RICHMOND — The Religious Herald’s board of trustees adopted a comprehensive fundraising proposal Nov. 30, giving their approval to a plan developed over several months by a fundraising and management consultancy.
During its fall meeting, the 24-member board also adopted a budget for 2013, elected officers and new trustees, and continued its exploration of additional collaboration with long-time partner Associated Baptist Press.
George Brakeley III, executive chair of Brakeley Briscoe, told Herald trustees the fundraising plan calls for, among other things, the development of an annual fund and creation of a major gifts task force. Herald executive editor Jim White is assigned the primary task of coordinating fundraising efforts.
The fundraising strategy, which was initiated last summer, was adopted about a month after one of the Herald’s major donors — the Baptist General Association of Virginia — reduced its annual contribution by about $100,000.
To fund operations in 2013, trustees approved a $585,000 budget, a 12 percent increase over this year’s $520,465 budget.
Tony Neal
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Tony Neal, pastor of Walnut Hills Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Va., was elected the board’s president for the coming year.
Also elected were new trustees Don Davidson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va.; Bill Hardison, interim pastor of Westhampton Baptist Church in Richmond; and Craig Martin, a media specialist with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board and a member of River Road Church, Baptist, in Richmond. Trustees elected to second terms are Richard Childress, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Raleigh; Bob Dale, a Richmond leader coach and retired seminary professor, and member of New Community Baptist Church in Richmond; and June Ray, an administrative assistant and member of First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va.
Closer collaboration with Associated Baptist Press — for 20 years one of the Herald’s key partners — also was on the trustees’ agenda. An ad hoc committee of the board will explore ways to enhance the partnership.
Trustees also discussed the future of the Herald’s print edition; a developing plan to encourage memberships as well as subscriptions; and the continuing regionalization of the Herald’s coverage in the Mid-Atlantic region, which it defines as Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Robert Dilday ([email protected]) is managing editor of the Religious Herald.