Many ministries lack a pledge program to raise funds for ongoing expenses, yet most ministries are struggling to meet monthly budgets.  It is important that ministries have a program that encourages donors to commit to giving on a regular, ongoing basis.  That doesn't mean every donor will, but it's a healthy starting point.

Some CEOs and managers complain that this means "we're not trusting God for our income."  Let me answer that by saying that a pledge is not money in the bank.  Whether you have a pledge program or not, you will ALWAYS have to trust God to actually bring the money in.

So why have a pledge program anyway, if it all comes down to faith?  Let me throw a question back to you:  Why do you plan and organize other areas of your ministry, sometimes to the very detail?

Just as a solid, well-planned program leads to successfully meeting your objectives and results in fruitfulness, a solid, well-planned pledge strategy attracts and keeps donors.  Why is it that we tend to over-spiritualize money matters, while systems are in place for just about every other area of our ministry?

A major reason I believe in a pledge program is that you do not have to raise the same dollars over and over again.  Once a person has made a $25/month pledge for six months or a year, you do not have to ask them for it month after month.  However, if you only asked them for a special gift of $25, you would have to ask them or someone else to make that gift the next month, and the next month, and the next month...

A pledge program is beneficial because a small monthly pledge adds up to more than a medium size annual gift.  For instance, do you get more excited when someone sends you a check for $250 or when they make a pledge of $25/month?  Probably the big gift.  But the math is easy.  In reality, the $25/month pledge is worth more to the ministry—it adds up to $300 per year, and it usually continues after that!

You will find that your pledge program can raise at least half of all the funds for your ministry.  

From The Complete System for Ministry Fundraising & Development, by Jon Fugler and Ron Johnston.
The System provides in-depth instruction for ministries desiring to be more effective with pledge programs.