Online giving is an easy and secure way to invest in the mission. You can give online using your bank account, credit card, or debit card. Giving directly from your bank account is preferred, because it saves on processing fees. You can direct your gift to the General Fund to support the day-to-day ministries and operations of the church, or to the Building Fund to support building and development opportunities across our campuses.
When you give online, you’ll be asked to choose your campus. This campus information is used for reporting purposes. Decisions about allocation of general funds across campuses rest with the Elders as they prayerfully seek God’s direction in how to steward resources invested at Watermark.
We don’t pass a collection plate during weekend services, but you can place your gift in any of our secure giving boxes. Look for giving boxes in the Town Center along the walls near all auditorium entrances.
Besides the giving boxes in the Town Center, you can also drop off gifts with the receptionist on the first floor of the West Tower during office hours, Monday through Friday. The West Tower is the office building located directly next to the auditorium building.
If you would like to give stock or other assets directly to our general fund, please contact us for more information.
If you wish to donate stock to a local ministry partner, please reach out to the partner directly as we are unable to accept stock on their behalf.
Watermark will send out an acknowledgement of your contributions no later than January 31 each year. Please contact us if your address has changed, or if you have any questions about year-end giving.
You can give directly to one of our ministry partners or designated funds through the links below.
To give to Watermark’s short-term global trips, click the Give button below. If you have a specific participant you want to support, please contact this individual and donate directly to their trip via their fundraising page. For more questions about Watermark’s global initiatives, contact global@watermark.org.
Our budget is $33.3 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. We are funded entirely through the generous giving of our body. Those dollars are contributed all throughout the year, but about 25% of our annual giving is received each December.
We believe the best way to facilitate joyful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7, Matthew 6:4) is not to prompt it with a specific moment in the service, but to provide our body with opportunities to give as the Lord leads. Anyone can give online, send checks by mail, place gifts in the secure giving boxes in the auditorium, or drop off gifts in person at our offices.
86% of our budget goes directly to Kingdom work, including all weekend and midweek ministries, our staff, local and international ministry partners, conferences, and other strategic investments in churches locally and around the world. 14% of our budget goes toward operating, maintaining, and developing the facilities at our campuses, which are used all throughout the week.
Given that our economy cycles over time and we could be impacted in a downturn, we see wisdom in maintaining some reserves for the unknown. In accordance with the direction of our Business Advisory Team, we set aside funds to cover three months of operating expenses, along with a reserve account to fund repairs and maintenance as needed for our facilities.
We have rigorous processes to track every dollar in and out of Watermark, with monthly reporting for each department. Our annual financial statements are audited each year by an outside firm to ensure accuracy and accountability.
Our budget increased by $1.1 million (3%) over last year. High inflation was again a significant driver. The only way our budget is maintained or can increase is through the generous giving of our body. We continually look for ways to use funds more effectively, cutting budgets where cost-saving opportunities are found. Our actual spending has consistently been less than budgeted, and any extra funds are put toward strategic priorities.
Our finance team is happy to meet with members to discuss our budget and answer finance-related questions. Please email financial@watermark.org and let us sit down with you at the Watermark Coffee Shop!
Each ministry and department builds its budget from the ground up every year, evaluating what we should keep doing, start doing, and stop doing. Budgets are then reviewed by our internal finance and executive teams; our lay-led Business Advisory Team, which provides leadership in our budget planning and implementation; and our Elders, who ultimately approve the budget.