"Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock."
Matthew 7.24-25 (NRSVUE)
Developed by the National Giving Team, Cornerstone is an online generosity tool available free of charge to all Church of England churches. It offers three separate functions: Insights, Pathways and a comprehensive Grants database.
If you would like to learn more about Cornerstone, including booking a workshop to learn more about the platform, please contact Robyn.
Insights
Cornerstone is designed to help churches develop the most detailed picture they’ve ever had of their financial situation – whether that’s a source of joy or concern. Using Parish Returns data, Cornerstone identifies different types of giving and shares comparisons with other churches, both in the same diocese and nationwide.
Pathways
The information a church receives from the Insights phase gives them a picture of where they can focus their efforts. Some may only have capacity for one or two ‘quick wins’, while others are ready for a full-on campaign. There are over 50 Pathways on the platform and churches can undertake as many or as few as they wish.
A Pathway takes a single topic and breaks it down into steps, none of which take longer than half an hour. Templates and links to videos and instructions are provided. You can skip bits that you’ve done already or aren’t suited to your setting. They’re a great way of encouraging people to volunteer who are uncertain about something they haven’t done before.
Grants Database
All churches have completely free access to over 1000 grants, curated for churches. Covering a range of purposes, values and geographic areas, this searchable, filterable database is updated weekly and is the biggest range of grants currently available to churches. Each grant is described and there is a link to the grant making body so you can read further and apply.
