Giving & Generosity Archives - Pushpay Wed, 22 May 2024 17:41:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://pushpay.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-Pushpay_Logo-400x400.png Giving & Generosity Archives - Pushpay 32 32 What a Good Giving Statement Template Should Look Like https://pushpay.com/blog/what-a-good-giving-statement-template-should-look-like/ https://pushpay.com/blog/what-a-good-giving-statement-template-should-look-like/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:02:35 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=14406

Giving statements aren’t simply valuable because they satisfy the IRS requirements created around church contributions

Though the primary purpose of a giving statement is to satisfy those requirements, many churches miss out on this unique opportunity to deepen the relationship between the church and their members.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a well-designed giving statement template is vital. Transparency builds trust, so when you present a clear breakdown of your congregants’ donations, detailing where each penny has gone, you earn the trust of your church members and help them to see all that the Lord is doing through their donations.

A giving statement is a crucial tool for nurturing a strong relationship between the Church and its donors. In the coming sections, we’ll delve into what makes a good giving statement template and why it should matter to you.

Key Components of a Giving Statement

Here is a quick summary of what your church-giving statement template should include.

Donor Information

While you will need donor details—name, address, and contact information—to meet the legal requirements of a giving statement, giving statements are also a chance to create personal connections. The difference between “Dear Donor,” and “Dear [Name],” is a small touch, but it makes all the difference.

Contribution Details

A well-crafted giving statement template should itemize each contribution, complete with dates and amounts.

By itemizing each donation, your congregants can see exactly when and how much they gave throughout the year. It’s a clear, concise record of their generosity. It also lets them see the cumulative impact of their giving; those $20, $50, or $100 donations add up, and they’re making a significant difference!

Remind donors that every penny counts, and by itemizing their contributions, you lay out the impact of their generosity in black and white.

Design and Layout Considerations

Imagine receiving a statement that’s cluttered, confusing, and hard to read. Not very appealing, right? That’s why your giving statement template should be well-organized and easy on the eyes.

Clarity and Readability

Strive to make your giving statement as reader-friendly as possible. A clear, legible font is a must (please, no comic sans or papyrus). That ensures that your donors can easily read and understand their statement. No one wants to squint or pull out a magnifying glass just to see how much they’ve donated!

An organized layout also means grouping related information together, using headings and subheadings to break up the text, and employing bullet points for easy reading. The goal is to make your giving statement as clear and comprehensible as possible.

Branding and Personalization

Your giving statement shouldn’t be a generic document—it should reflect your church’s unique identity. Incorporating branding elements like your logo, color scheme, and typography will make your giving statement instantly recognizable to your donors.

But don’t stop at branding—personalize your giving statements too! As we mentioned before, using the donor’s name instead of a generic greeting can foster a stronger connection. You could also include a personalized thank-you message to show your appreciation for their contributions.

Legal and Compliance Aspects

When it comes to donations, it’s not enough to manage everything just well enough—you must do it right. Software solutions like Pushpay are designed with these considerations in mind. They ensure your church not only collects and manages donations efficiently but also complies with all necessary legal and tax requirements.   

Tax Compliance Information

Giving statements are an essential document for tax purposes. For donors, these statements serve as a record of their charitable contributions, which are often used for tax deductions.

But here’s the catch: not all donations are tax-deductible. And even when they are, there are specific IRS requirements that must be met.

IRS Requirements

According to the IRS, the donor must receive a written acknowledgment from a non-profit (like your church) for any single contribution of $250 or more. Moreover, this acknowledgment must include details about the donation, including the amount, date, and whether the donor received any goods or services in exchange for the gift.

Additional Elements to Enhance Your Giving Statement

Take your giving statements a step further to make them truly stand out:

Personalized Thank You Note

The giving statement itself is a form of acknowledgment, but why not add an extra touch of personalization? After all, your donors aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; they’re valued members of your community.

Including a customized thank you message adds a personal touch that can go a long way in building relationships with your donors. It shows them that you appreciate their individual contributions, and it makes them feel seen and valued.

Year-in-Review Highlights

It’s one thing to tell your donors that their contributions matter; it’s another thing to show them.

Why not include a brief overview of how donations were used throughout the year? Highlight key projects, accomplishments, or initiatives that were made possible thanks to their contributions. Show them the tangible outcomes of their generosity.

Not only does this give donors a sense of accomplishment, but it also encourages future giving. When donors see the direct impact of their contributions, they’re more likely to continue supporting your cause.

Digital vs. Physical Statements: Pros and Cons

In today’s digital age, most of our transactions, communications, and operations have moved online. It’s no different when it comes to giving statements. But does that mean physical statements are a thing of the past? Not necessarily. 

Benefits of Digital Giving Statements

First off, they’re cost-effective. With digital statements, you save on printing and mailing costs. Plus, with software like Pushpay’s giving software, generating and sending out these statements is a breeze.

Secondly, digital statements offer ease of distribution. Sending them is as easy as clicking a button. Your donors receive their statement instantly, no matter where they are in the world. And if they need to refer back to it later, it’s saved in their email.

Continued Relevance of Physical Statements

Despite the shift towards digital, there’s still a place for physical copies. Some donors might prefer a paper giving statement, whether for accessibility reasons, or simply because they like having a tangible record of their contributions.

The key here is flexibility. By offering both digital and physical statements, you’re not just accommodating your donors’ preferences, but showing them that you value their comfort and convenience.

A Good Giving Statement Template Is a Great Start

Creating an effective giving statement template is an art. It’s a balancing act between providing necessary information, designing for readability, ensuring legal compliance, and adding that personal touch to connect with your donors on a deeper level.

Design-wise, your giving statement template should be clean, professional, and easy to read. Consistency in formatting and fonts, along with the inclusion of your church’s logo and branding elements, can enhance the visual appeal of the statement. Remember, a well-designed giving statement will significantly improve the donor’s experience.

And always keep in mind the power of personalization. Including a personalized thank you note and a brief overview of how donations were used throughout the year will make your donors feel valued and appreciated.

Your giving statements are an opportunity to foster relationships, build trust, and show gratitude. So make sure you’re creating giving statements that do more than just report numbers. Tell stories. Acknowledge generosity. Inspire continued support.

Get a demo of our giving tool and see for yourself how easy creating giving statement templates can be!

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2024 Church Giving Statistics & Trends To Care About https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-statistics-and-trends/ https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-statistics-and-trends/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:20:55 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=14034

Giving is at the heart of any church community, and as we navigate through the year 2024, it’s clear that the landscape of church giving is as dynamic as ever.

