The Need

St. Margaret’s is our spiritual home. We love this place and all the people who worship here. Our predecessors gave us a beautiful campus and we are grateful. Now we need to restore it and create a healthy Endowment Fund to maintain this precious space. Our vision is to preserve St. Margaret’s for the next sixty years and beyond; a healthy Endowment Fund is essential to this vision.

We are so grateful for those who support our church through their annual giving. The preservation of our campus now requires resources beyond our pledges and weekly donations. With a well-funded Endowment, increased use of our campus for rental income, and our capital improvements completed, our faith community can truly look forward to a secure future in this our glorious church home. And, more, we will increase our ability in manifold ways to walk the way of Jesus in our valley community.

OUR HERITAGE
Originally founded in April 1964, St. Margaret’s early beginnings took place at a local cafe where the first Eucharist service was held. The founders secured permission from the Diocese of Los Angeles to build our first church building in Palm Desert in the early 1970s. The Firestone family was instrumental in helping to fund the construction of our first sanctuary in what is now Karns Hall. Our current sanctuary was built in the 1980s thanks to major donors, including the Nordstrom family. Lee and Lucy Karns donated funds to renovate the hall as well as the original rectory, now the administration building. The new sanctuary was informally called the “church on the hill”, intended to be a beacon of light for the surrounding communities. The design was based on a modern cathedral style with two transepts, cathedral ceilings and lots of glass to capture the view and let in the desert sunlight.

Since its construction, St. Margaret’s has added the Quimby Organ in 1997 and has made environmentally sound changes in solar energy, landscaping, a community garden and a composting system. The organ necessitated installation of a then new energy-efficient HVAC unit to regulate temperature in the sanctuary. In recent years we have implemented a recycling program and added some security measures to the administration building and parking lot.

WHERE WE ARE NOW
Our campus has not been significantly updated since it was built. Unlike other churches our size, we have been solely financially dependent on annual pledges; and our annual budget barely breaks even each year. A larger Endowment will allow us to enhance our budget each year as well as fund more ministry in the community. In order to ensure our future sustainability we urgently need to do three things: 1) Grow our Endowment Fund to a level necessary to help pay our expenses; 2) Update and enhance our campus facilities so they are safer and more attractive to our church members, visitors and potential renters; and, 3) Increase our ability to do God’s work in our valley community.

WHAT WE WILL ACCOMPLISH
With God’s help, our plan is to put
St. Margaret’s on solid financial ground by adding reliable income streams to augment annual pledges, including a sizeable Endowment Fund. Our plan includes restoration and upgrading of our campus buildings to enhance our message of welcome and to increase income through space rental. Our plan includes expanding community ministry in our valley.

BUILDING OUR ENDOWMENT
$2,750,000+

A significantly larger Endowment will help secure St. Margaret’s future; we have only a quarter million dollars in the Endowment presently. Along with annual pledges, a well-funded Endowment will allow us to meet our annual expenses, allow for ongoing maintenance and capital improvements, and grow our ministry.

The principal of the Endowment Fund cannot be spent, only the earnings generated from investing the principal. Making a gift to the Endowment Fund is indeed adding a needed brick to strengthen our financial foundation.

Our annual operating budget is about $1.4 million. Our Endowment Fund is too small to enable the ongoing capital improvements and maintenance that our buildings and grounds need to be open, welcoming and safe. Further, our community ministry goals cannot be reached without additional income beyond pledges. (Our Strategic Plan calls for regular and significant activities to benefit our neighbors, in addition to Neighbors 4 Neighbors.) Through this campaign, we will add a dependable source of support for future operations and ministry by growing our Endowment Fund by adding at least $2,750,000. This increase will bring the total Endowment Fund to $3,000,000, or more if we reach our challenge goal. An Endowment of this size will contribute approximately $100,000 in additional annual income. This will be a good start towards a solid financial foundation.

CARING FOR OUR SPIRITUAL HOME
$1,500,000+

As St. Margaret’s enters its second sixty years and beyond, our worship spaces are in need of restoration, repair, and upgrades. Over time, we have maintained our buildings as funds permitted, however much remains to be done. Maintenance has been deferred due to lack of funds, and needed repairs and restorations cost more as time goes by. Efficient lighting and cooling are essential to our long-term sustainability. Maintenance, restoration, and flexibility are required throughout the campus to enhance worship, hospitality, adult and children’s formation, ministries, community events, and rental opportunities.

ACCESSIBILITY, MINISTRY, HOSPITALITY: $990,000

• Painting the Church: $168,000
  A fresh coat of paint will enliven the visual appeal of our church. This job will require expensive scaffolding throughout the sanctuary.

• New Sound System: $170,000
  A new system will provide clarity and dependability to meet multiple sound demands in the sanctuary and increase accessibility for parishioners and the community.

• Flexible Lighting System: $50,000
  A new design with cost-efficient LED lights will save on utility costs and maintenance and will enhance the appeal of our sanctuary for all.

• New Roof: $160,000
  The existing roof is nearing its end; fixes and patches have proven insufficient. A recent leak damaged the organ, requiring expensive professional repair. Solid protection for the sanctuary and organ is essential.

• New Flooring: $200,000
  Tile and carpet are worn in the sanctuary, narthex and chapel; replacement will enhance acoustics, safety and welcoming message.

• HVAC: $75,000
  In spite of some improvements over the years, the HVAC system needs further refurbishment. Given our desert weather, maintaining the system is critical for worship, the sanctuary itself and the organ.

• Solar Shades: $7,000
  To help cool the church in our desert heat and maintain a consistent temperature, shades on the south glass doors will enhance our environmental goals and also decrease our energy cost.

• Pew Chairs: $90,000
  To more extensively share our sanctuary with the valley community and potential renters and to ensure safe walking between rows, most of our worn pews will be replaced with individual upholstered chairs, some with arms. Pews in the balcony and on the sides of the altar will remain in place.

• St. Margaret’s Chapel: $70,000
  Our chapel is used weekly, on a par with the sanctuary, and it is sorely in need of restoration. Upgraded flooring, lighting, and new seats are needed. A restored chapel will also be available for smaller weddings and community worship gatherings.

STRUCTURAL & SECURITY: $185,000

• Landscaping: $50,000
  To attract more people driving by our church, upgraded landscaping with larger, colorful plants and lights will enhance our message of welcome and provide greater safety.

• Security Upgrades to Meet Recommendations of Recent Assessment: $100,000
  Our security assessment was clear: we need to do much more to ensure safety from threats of all kinds, including natural disasters.

• Parking Upgrades for Safety and Accessibility: $35,000
  Parking lot accessible spaces are a legal requirement, and our church has too few for our members and visitors. New surface coating will provide greater safety.

COMMUNITY MINISTRY: $325,000

• Reconfigured Bathrooms for Disaster Relief and Rental Opportunities: $250,000
  Reconfiguring Meyer’s bathrooms with showers and adding laundry space will make it possible to extend hospitality during/after a disaster.

• Meyers Hall Kitchen: $30,000
  Adding a full kitchen to Meyers Hall will enhance our ability to hold more day-long conferences for our community (such as book club lunch gatherings) and also rent the hall to community groups for smaller day-long events. The full kitchen will make it possible to offer a fully equipped Meyers Hall during/after a disaster.

• Upgraded Office Space for Renters and Community Ministry: $25,000
  Our large administration building offers many ways to add income to our church. Soundproofing offices will make them attractive to potential renters, including nonprofits providing needed community mental health and other services.

• Enhanced Video Conferencing: $20,000
  Installing a video conferencing system will allow parishioners, including seasonal, to view events from anywhere; it will enable enhanced formation offerings.