Capital Campaign
2025 – 2028 Capital fundraising intiative
Building Our Legacy
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has a long history of faithful ministry in Duluth. Now, with God’s help, we move forward to strengthen our facilities and mission for the years to come.
We have identified five key areas of need in our building. Below you can find descriptions of the details of each project.
Thank you
In 2025, we successfully raised just under 1.8 million dollars in pledges for Building Our Legacy. These pledges will be paid over the course of 3 years. With the pledged funds, the congregation moved forward on addressing the elevator and the heating system. The vestry is now discerning the best way forward to meet our structural needs and the needs of the music ministry.
Click here for Rev. Maggie’s June letter to the parish:
Our GOALS
Building Our Legacy: Through Welcome
Ensure Structural Integrity
We will care for our historic building by repairing crumbling mortar, tuckpointing the east and north exterior walls and Superior Street entrances, and cleaning, repairing, and sealing the exterior wood trim.
Building Our Legacy: Through Worship
Support Music Ministry
An integral part of St. Paul’s identity, our music ministry enriches worship and community. To preserve this, we will repair and upgrade our historic pipe organ to its full beauty and power. Our church organ’s upkeep has been neglected for too long. Some pipes no longer play and some notes are missing altogether. Restoring an instrument of this age and quality is costly, requiring highly skilled craftspeople. The pool of qualified people is limited and the proper work takes time.
Building Our Legacy: Through Accessibility
Enhance Accessibility
We will upgrade our 30-year-old elevator to ensure reliable access for everyone. Waiting until it completely fails is not an option.
How much do we hope to raise through our campaign?
The challenge goal represents the total cost estimate of all 5 proposed projects. Once we ensure structural integrity, support our vibrant music program, and enhance accessibility, additional gifts will allow us to focus on these areas:
Building Our Legacy
Campaign Goal: $1,300,000
Stretch Goal: $2,000,000
Challenge Goal: $2,600,000
Building Our Legacy: Through Warmth
Improve Heating Efficiency
Keeping a building of this size an even, comfortable temperature is complex. We will upgrade our thermostat system and refit or replace the boiler to create a more comfortable space and reduce heating costs.
Building Our Legacy: Through Beauty
Renovate the Sanctuary
We will restore the sanctuary’s beauty by repairing, replastering, and repainting the interior.
Project Updates in 2026
The main campaign during October and November of 2025
yielded an incredible 1.8 million dollars in pledges.
Thanksgiving Offering: Canceling Medical Debt
In addition, we took a special thanksgiving offering on Easter Sunday, April 5. This offering gave thanks to God for all that we raised by giving funds to a community effort. In the spirit of the women who founded St. Luke’s Hospital during a crisis, we decided to combat the current crisis facing healthcare affordability. We partnered with Undue Medical Debt to erase medical debts in Duluth. During this initiative, we raised $25,000. With Undue’s expertise, we were able to erase $3,235,613.81 of medical debts for 3,693 households across St. Louis County, Carlton County, Itasca County, Lake County, and Douglas County.
Project Developments & Completions in 2026
The elevator project was of the highest importance, and the project with the lowest cost, coming in at just under $100,000. This project was the first to go under contract, and is now the first to be completed, with the new mechanisms in full working order as of Wednesday, October 14.
The boilers showed their age and their attitude this winter, and so it became necessary to move forward on the boiler replacement and heating control modernization. This project came in higher than expected, at just under $600,000. The vestry voted in May to move forward on this project at the recommendation of the Property Committee. This project is a few weeks from completion. The new system will have significantly more efficient fuel use and allow for more passive cooling in the sanctuary.
Participate
If you are new to St. Paul’s and did not have an opportunity to participate in the campaign in 2025, you are still able to do so. Pledges are accepted at any time. The pledge timeframe extends through 2026, 2027 and 2028. One time contributions are also accepted until 2028. To make a pledge, please reach out to our bookkeeper.