But understanding church giving statistics and giving trends isn’t just about keeping up with the times—it’s about effectively managing and growing your church. When you’re in tune with the latest giving statistics, you’re better equipped to make informed decisions, develop strategic plans, and engage your congregation in a way that resonates.

Whether you’re an Executive Pastor looking to streamline processes and grow overall giving, or a Senior/Lead Pastor aiming to deepen personal connections with your congregation and expand your ministry, this guide is for you.

Current State of Church Giving

It’s crucial to understand the latest numbers around the state church giving because they provide vital insights into how congregations are financially supporting their churches.

Overview of 2024 Church Giving Statistics

In 2024, we’ve seen some encouraging statistics in church giving. A study by Parable noted that their church partners experienced an average increase of 17% in giving over the prior year, with many seeing double-digit growth. This trend is observable in churches all over the country, and indicates that church members are giving more generously.

What’s more, the frequency of donations has seen a significant uptick. More people are regularly contributing to their churches, demonstrating a strong commitment to their faith communities.

These (wonderful!) increases could be influenced by various factors, such as improved church management systems, more effective engagement strategies, and the adoption of digital giving solutions.

Churches that have embraced tools like ChurchStaq have reported growth in giving, as well as better engagement with their congregations. These solutions offer best-in-class systems and tools that support staff and volunteers, aid in financial stewardship, and help grow overall digital giving.

Emerging Trends in Church Giving

As you navigate through the dynamic landscape of church giving, it’s crucial to stay in tune with evolving best practices.

Rise of Digital and Mobile Giving

There’s a growing preference for digital and mobile giving among churchgoers. More and more people are choosing the convenience of online giving platforms and mobile apps to manage their donations and set up recurring gifts. It’s easy, flexible, and allows donors to contribute any time, anywhere.

This trend isn’t just about convenience, though. It’s also about engaging donors in a way that resonates with their digital lifestyles, leading to increased participation and generosity.

Impact of Social Media and Online Communities

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become a significant force in shaping giving behaviors. They provide a space for churches to engage with their communities, share inspiring stories, and encourage donations. By leveraging these online platforms, churches can reach a wider audience, fostering a sense of connection and belonging that motivates giving.

Generational Shifts in Giving Patterns

Understanding giving patterns across different age groups is essential for churches. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, have unique preferences when it comes to giving. They value personalized and convenient giving options, often aligning their donations with their values and causes they care about. By adapting to these generational shifts, churches can offer giving options that resonate with younger churchgoers, encouraging them to contribute actively to their faith communities.

These trends are not just shaping the present but also the future of church giving. By understanding and embracing these trends, churches can engage their congregations more effectively, fostering a culture of generosity that supports their growth and mission.

Factors Influencing Church Giving in 2024

Understanding the broad scope of world trends can help churches adapt and thrive in a changing environment.

Economic Climate

When people are feeling financially secure, they’re often more willing to give. On the flip side, economic downturns can lead to tighter budgets and decreased giving. In 2024, we’re seeing a mixed bag. While some areas have rebounded from past economic challenges, others continue to face uncertainty. It’s important for churches to be aware of these realities and offer supportive resources for congregants navigating financial hardships.

Technological Advancements

New technologies are making it easier than ever for people to donate. Digital and mobile giving options have seen a surge in popularity, particularly among younger generations. Innovations like ChurchStaq have simplified the giving process, making it more accessible and convenient. This has led to increased participation and generosity, even among those who might not regularly attend in-person services.

Additionally, the use of data analytics is helping churches understand their congregants’ giving behaviors better and tailor their strategies accordingly. Tools that offer accurate metrics and reports are proving invaluable in this regard.

Adapting to Changes in Church Giving

There’s several proven strategies to help churches to stay ahead of shifting trends and engage different donor segments effectively.

Strategies for Churches

1. Embrace Online Giving Platforms: With the rise of digital and mobile giving, it’s important to provide convenient options for your congregants to donate. Services like Pushpay make this process seamless and user-friendly.

2. Leverage Social Media: Use digital marketing to reach a wider audience and promote giving opportunities. It’s a great way to connect with your community and inspire generosity.

3. Offer Multiple Giving Options: Cater to different preferences by offering various giving options. This could include recurring donations, mobile giving apps, or even traditional methods for those who prefer them.

4. Transparency is Key: Keep your congregants informed by sharing financial reports and updates. This transparency fosters trust and encourages more people to contribute.

5. Personalized Communication: Share stories that highlight the impact of their contributions. This not only inspires generosity but also strengthens your community’s bond.

Engaging Different Donor Segments

1. Young Adults: Connect by creating targeted programs and events. Utilize social media and digital platforms, which they’re likely already using.

2. Online Communities: Develop strategies to encourage online participation. This could involve livestreaming services, virtual events, or online volunteering opportunities.

3. Regular Donors: Don’t hesitate to show your appreciation, and keep them updated on the impact of their contributions. Consider personalized thank-you messages or special events.

4. New Donors: Welcome them warmly, and provide information about your church’s mission and how their contributions make a difference.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Church Giving

It’s clear that the arena of church giving is not static. It’s evolving, influenced by technology, generational shifts, and societal trends.

Predictions for Upcoming Years

1. Digital Transformation: Technology will likely play an even larger role in facilitating donations. With the rise of mobile and online platforms, we can expect these digital solutions to become even more popular among churchgoers.

2. Virtual and Hybrid Services: As churches continue to offer new forms of worship services, we might see a shift in giving patterns. Churches must be ready to adapt their strategies to engage both in-person and online congregants effectively.

3. Generational Shifts: As young people become more active in church communities, their preferences for digital and socially conscious giving will influence overall giving patterns.

4. Data-Driven Decisions: With advancements in technology, churches will have more data at their fingertips. This will enable them to make more informed decisions about outreach and engagement strategies.

Preparing for Future Trends

1. Embrace Technology: Investing in user-friendly online giving platforms can help increase donations and engage younger congregants. Tools like Pushpay and ChurchStaq can streamline this process, making it easier for your congregants to give.

2. Build Strong Relationships: Foster generosity by developing solid relationships with your donors. Personalized communication can go a long way in making your congregants feel valued and connected to your church’s mission.

3. Stay Flexible: The future is always uncertain, so it’s important to regularly evaluate and adapt your giving strategies based on changing trends. This will ensure your church is always ready to navigate whatever comes next.

The future of church giving is bright and full of potential. By staying adaptable and leveraging technology, your church can continue to foster a culture of generosity and support its mission.

Conclusion

It’s clear that churchgoers are moving towards digital and online giving methods, influenced by generational preferences and technological advancements. Virtual and hybrid services are becoming more prevalent, and data-driven decisions are increasingly important.

