Fundraising Strategy

James Elrod brings wisdom, insight, commitment, and energy to his practices, pursuits, and life. 

 

I have had the privilege of working with him in a variety of settings, primarily as the Rector of Christ Church Greenwich (Connecticut) but also in realms of learning and reflection via Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes. 

 

James served as a significant leader at Christ Church Greenwich helping to shape the mission and strategy of a large and complex congregation and focusing on vitality and sustainability for this community of faith. 

 

He chaired the largest capital campaign in the history of the congregation and worked to develop a sustainability plan that included congregational giving AND other creative means of income generation.  Jim and I have a mutually aligned philosophy that generosity, prudence, and vision can be nurtured in congregational life and leaders.

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James Elrod’s approach to his work reflects his considerable experience and competence.  A leader in business, he brings an analytic eye to the realities of congregational life and is honest and direct about opportunities and challenges. 

 

His intellectual strengths position him as a constant learner, and a very good teacher too, through research and education relating to the topics he pursues. 

 

He communicates clearly in writing and teaching providing learning, frameworks, and useful information that makes a real difference to congregations and their leaders.  As a leader he has met the difficulties and the possibilities of organizations as they seek to thrive. 

 

Jim is a person of faith who believes that trust and hope empower peoples and communities to move forward in vocation and mission.

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Transformation is a key word and concept in Jim’s practice and leadership.  He seeks to assist leaders, congregations, and other organizations in their transformation to become stronger and more vital. 

 

I certainly experienced Jim’s commitment to this at Christ Church Greenwich and in the pursuit of learning and teaching for the transformation of communities and leaders.  In the leadership and capital fundraising which we encouraged and accomplished at Christ Church, we were careful and used best practices to invite support from congregants and others, but the experience went further than that. 

 

The goal was to transform a congregation in its mission and service.  It was to transform people and systems through generosity, wise planning, and deeper commitment.  James and I shared this passion in a Greenwich congregation but also much more broadly through learning institutions, writing, and consultation. 

 

The church and its leaders are better off through James Elrod’s contributions.

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- The Rev’d Dr. James B. Lemler, President, The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation