What is the Annual Appeal?
The Annual Appeal is the campaign Hancock conducts every fall to solicit giving commitments for the
coming calendar year. The 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 commit 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. From these commitments, we can estimate our anticipated annual
income and construct a thoughtful budget for the coming year.
When should I pledge? How do I pledge?
We ask you to pledge as soon as you are ready, and no later than November 22. You can pledge either by
filling out and returning the enclosed pledge card or by going to the church website
(www.hancockchurch.org) and choosing “Make a Pledge” in the dropdown menu under “Giving.”
What if I can’t fulfill my pledge, or 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 Hancock in support of the good it accomplishes for you, your
family, our church community, and the many others we help.
To give you some context for your decision: of the 102 pledges we received for 2026, 14 were under $1,000.
Another 16 were $10,000 or more. The average pledge was $6,100, and the median $3,550.
Does Hancock have any other sources of income besides donations?
As a congregational church, we depend entirely on our community for our income. Unlike many other
churches, we do not receive support from a broader denomination. We do receive some income from
building rentals and from endowments and special gifts. However, the large majority of Hancock’s 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, IRA’s, property, and other assets. See our website (hancockchurch.org) for details. Your gifts
may entitle you to state and/or federal tax benefits. For tax purposes, Hancock qualifies as a 501(c)(3) tax-
exempt organization entitling donors to the maximum deduction allowed under the law.
Who knows how much I pledge?
Hancock Church respects and values the confidential nature of your pledging decisions. Only three people
have access to the records of individual pledges: our Senior Minister, Director of Operations, and
Treasurer. The Giving Committee has access to pledge numbers and the names of those who have
pledged, but not the amounts individuals have pledged. 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 are required to return all such information to the church when leaving the
committee.