But remember, it’s not enough to read up on trends; you have to embrace them. Churches need to stay informed and adapt to these evolving patterns to ensure their sustained growth and impact. It’s about leveraging technology, building strong relationships with your congregants, and staying flexible to navigate whatever comes next.

And remember, tools like ChurchStaq are here to help you every step of the way. Let’s embrace the future of church giving together.

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What Makes a Church Giving Campaign Successful? https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-campaign-ideas/ https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-campaign-ideas/#respond Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:47:40 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=13903

So, you want to run a capital campaign (also called a church giving campaign)? Great, let’s dive in.

Whether those funds will be used to update your church building or to send more people out on missions, a church giving campaign is your way of rallying your community together to raise a significant amount of money over a specific period. These campaigns are the fuel that propels your church forward, helping you achieve major goals and continue fulfilling your mission.

However, running a successful church capital campaign isn’t a small task. It requires strategy, planning, and a whole lot of heart. We’re here to guide you every step of the way to make your giving campaign a roaring success.

Understanding Giving Campaigns

Definition and Purpose

For churches, a giving campaign is a fundraising effort to raise enough funds for a major expense or significant project. That could look like building a new facility, sprucing up your existing one, or even acquiring land for future growth.

But there’s something we need to clarify. When we think about church giving campaign ideas, we’re not just talking about a bake sale or a car wash. That campaign is a focused, time-bound effort where everyone pitches in with their hearts set on a common goal. It’s about more than just making ends meet—it’s about dreaming big, aiming high, and working together to create something truly special for your church and community.

Difference from Regular Giving

While regular tithes and offerings are crucial for supporting the day-to-day expenses of running your church, giving campaigns have a different focus. They’re all about raising funds for specific, usually bigger, projects. Both are important, but they serve different purposes.

While regular giving is an ongoing practice, like a steady walking pace, capital campaigns are more like sprints toward a particular finish line.

Planning Your Giving Campaign

Setting Clear Goals and Objectives

How can you aim if you have no target? Having a clear goal is crucial when planning your giving campaign. A common way to frame the goal of your church capital campaign is by using the SMART method—creating Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals.

Think about it. Would you rather aim to ” raise more money” or “raise $100,000 by December for the new community center”? The latter, right? That’s because it’s specific (a set amount), measurable (you can track progress), achievable (with some hard work and faith), relevant (it serves your community), and time-bound (you have a deadline).

Having SMART goals gives you and your community a clear vision, motivates you, and helps you measure your success!

Creating a Detailed Plan

But having a goal isn’t enough. You need a plan and a detailed one! Just as you wouldn’t start a road trip without a map (or, more likely, your phone), you shouldn’t start a capital campaign without a structured plan.

So, what does this plan include?

  • Timelines: when do you start, when do you finish
  • Milestones: what are your key checkpoints
  • Budgets: how much do you need at each stage

Creating a plan ensures that you’re organized, on track, and able to make adjustments if needed.

Engaging the Congregation

Running a successful church giving campaign requires more than good planning. It also needs enthusiastic supporters. Now that you’ve got your goals and plan in place, it’s time to bring everyone else on board.

Communication Strategy

As with any project, communication is crucial to the success of your capital campaign. So, how can you communicate effectively? Here are a few ways:

Start with sharing the vision. Don’t just focus on ‘what’ the campaign is about, but delve into the ‘why.’ Why is this initiative crucial? What impact will it have on our community? It’s time to create an inspiring narrative!

Keep the updates coming regularly. It’s essential to keep everyone involved and updated about the progress. This not only creates a buzz but also helps maintain the momentum.

Don’t forget to utilize various channels for communication. Whether Sunday services, your custom church app, social media, newsletters, or personal interactions, every platform is a chance to spread the word.

Encourage your congregation to participate. Invite them to ask questions, share their thoughts, and be a part of the discussion. Remember, this campaign belongs to them as much as it does to you!

Involvement and Ownership

Effective communication is just the first step. For a truly successful campaign, you’ll want to cultivate an atmosphere of involvement and ownership within your church community.

A church giving campaign isn’t solely about monetary contributions—it’s about donating time, exerting effort, and putting your heart into it. It’s about your church family coming together, with each member playing a significant role.

So, involve your congregation in meaningful ways. Maybe they can volunteer to help with campaign events or use their skills and talents for your cause. Or perhaps they can pray for the campaign or share the news with friends and family.

The more your congregation feels engaged, the stronger their sense of ownership and commitment will be. And when everyone feels they own a piece of the campaign, they share in the success!

Fundraising Strategies

Now that you have a plan and your community’s support, it’s time to start raising those funds! As you continue planning your church giving campaign, it’s important to remember that there’s more than one way to reach your goal.

Fundraising Methods

So, let’s explore some fundraising methods you could try.

First, you could host an event. The best part about this fundraising method is that it’s not just about raising money. Events help bring your community together. It could be a charity concert, a sponsored run, or a communal meal. The possibilities are endless!

Next up are pledges. This is where your congregation can commit to giving a certain amount over a period of time. It’s a great way to keep the momentum going and ensure a steady flow of funds for your cause.

And don’t forget about online giving platforms like Pushpay. In today’s digital age, making it easy for people to give online is crucial. It’s convenient, secure, and allows even those who can’t physically attend your services to contribute.

Donor Engagement and Follow-Up

But remember, fundraising isn’t just about collecting donations. It’s about forging relationships with your donors. When they feel valued and appreciated, they’re more likely to continue supporting the cause. That’s why following up and engaging with your donors during and even after the campaign is essential.

Make your follow-up personal. Send handwritten thank-you notes, make phone calls, or even have a special event to celebrate the success of your campaign and recognize your donors.

And when the campaign is finally over, you’ll want to continue the conversation. Keep your donors updated on how the funds are being used and the impact their contributions have made. Your efforts to engage them and share your gratitude will go a long way toward building long-lasting donor relationships and setting your ministry up for long-term success.

Leveraging Technology

In today’s digital age, technology influences and affects all of our lives. So why not leverage it to make your campaign even more successful? With the rise of digital giving and virtual events, it’s essential to utilize technology to reach as many people as possible and make giving easier for your congregation.

Digital Giving Solutions

Giving should be (and can be) as easy as clicking a button. No more fumbling with cash or checks or forgetting to bring your donation. Just a simple, seamless process that makes giving a joy, not a chore.

Digital giving solutions like Pushpay make it easy for your congregation to give from anywhere, at any time. They simplify the giving process, making it quick, easy, and secure. With features like recurring giving and pledges, you can provide convenient and secure options for your community to donate towards your campaign.

But that’s not all. With Pushpay, your church can also track our donations, generate giving statements, and even set up automatic payments. It’s like having your very own personal giving assistant!

Tracking and Reporting

Digital giving is just the start of what technology can do for your giving campaign. With digital tools, you can easily track and report your campaign’s progress. This data not only helps you measure your success but also allows you to make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts.

With tools like Pushpay, your church can easily track progress toward your goal, see where your donations are coming from, and even predict future gift trends. This information is invaluable for planning and strategizing future campaigns.

All this data empowers your staff and can inspire greater trust through transparency with your congregation. By sharing regular, transparent reports with your congregation, you’ll show them that you value their contributions and that their gifts are making a difference.

Evaluating and Celebrating Success

Measuring Outcomes

Once you’ve successfully run your capital campaign, it’s time to evaluate its outcomes. The best place to start is by looking back at your original goal.

Did you reach or exceed your goal? How did the campaign impact your church and community? What lessons did you learn along the way?

Figuring out if your capital campaign hit the mark isn’t just about counting dollars and cents. What your church family thinks matters, too. Open up channels for your congregation to share their thoughts and impressions about the campaign.

Did they feel engaged and a part of something bigger? Were they satisfied with the communication and the updates they received? 

By reflecting on the data and the personal feedback from your community, you can assess the effectiveness of your strategies and make adjustments for future campaigns. It also helps you celebrate your success!

Celebrating Milestones

Finally, it’s time to celebrate! Your capital campaign was a significant undertaking, and that’s why celebrating milestones is so important. Every milestone you reach is a testament to your hard work and dedication. And every celebration is a chance to say ‘thank you’ to all those who’ve contributed to your success.

So celebrate every win, big or small. Whether reaching a fundraising goal, breaking ground on a new construction project, or simply bringing your community together to support a common cause, acknowledge and appreciate everyone who’s played a part. Every contribution matters, and every achievement brings you one step closer to your goal.

Start Planning Your Campaign Today

A successful church giving campaign requires a combination of factors: clear goals, detailed planning, effective communication, community involvement, and leveraging technology. But at the heart of it all is the passion and dedication of your church community.

With Pushpay, you have all the tools and support you need to run a successful capital campaign. From digital giving solutions to tracking and reporting, Pushpay makes it easy for your congregation to support your cause. And with our team of church tech experts, you’ll be ready to plan and execute a giving campaign that drives results and fuels your mission work.

GET STARTED

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Giving Tuesday 2023: Ideas & Campaign Examples https://pushpay.com/blog/giving-tuesday-ideas-campaign-examples/ https://pushpay.com/blog/giving-tuesday-ideas-campaign-examples/#respond Tue, 03 Oct 2023 22:11:07 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=12596

Giving Tuesday 2023 marks the 11th anniversary of the worldwide generosity movement. The holiday began as an international attempt to celebrate and motivate generosity, and to counter the commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. More than 2,500 nonprofits participated in the first year, raising around $10 million, with numbers climbing to close to half a billion dollars in recent years.

Creating a winning Giving Tuesday campaign can often make or break your organization’s giving goals for the year, so it’s crucial to head into the planning period with a solid strategy. As a church software provider, we’ve gained a fair bit of experience with Giving Tuesday over the years—so we’ve taken all our learnings from the past decade to provide you with someGiving Tuesday ideas, tips, and examples that you can use to create a campaign that boosts your ministry this giving season.

In this blog, we’ll discuss

1. Choosing a cause to support
2. The type of Giving Tuesday campaign you should launch
3. How to build a Giving Tuesday campaign
4. Our favorite Giving Tuesday ideas
5. A successful Giving Tuesday campaign
6. Planning your Giving Tuesday campaign

Choosing a Cause to Support

The first step to your Giving Tuesday campaign should be to nail down the cause you want to support. This will impact every part of your campaign and any messaging you put out, so once decided, stick with the plan all the way through the campaign.

You should be looking to get donations for a specific purpose; repairs, events, upgrades, etc. However, it’s also important to give your community your blessing to donate to other nonprofits and causes that are important to them. Be sure to address each of these questions for potential donors:

  • Is it okay to give to causes besides the church?
  • Does this count towards my tithe, or is it above and beyond?
  • Does the church encourage and support non-profit giving?

Members are already asking these questions and looking to you to provide direction. More clarity equals more willingness to participate.

What Type of Giving Tuesday Campaign(s) Should You Launch?

If you’re using an online giving platform, you should have the option to create personalized Giving Tuesday campaigns that really let you drive home your message. Depending on your goals, you should consider using aspects of multiple fundraising campaign types to develop your strategy.

1. Peer-to-peer campaigns: fundraising efforts that are conducted by individuals or small groups of people for a particular cause.

2. Crowdfunding campaigns: similar to peer-to-peer campaigns, but they’re typically larger and involve more people. Crowdfunding campaigns typically use online platforms to raise money from numerous donors.

3. Donation website pages: dedicated pages on your website that include information about the cause, and a donation form that donors use to contribute money.

4. Fundraising events: In-person, hybrid, or virtual events that often leverage crowdfunding and donation pages to support them.

How to Build a Giving Tuesday Campaign

Before solidifying your Giving Tuesday strategy, make sure you’ve considered all the angles.

1. Start Planning Early

The more time and effort you spend planning and communicating your goals, the more involvement and enthusiasm you’ll see from your congregation. So start planning early and decide:

  • What charities and opportunities do you want to focus on?
  • Who will be the starting point for creating all the assets you need?
  • What and who do you need to execute and communicate your vision?
  • Who will be in charge of communicating goals with the congregation?

The better prepared you are, the easier it will be to define and communicate your vision.

2. Set an Ambitious Goal

Without a clear target, people won’t give as much. But when you set an objective and an aggressive goal that spurs them to rise to the occasion, they’ll be more invested in the outcome.

You can even turn fundraising into a friendly competition. Create teams to “battle it out” to raise the most for different aspects of your cause. As long as you tackle this tastefully, it can be fun for everyone—and raise more donations.

3. Get Your Community Involved

One of the best things about Giving Tuesday is that it appeals to everyone. If you hone in on local issues and causes that your community cares about, it’s easy to get them on board with this event, and the benefits will extend beyond simple fundraising:

  • It helps the community see that you’re here for them, and communicates that you care about the same issues they do.
  • It propels people in your community toward your social media platforms. People rarely unlike Facebook pages—so once someone follows your page to support your Giving Tuesday drive, they’re likely in for the long haul.
  • Create a simple landing page for your Giving Tuesday campaign with a place to capture emails to keep people abreast of how much you’ve raised. This way, you’re growing an email list that you can utilize in the future.

