When John Crowe arrived as Rector of Dorchester Abbey back in 1987, he had little idea that he would find himself at the head of one of the largest fundraising projects for an individual church in the Diocese. Some 17 years on, he has raised £3.6 million with donations from the likes of Sir Paul Getty. Rebecca Paveley asked him, is fundraising now a crucial part of ministry?
In the commercial world, fundraising is highly valued and well paid job. In the Church it seems it is just one of the many skills now required of new incumbents.
When John Crowe first came to Dorchester, he knew some work was needed on the Abbey but he had little idea of the enormity of the project he was taking on. His only fundraising experience in previous parishes had been raising money for overseas aid. ‘I knew, of course, that buildings like this always needed work, but didn't imagine how much.’ His first task was to try and save the guesthouse, which is now used for conferences, receptions and quiet days, as well as housing the ever popular tearooms.
He went to see someone in the village who had experience in public relations and he produced a brochure on the project.
John says: ‘I knew we had to find a way of selling this as a project to people. I sent out this brochure and the £200,000 we needed came in, slowly. We had half of that in one lump sum from the late Sir Nigel Broakes, who gave the money in memory of his mother.
Shortly after that, in the early 90s, we had to have another appeal to do work on the East End of the Abbey.’
It was when John was away on holiday, and a priest came in to help, that the true scale of the work needed began to dawn on the congregation.
‘We had an American priest who came to help out here and he was very enthused about the Abbey. He told us we should sit down and think hard about the abbey's future, and that we needed to raise 4 or 5 million to do the work needed.
‘Well, we thought that was a pipe dream. We knew we had to raise money for a proper heating system but we thought all the work we needed to do was raise £2.4 million.
‘But it was his words that started us off. My aim was to make the building useable for the Diocese, for ecumenical worship and for charity use and as a focal point for tourists and visitors and to show that the church is alive and not just an ‘old building’ there in the corner of the village.’
John drew together a committee of people from the village who had skills in project management and contacts among people who could be persuaded to donate.
Among those contacts was the late Sir Paul Getty, who gave £500,000.
‘Members of the committee have been so successful partly because through their social connections they have had access to the sort of people in the Thames Valley who are able to give money. Lots of villages don't have that.’
Other large gifts from individuals – up to £1 million - have rolled in, from ‘people who like to keep quiet about their giving’, says John. And a large amount, in smaller sums, has come from villagers themselves.
For a man who never planned to head up a massive fundraising operation, John has ‘enjoyed the buzz’ he says, though he admits he can never remember the amounts that people donate and has to hunt through reams of paperwork to check the size of the Getty donation.
But he admits too that the work has consumed a large part of his time in Dorchester and has been a hard slog at times.
‘It did take up a lot of my time. The only way that I am easy in my conscience about it is that I have always regarded fundraising for a church like this as not being the main task for the congregation, their task is to practice Christian stewardship. That is what we have always done here.’
His retirement now leaves the job three quarter done but nevertheless, it is still time to go, he says. His successor now needs to raise up to £1.5 million to achieve the fulfilment of John's– and the village’s – vision. Whoever succeeds him will, he says, ‘have it made clear to them that fundraising is part of the job description now!’
He is satisfied with his achievements. ‘We haven't tampered with the Abbey's essential beauty, that shines throughout. It remains a wonderful place, but hopefully now a slightly warmer and more welcoming one.’
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