Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is a vibrant, growing community with deep roots in Charleston. Founded in the 1950s, the parish has long been a center of Orthodox faith and Hellenic culture—home to a full range of active ministries including Philoptochos, GOYA, and a robust religious and Greek education program. By the time the parish began exploring a capital campaign, it had simply outgrown its facilities—and with them, the space needed to share meals, celebrate milestones, and give its community room to grow.
Leadership knew that meeting this moment would require a partner who understood what it means to ask a faith community to give sacrificially toward something greater than themselves.
The Campaign: Beyond Bricks & Mortar
Holy Trinity partnered with Winkler Group to plan and lead Beyond Bricks & Mortar: A Foundation of Faith for Our Future—a capital campaign to fund a new Hellenic Center and Social Hall that would serve the parish and the broader Charleston community for generations to come.
We began with a feasibility study to assess donor readiness, clarify priorities, and shape a campaign strategy that reflected the parish’s values and its capacity to give. What emerged was a campaign rooted in something deeper than square footage: a vision of koinonia—the communion and fellowship that is at the heart of Orthodox community life.
Working alongside the parish priest and Parish Council, Winkler Group helped parish leadership develop the confidence and skills to invite members into transformational giving. We guided them through the full arc of the campaign: from identifying and cultivating lead donors, to coaching volunteers, to sustaining momentum through a multi-phase effort. At the groundbreaking ceremony in December 2019—presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta (retired)—the parish had already surpassed its $3 million Phase 1 goal through the generosity of more than half of its families.