4. Focus on Digital Giving

Online donations are, simply put, the new norm. If you don’t have a landing page set up for your Giving Tuesday campaign, or ways for people to give online, it will be challenging to hit your fundraising goals. Must haves include:

  • A website and/or app for your church

If your church doesn’t have either of these, now is the time to create them. Not only will a website or app help grow your church and increase long-term engagement within your congregation, it gives you access to a new world of digital communication tools that you can use for Giving Tuesday and  future fundraising initiatives.

If you already have a church app, use Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to improve engagement. Encourage everyone to download your app, both inside and outside your church. This is a great time to get the entire community to embrace your preferred giving infrastructure and creates yet another touchpoint with your church.

  • A dedicated Giving Tuesday landing page

You’ll need to have a donation link to share with your community. This page should include your goals for Giving Tuesday, how members can support the cause, and a donation form (or other process) for online giving.

  • An email messaging platform

While you’ll also focus on your social media presence, sending emails to your congregation should be part of your Giving Tuesday Strategy. Make sure you’re using an email platform that is easy to use, customizable, and offers reporting so you can break down what’s working and what’s not .

  • Text messaging, push notifications, and QR codes

Besides email, push notifications and text messaging are two other powerful tools at your disposal. Push notifications have a 60-80% open rate, compared to just 20% for emails. Push notifications are especially effective for Giving Tuesday campaigns, and should be sent-out every 3 or 4 days.

Some folks aren’t ready to download a giving app, but they’re willing to do a simple text-to-give. This is a significant first step to help people get over the mental hurdles associated with digital giving and discover how simple the process really is.

QR codes are making a comeback as an effortless and contact-free giving option. With Pushpay, the QR code creation process is easy. Each code is tied to a specific URL, and for each giving-specific QR code you generate, you can pre-configure the fund visibility, gift type, and default gift amount. Once you have that single QR code, you can share it on your website, in your app, on social media, in print, and via email.

Our Favorite Giving Tuesday Ideas

There are tons of Giving Tuesday ideas to choose from, but here are some of the more creative ways to engage potential donors.

1. Have your leader(s) make the first gift

This is a simple yet effective strategy. Nothing encourages generosity like seeing generosity in action. Whether it’s from the stage, on social media, or through weekly email newsletters, kick off Giving Tuesday donations from the top-down.

2. Initiate a friendly competition

The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore annually challenges other libraries across the country in a Giving Tuesday fundraising effort they call “The Book Bowl”. This event is proof that a little competition can go a long way.

In the year they challenged the Oakland Public Free Library—tied to an upcoming NFL game between the Ravens and Raiders, who played on the Sunday before Giving Tuesday—online donations rose to nearly $40,000 in just three days.

For churches, this concept could take the form of inter-group competition, or a competition with other local churches. Use your imagination, and have fun with it!

3. Have an Incentive

One of the most powerful ways to boost giving is through matching donations. This incentive not only doubles the impact of each individual’s contribution, but also encourages more people to participate, knowing their donation will go twice as far.

Another idea might involve lighthearted participation of a pastor or church leader. For instance, if a certain level of giving is matched, they could agree to participate in a dunk tank. You could also hold a special service, concert, or community event if a particular fundraising goal is met.

4. Introduce Challenges

Whether you have the ability to provide an incentive or not, introducing a challenge or two can be a great way to encourage participation. They create a sense of competition, camaraderie, and excitement, making the act of giving even more rewarding.

This could take the form of milestones with small celebrations for wins; perhaps everyone gets donut holes the following Sunday if the community hits their half-way goal.

Or the church could pledge to do something, like a community service project, if the donation goal is met. This could be a food drive, a neighborhood clean-up, or volunteering at a local charity.

5. Show real-time donation progress

For shorter fundraising campaigns, like Giving Tuesday, it’s crucial to provide donors with real-time updates on progress. This can be achieved by incorporating a fundraising tracker,  progress bar, or meter on your donation page.

A visible donation tracker will significantly boost the motivation of your fundraisers, provide a sense of instant gratification, and allow donors to witness the real-time impact of their contributions.

parish giving campaigns

6. Set or increase your default donation options

Maybe your normal giving forms only have an open option for donors, allowing them to give whatever they want. Or maybe you already suggest predetermined amounts.. During your Giving Tuesday drive, you should definitely set default options, and adjust them to be a bit higher than normal. Increasing your default donation options by $5 or $10 could make a big difference.

See It In Action: Giving Tuesday Campaign Raises $35k for New Building

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and ready to abandon the idea of a Giving Tuesday campaign altogether—don’t! Read one of our favorite Giving Tuesday campaign examples, an inspiring story that shows the power of investing time into strategy development.

When looking to fund The Pax Center, State Street Community Church had a few important guidelines they wanted to follow. They wanted to fund the center with integrity, and without bombarding the community with requests throughout the year. That’s why Giving Tuesday  remains the perfect annual fundraiser to ask for those donations.

Back in 2017, as the church headed toward Giving Tuesday, Pastor Nate Loucks wanted to see the church build on the $20,000 donated during the previous year’s campaign. The church had recently onboarded Pushpay and gotten their own dedicated church app—and giving had already started to grow after adoption. Incorporating mobile as a part of State Street’s Giving Tuesday campaign seemed like an obvious way to take their fundraising efforts to the next level.

To give the initiative the attention it deserved, the church put their Giving Tuesday campaign in its own special spot of their church app. They used mobile notifications to make sure everyone using the app stayed informed on campaign goals, donation progress, and how to give. All their communications, even email, encouraged donors to give through the app.

The result? The church blew past its goal of $25,000 and raised close to $35,000! Even  people from other states pitched in to help fund The Pax Center that year.

The church raised enough money from their Giving Tuesday campaign to support The Pax Center for nearly half a year, providing one hundred community meals and eight weeks of programming for the children’s gardening program.

Planning Your Giving Tuesday Campaign

Keeping yourself and your team on a tight timeline can be one of the hardest things about Giving Tuesday. We’ve provided a rough timeline for executing your campaign once you’re done planning.

2 Weeks Before: Get Ready

  • Update Your Digital Presence

Your first inclination may be to announce your Giving Tuesday campaign from the stage, but there’s a step before that. It’s important that people can find additional information about your  campaign the moment you’ve announced it live.

Expect people to take out their phones right after the service or on the car ride home, and search your website and church app for information about your campaign.

