In June 2002, staff members of The LCMS Foundation began making gifts on the Giving Catalog, before anyone else knew it was there. They were a "voluntary" test group, begged into service by the urging of the webmaster.
With the exception of a few quirks and hangups that were quickly corrected, the tests went well. In gifts ranging from $10 to $100, Foundation employees gave $895 to a wide variety of ministries. These gifts were not processed until July...the first month of a new budget year. Processing the gifts provided another challenge to be worked out.
In July, World Mission staff members were informed about the existence of the Catalog. One not only took a look, but also made a gift, as did two more Foundation staff members. July's total was $320.
In August, the Catalog "went public." In practical fact, only the Foundation Web site and a few of the ministries mentioned it. Nevertheless $2,200 was donated.
Activity stayed around four or five gifts per month until December. Perhaps as a result of the article and add in the Lutheran Witness and the giving spirit of Christmas, activity jumped significantly. Nearly 1,900 new visitors came to the Catalog site, most of them apparently just curious, but 35 of them made gifts that totaled $45,635.
From January 1 to May 29, 2003, 65 donors used the site to make their gifts. Gifts ranged in amount from $5 to $25,000. In all, since its quiet beginning, 144 people gave $64,376.00 to LCMS ministries using the Giving Catalog.
Have you made an online gift to support the mission and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ? Go to the Giving Catalog at http://catalog.lcms.org, right now and give to help your favorite LCMS ministry.