Fund-raising and development
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Fund-raising and development
Ron Buford, Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ
Campus ministries are always seeking more resources for their ministry. Learn useful fund-raising strategies and long-term development ideas from a professional fund-raiser.

Ron BufordRon Buford has many titles:

  • Director of Development, Northern California Nevada Conference;
  • Consultant to UCC Local Church Ministries and to the United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom
  • Member of Stillspeaking Writers Group
  • Columnist for Reform Magazine In the United Kingdom
The United Church of Christ's identity-building project married progressive theology with old-fashioned business savvy. Ron's work also demonstrates ways that non-profit organizations can employ out-of-the box approaches to get more than their often limited dollars can buy.

Ron had been a member of the United Church of Christ for more than a decade when he came to work at the church's national offices in Cleveland, OH in July 2000.

Ron brings public relations, marketing, and development experience from such companies as CIGNA, AT&T and Blue Cross. He also has worked with several large hospitals in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Chicago. Buford loves to try his hand at new things and tough challenges. Prior to coming to the national staff, he had his own start-up dot com company.

Ron devised the blueprint for the "God is still speaking," campaign in collaboration with Randy Varcho, designer with the UCC's Proclamation, Identity and Communication Ministry and led the work with its New York ad agency Gotham Inc. in the development and release of its ground-breaking commercials that took the top advertising award, beating out the much better funded MasterCard and Microsoft.

Ron has since left national staff and is now part-time director of development for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ and consultant to the United Reformed Church (URC) in London. The URC has decided to do a God is still speaking, campaign of their own. Since coming to NCNC, Ron has introduced a few new programs such as The Rhythm of Abundance, The Spiritual Five for Five, and The 100K Run with more on the way. He hopes at the end of his 3-year call to NCNC to have been a catalyst for strengthening giving in local churches, stimulating increased generosity toward the Conference and to the wider UCC.

Contact information:

Ron Buford: rlbuford@gmail.com

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