Be prepared and make sure your giving platform has a fund designated for the campaign and that Giving Tuesday information is pinned to the home screen of your church website and app until the campaign ends.

In all communications, be sure to highlight three talking points:

1. What your church plans to do with funds raised

2. The various ways people can donate

3. What work your church has accomplished in previous years

  • Announce It From The Stage

Make your announcement two weeks before,aligning your in-person Giving Tuesday message with what both your website and app says. If you have a staff member that can really get your auditorium excited and laughing, let the initial delivery come from them.

  • Include Giving Tuesday In Weekly Emails

Don’t forget to highlight your established talking points, and always add a link where people can donate directly. Also include contact information for the campaign’s point-person just in case anyone has questions that aren’t addressed in the email.

Here’s a Giving Tuesday example email that you can use as a template to get people informed and excited:

*****

Subject Line: You Can Help Change Lives Across The World

Body:

Hi there,

[Our church name] is so honored to partner with [Organization Name] for a second year to help with the clean water crisis in Southern Mexico. Currently, 800,000 people have limited access to clean water and mortality rates are rising. Last year we dug 81 wells and provided purification systems for 200 families, but there’s still a lot of work to get done.

That’s why this November [date] on Giving Tuesday our two campuses are coming together to raise $200,000 to guarantee fresh water for these families long-term. You can donate today until Wednesday, November 28th. 

Donate using the blue envelopes given out at weekend services, using text-to-give, our church app, or website. Or simply use the link below.

Donate today (link to your giving platform)

Tell your friends! Forward this email and share it on Facebook and Twitter.

PS: Every cent matters and every person talking about the Mexican water crisis is an agent of change in their community. Donate here (link to your giving platform).

*****

  • Promote on Social Media

Facebook or Twitter may not be the best places to type out a transcribed sermon on generosity, but it’s perfect for sharing a worship video and your Giving Tuesday announcement. Schedule posts that highlight your talking points and how much you appreciate your community’s generosity.

Make posts short, easily digestible, and honest—and don’t forget to add a few photos from your campus to make things visually engaging!

Here are a few sample posts:

  • Flint, Michigan is $X away from clean water. Our $200,000 goal can help 800 families get access to clean water long-term. Donate today #GivingTuesday (your link to donate)
  • Help us plant 500 vegetable gardens in Haiti this Christmas. Donate today #GivingTuesday (your link to donate)
  • Last year we dug 85 wells in Burundi. This year, we’re aiming for 200 wells in Liberia. Donate today—every cent counts #GivingTuesday (your link to donate)
  • Update Your Church Calendars

Make sure you add Giving Tuesday as an event to all your calendars. Be sure it’s on all physical bulletins in the church building, your website, and your app calendars. You can also  message your small group leaders, walking them through Giving Tuesday talking points they could bring up during their meetings.

10 Days Before: Send Reminders

Consistent Reminders Are Key

As with any successful fundraising campaign, you must strike a balance of reminding people to participate, without bombarding them with a tsunami of messages. Text and/or push notifications through your church app are helpful here, as they’re gentle nudges to remind your community about Giving Tuesday.

Be sure to use message notifications early on Black Friday to remind people about your Giving Tuesday campaign. People will still go out shopping, but this small reminder can help shift people’s holiday thinking from spending on expensive items, and more toward what their generosity can help accomplish in the community.

Here are a few push notification templates you can use for inspiration:

  • Get your generosity on #GivingTuesday2023! Help the (our campus name) campus serve the (our city name) Food Bank well. Tap to donate.
  • Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? Tap to donate to #GivingTuesday.
  • “$5 feeds a child for a day. (Our Church Name)’s goal is $X—Ready to make a difference? Donate today.

2 Days Before: Remind Again

One More Announcement

Be sure to speak about Giving Tuesday at your weekend services after Black Friday. Talk through the money raised to date, the campaign’s goal, and other ways members can participate—having your congregation share a donation link could get your local community engaged in that last-minute push toward your goal!

The Day Of: Update Frequently

Keep everyone in the loop

People are going to be interested in how Giving Tuesday goals are progressing. Make sure to let them know throughout the day, not just at the end.

At the bare minimum you should send out notifications/messages (across all platforms) with:

  • An encouraging morning message
  • A midday update on funds raised
  • Total amount raised at the end of the day

The Day After: Follow-Up

Thank Donors and Volunteers

Let your congregants know how much their donation means and what their funds will accomplish.

A few digital forms of communication come in handy here. On Wednesday, create a message on all your church’s social platforms thanking volunteers and donors. Use the same language for a push notification and an email you can send a few days later. In case a few late campaign donations come in after Giving Tuesday, a delayed email send will include the final giving total after all donations were counted.

People want to give—help them

The beautiful thing about Giving Tuesday is how it demonstrates the philanthropic nature of most people. They’re generous, and they’re looking for an opportunity to give. This annual event kindles your congregation’s giving spirit, so direct their energy and passion toward something that makes the most sense for your community. By being intentional about choosing your cause, you can encourage generosity in a way that makes everyone feel content and confident about their gifts!

We hope this year’s fundraising campaign is a huge success, and that some of these ideas help you plan a Giving Tuesday campaign to remember.

For more information about how a custom church app, online giving, and other digital solutions can help your church encourage generosity and participation this giving season, talk to an expert today.

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Automating Transparency in Church Financial Reporting https://pushpay.com/blog/church-financial-management-processes/ https://pushpay.com/blog/church-financial-management-processes/#respond Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:19:05 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=12036

Members of your community want to be reassured that their donations are being funneled to the right channels and causes. That’s why, now more than ever, transparency in church financial reporting is a critical piece of engaging your community and maximizing generosity, so your church can accomplish all its great work.

Why Transparency in Church Financial Statements is Important

Giving to the Church is a special moment for donors. Whether it’s a visitor’s first gift or a longtime congregant’s hundredth, donations are a sign of support for the direction you’ve laid out for your ministry, and your leadership team is entrusted to put those joyously given funds to good use.

Unfortunately, “trust” sometimes feels in short supply in today’s world. Every day we hear about another financial scandal on the news, which—subconsciously or otherwise—whittles down the confidence of those who’d willingly donate to your church.

Members of your community want to be reassured that their donations are being funneled to the right channels and causes. That’s why, now more than ever, transparency in your church financial report is a critical piece of engaging your community and maximizing generosity, so your church can accomplish all its great work.

The best way to build trust is through transparent church financial reporting. Show your people where their funds are going. Explain the reasons for every dollar spent, and the tangible results of their selfless gifts. In doing so, you’ll inevitably spark more engagement and secure more generosity in the future.

