Cathedral Calendar
Your Pledge Matters
Grace Cathedral touches the lives of tens of thousands of people every year, every day of the year. Because of people like you, the cathedral’s powerful legacy continues.
Your written stewardship pledge enables the cathedral to minister to the needs of all who come through our doors, pay clergy and staff, celebrate with worship and music, and engage the wider community through formation, education and service. Your pledge also empowers the leadership of the cathedral to plan wisely for the short and longer term, and to know the amount of predictable funds available to maintain a responsible budget and plan for strategic growth.
Thank you for the goodwill, support, and encouragement you invest.
To make a 2013 pledge to Grace Cathedral, please click here to download the pledge card mail it to the cathedral, to the attention of the Rev. Jude Harmon (1100 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94118). Contact the Rev. Jude Harmon at (415) 749-6314 or judeh@gracecathedral.org with further questions.
To download the complete 2013 Stewardship brochure, please click here.
For answers to frequently asked questions, please click here, or simply scroll down this page.
"What Grace Means To Me"
Please watch the 2013 stewardship campaign video to see congregants describe what Grace Cathedral means to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a financial pledge to Grace Cathedral?
A written financial pledge is a statement of intention, indicating the gift you plan to dedicate to further the growth of Grace Cathedral’s mission, ministry, legacy and reach.
Why do you ask for a written pledge?
Your written pledge empowers the leadership of the cathedral to make financial decisions based on predictable revenue. This is valued and appreciated in drafting strategic and responsible budgets, and in planning appropriately for staffing and programming. Your pledged giving provides a stable base to support the cathedral’s life, planning and service.
How is my pledge used?
Your pledge is directed to the operating budget of the cathedral. It enables the cathedral to stay open to minister to the needs of all who come through our doors, serving the diocese, the Bay Area and the global community every day of the year.
How much do I decide to pledge?
The first step is to ask God in prayer: How much am I being called to give? How am I being asked to respond to God’s call to discipleship? Giving is a spiritual practice. Many pledgers begin with an estimated percentage of their incomes, which seems significant and responsible for the year, and later embark upon the spiritual discipline of gradually increasing that percentage over time. The biblical standard for giving back to God is ten percent of “first fruits,” or ten percent of your expected assets for the year.
Is that pre-tax or post-tax income?
It’s your decision of how much to pledge, and the cathedral is deeply appreciative that you pledge. The entire congregation is invited to participate. Grace Cathedral is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Does Grace Cathedral have other sources of income in addition to stewardship?
Currently only about one quarter of the cathedral’s annual costs are covered by stewardship. Much of the remainder comes from less predictable income – money from the offertory plates, visitors’ boxes, space rental income, concerts, Carnivale (the cathedral’s annual gala), bequests and other gifts. The cathedral has a small reserve, with a vision of growing that reserve for perpetuity, rather than drawing from it annually. Grace Cathedral relies on the generosity and commitment of its consistent donors, including the hundreds of families who give annually to stewardship.
How do I make my pledge?
The cathedral only needs some written communication that you are making a pledge, with the total amount that you plan to give for the calendar year 2013. You may give your completed pledge card in the offering plate at any worship service, mail it to Grace Cathedral or drop it off at the cathedral offices. You may pay by check, credit card or with securities.
Is all the money I give to the church considered payment on my pledge?
While gifts for altar flowers, special holidays, concerts and events are important to the cathedral and truly appreciated, they are not credited toward your written pledge.
How will I know my pledge was received?
We will send you a letter acknowledging your pledge shortly after we receive it. Though we do not acknowledge every pledge payment, we will send you a pledging statement twice a year, so that you are informed about your pledge payments relative to your pledge.
May I fulfill my pledge with funds from a donor advised fund?
Because you recommend rather than direct a gift from your donor advised fund, you may not satisfy a legally enforceable pledge through your donor advised fund. A legally enforceable pledge is generally a commitment of a gift in writing, and could be acquired by an institution through legal arbitration. Although Grace Cathedral does not typically use the legal system to acquire pledge payments, stewardship pledges are technically enforceable.
However, with careful language, a donor may “pledge to recommend” a specific payment for a pledge to stewardship, as it is an undesignated gift to operations. Please consult your fund administrator for more details.