, we had 16 under $1,000 and 15 that were $10,000 or more. The average pledge was $5,570, and the median $3,000.
Does Hancock have any other sources of income besides donations?
As a congregational church, we are entirely dependent on ourselves for our income; we do not receive any support from the denomination. We receive some income from building rentals and from endowment and special gifts made previously, but the large majority of our annual income, and therefore what we can accomplish together, is provided by the Annual Appeal.
How do I fulfill my pledge? What are the options for giving to Hancock?
There are many ways to fulfill your pledge, from gifts by cash, check, bank transfer, or credit card, to gifts of stocks, IRAs, property, and other assets. Your gifts may entitle you to state and/or federal tax benefits.
Who knows how much I pledge?
Only two people have access to the records of individual pledges: our Senior Minister, Barbara Callaghan, and our Director of Operations, Suzie Barry.
The Giving Committee learns who has pledged and what quintile your last year’s pledge falls into, which they use to help personalize the appeal. Members of the Giving Committee have signed confidentiality agreements that prohibit them from sharing this information with anyone not otherwise authorized by the church, and they are required to return all such information to the church when leaving the committee.