Like some pastors you might have questions, or you might already be sweating — worried about the time and effort required to provide that level of financial transparency for your church. But that’s where automation shines, because in today’s digital era, creating transparency is no longer a burden.

Pushpay's giving platform makes Automating Transparency in Church Financial Reporting easy

The Costs of Traditional Church Financial Reporting

As you well know, church financial reporting requirements dictate that all financial activities must be reported to both internal and external stakeholders due to a church’s non-profit status. That means you’re already generating balance sheets, income statements, cash flow reports, and more, probably through a manual tried-and-true processes that feels like an afterthought.

Many churches rely on these manual, “traditional” methods for creating and distributing these reports, thinking they’re saving money and stress for their church. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

Manual bookkeeping is time consuming, and requires significant administrative resources that could be allocated elsewhere. There’s also the potential for human error. Besides opening a ministry to legal and tax liabilities, mistakes inevitably take a toll on the confidence of donors.

Each of the aforementioned issues is a financial burden for so many churches. In an effort to save money, leadership teams inevitably miss out on the value of accurate financial reporting, which leads to effective decision making, improved church operations—and a cost-effective way to increase transparency with your donors.

Automating Church Financial Reporting

Think about how much time your staff dedicates to manually tracking and reporting finances. Then consider how much of that time could be reinvested toward the hands-on work of serving your church and community, if those tasks were streamlined.

Automation relieves the requirement of manual data entry and compiling information from multiple sources. Administrators can track and manage church financial records with ease.

Human error can be mitigated by automating the accounting process. No more lost documents, data entry issues, or mistakes in calculation. What’s more, all that automation ensures the church’s data is up-to-date, so that leaders are always working with the latest info and insights as they plot the course for their church’s future.

Automation invariably strengthens transparency. Financial records become unbiased, accurate, and comprehensive, allowing donors to easily examine how the church has managed the funds entrusted to them.

Choosing the Right Financial Reporting Software for Your Church

pushpay's giving functionality enables transparency in church reporting

If you’ve relied on manual processes or outdated financial software for a long time, it’s difficult to fathom what change might look like—or even what solutions and features have become available in recent years.

At Pushpay, we always point out that there’s no one-size-fits-all tech solution for churches. Every ministry is unique in dozens of ways. So any foray into adopting new tools starts by asking yourself, what’s most important for your mission?

A self-guided product tour or a live demo with one of our Pushpay experts is a great first step in the tech exploration process. Take a look; the value of our best-in-class analytics, Financial Dashboard, and streamlined reporting systems will suddenly seem not like a luxury, but a necessity for your ministry.

You’ll also want to keep integrations in mind. It’s more important than ever that any new digital tools you adopt can seamlessly mesh with those solutions you plan on keeping. Also ensure there are dynamic customization options that allow you to tailor reports to the specific needs of your ministry.

And—especially where transparency is concerned—security must be paramount. The more financial information you share, the more questions arise. Some givers will wonder, who has access to my information? Can I trust that my donations are secure? Being able to answer those concerns with concrete security features will immediately elevate confidence in your ministry.

Strategic Oversight of Automated Financial Reporting Processes

So you’ve done your research, coordinated a plan, and implemented the automated features your church has decided will best drive the mission of your church. Great work!

But the job’s not over yet.

It’s important to monitor and reassess all your technology on a regular basis, but that goes double for your financial reporting systems. Some tools will inevitably prove to be a better fit for your team than others. Even those that your staff find helpful may not be a cost-effective solution for your needs. You’ll need to maintain a strategic mindset and evaluate the value of your automation in terms of return on investment (ROI). If the price of your tools—in both time and cost—outweighs the benefits for your church, it’s time to evolve your approach.

In that spirit, make sure your team agrees upon key performance indicators (KPIs) for financial reporting. Trackable metrics like time required to generate reports, the amount of staff effort saved, reduction in accounting errors, and other such factors are a great way to ensure you’re getting value out of your system.

As the use of automated financial reporting systems becomes more common, the regulations safeguarding your church and consumers expand and evolve commensurately. Part of your strategic oversight must include regular staff training on financial compliance, and you’ll need to ensure data security that meets the latest standards. Regular auditing can help you address any exposures or errors in your system.

Finally, take the time to review your internal reporting processes, especially in those first months after adopting new automated systems. Dig into the trends and feedback from everyone involved in the reporting process, and address their concerns as best you can. Doing so not only makes your people feel heard—and adds even more transparency to your processes—but you’ll ultimately increase the ROI of your technology.

And at the end of the day, that’s the purpose of technology: to help people more easily and successfully engage with the world. Whether that’s checking the weather on a Sunday morning, communicating with congregants—or automating church financial reporting processes—tech should be thoughtfully and intentionally adopted where appropriate for each churches’ unique needs.

Don’t worry if you’re not sure if you’re not sure what might be best for your ministry. Our passionate team of Pushpay experts are always available to discuss your church’s mission, and can guide you toward the tools and resources that might help you realize your vision.

TOUR THE GIVING PLATFORM

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Embracing a Digital Giving Strategy for Growth and Sustainability https://pushpay.com/blog/digital-giving-strategy-for-churches/ https://pushpay.com/blog/digital-giving-strategy-for-churches/#respond Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:41:20 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=12032

When it comes to creating and implementing a digital giving strategy, the “set it and forget it” approach doesn’t work for growing generosity in your church.

So, why is creating an intentional digital giving strategy important to your church’s growth and sustainability? Because being proactive is vital in ensuring your church’s financial stability in the long run.

What is digital giving?

Digital giving offers convenience and expanded outreach capabilities, but when implemented strategically with the right tool, it can provide transparency, reliable record-keeping, and the potential for scalability. Embracing new technologies and constantly seeking ways to improve your digital giving strategy will help future-proof your church and ensure long-term success.

The importance of security and other digital giving concerns

More digital giving tools means more emphasis on security. Donor security and privacy are essential to safeguarding the trust you’ve built with your congregants. It’s important to make sure all data is securely stored and encrypted, as well as compliant with applicable laws concerning data storage. Additionally, donors should have the ability to easily access and delete their data if desired. Your software provider should also have a monitoring system in place and a dedicated team of privacy and information security professionals working closely together to ensure best practices are employed and security requirements are met.

If you’re interested in learning more about digital giving security, Pushpay has a whole page dedicated to it. We guarantee that our app is about 2,000 times more secure than handing a waiter your credit card to go and swipe.

In addition to security, there are also a few other common concerns about digital giving that we hear often:

Is it less spiritual to give digitally?

When we give an offering, we put a physical item that represents value onto the plate. The act of giving something tangible makes it seem important. With digital giving, nothing physical is exchanged, so it feels different. And when you sign up for recurring giving, the money comes out automatically, so there’s no regular act of giving. Isn’t that less spiritual?

No. We’re called to sacrificially give to support God’s kingdom. Spirituality lies in the sacrifice of giving, not in how or even what we give. When the Old Testament was written, people gave grains, spices, and animals. In the New Testament, they gave currency (typically in the form of coins). Times change. Thankfully, we no longer have to bring sheep to church.

Is there the ability to cancel or change a recurring giving amount?

Recurring giving is fantastic for churches. People decide on an amount they want to give, plug it into the app, set a frequency, and let it run. When the time comes, the app transfers the money to the church. This gives churches a steady income they can rely on and mitigates problems that arise from people neglecting or forgetting to give.

But the power lies with the user. They can turn off recurring giving at any time or change the amount. That means next year they can decide to give more.

Will digital giving show up on an end-of-year giving statement?

Giving used to be a lot harder to track. If a church used giving envelopes, there was a good chance of getting an accurate giving statement (provided the info was entered regularly). But if people threw cash into the offering, there was no way that it was getting recorded.

A big plus of digital giving is that everything that’s given is meticulously tracked. Not only will end-of-year giving statements be more accurate, but anyone can easily check giving progress any time of the year.

Is digital giving appropriate for all ages?

Technology can feel overwhelming for older people. They’ll often focus their resistance on some imagined fault with the tech, but the truth is that they’re mostly overwhelmed by learning a new app—especially when it affects their finances. This is good news. You can teach them to use an app!

As you prioritize digital giving in your church, make an effort to come alongside this group and train them to use your app. This can be done from the pulpit or in a class dedicated to getting everyone on board. Once older people see how it’s done, their confidence will soar.

The elements of a successful digital giving strategy

Your digital giving strategy should consider the following:

User experience

It’s important that your online giving platform is both easy to use and accessible. Look for providers that offer intuitive and straightforward tools that are optimized for both desktop and mobile devices. This will ensure that your donor base, regardless of technical know-how, can easily contribute to your church.

Recurring donation options

Many of the tools available in the market today have easy-to-use digital and recurring giving capabilities that can help improve your donor’s experience and increase donations. But Pushpay takes today’s giving technology to the next level with the Everygift™ system of features that proactively prevents credit card gifts from failure, ensuring they have a chance to be recovered and processed.

What’s more, Everygift™ grows donations with features that are based on data-driven strategies to increase donation volume without administrative burden. It’s a win-win. And by offering recurring donation options with multiple giving schedules, churches have the potential to increase their donation consistency. Not only is this convenient for churchgoers who prefer to donate electronically, but it also helps churches plan their budget more effectively.

Multiple giving options

Donors expect a wide array of digital giving options. Mobile apps, online portals, text-to-give—all of these methods should be available and integrated into your church’s digital giving platform. This will provide donors with the flexibility to contribute in ways that fit their lifestyle.

How to successfully transition to a digital giving strategy

Transitioning to a digital giving strategy starts with looking for new giving software. When selecting a new software, your priorities should be:

1. your congregation’s user experience
2. how the new software can support the wonderful work your team is already doing

Rely on customer support

Your staff will use your church giving software in a completely different way than your congregants, so consider a software provider with a solid customer support team that’s available at any time you have questions or need extra support. For instance, Pushpay offers multiple support types for different roles and offers a whole help site dedicated to product education and support.

Leverage integrations

Your church might also benefit from integrating your Church Management Software with your new digital giving platform for ease-of-use, improved donor communication, and reporting. A seamless integration between the two ensures that you’re not missing out on opportunities to nurture donor relationships, disciple members, and capture your congregation’s complete picture of engagement.

Encourage adoption

Engagement will be essential to adoption and, more importantly, growth. This is where an integrated church app can help your church by serving as an interactive hub. Congregants can use the app to interact with their small groups, view and switch serving assignments, access sermons, receive updates, and give—all in one place. When you update your app or hub consistently, your members will be inspired to continue engaging, serving, and supporting your church.

Focus on change management

Once you’ve landed on a new digital giving platform that best suits your church, you’ll need to have a change management process in place. Focusing on change management strategies will help minimize issues around adoption and implementation. We recommend taking these steps when rolling out your new giving software:

1. Communicate changes with your staff and allow them to ask questions, use the software, and contribute to your communications plan.

2. Have your pastor personally invite a small group of church leaders to download your online mobile giving app and make a small gift. Ask them about their experience and if they would like to recommend ways that would make implementation to the rest of the congregation easier.

3. When creating your communication, from social media to bulletin inserts, use QR codes to make downloading your giving app easier.

4. On the Friday before rollout, send an email to your congregation introducing your new giving platform along with your QR code. It will help them plan ahead before your Sunday service.

5. On launch day, prepare altar announcements for your pastor to introduce the new tool and have a QR code on the screen during collection so that your members are ready to give.

At Pushpay, we know that moving donors to your new platform can be a long and drawn-out process. Our Recurring Migration feature is an automated templated email campaign with a dashboard that shows you real-time results to help you monitor the progress of your migration and follow-up with donors who haven’t moved their recurring gifts.

Evaluating and enhancing your digital giving strategy

Part of evaluating the success of a giving strategy means knowing what to measure. With the help of data and technology, churches can better track metrics, performance indicators, and trends to refine their strategy in order to have a better picture of engagement.

For example, if your system provides donor insights on new givers, this data allows your church to respond immediately with a personal thank you note from the pastor, a welcome gift that you’ve prepared ahead of time, and a planned path for discipleship that invites them to engage further with your church.

By taking the time to understand your donors and creating a giving experience tailored to their needs, your church can make the most of your digital giving and ensure donors have an enjoyable experience. With the right approach and dedication to donor-centric strategies, your church can not only increase donations but also cultivate meaningful relationships with your congregation.

That’s why it’s important to pay attention to digital trends and explore new technology solutions that can help improve your digital giving strategy, as well as track donor engagement metrics and performance indicators in order to continually optimize the digital giving experience.

How Celebration Church increased recurring givers

Celebration Church is an inspiring example of how diligently evaluating their digital toolkit multiplied generosity. Though nearly 70% of their giving was through online gifts, their platform had a complicated interface that prevented them from growing its number of recurring givers. Their staff also spent a significant amount of time and energy with the software.

Implementing Pushpay giving and app led Celebration Church to a six-fold increase in recurring giving in just one year. The overflowing expression of generosity has allowed them to not only reinforce the value of planned giving, but also fund their ministry in developing countries, meals for needy children, and improve care services for their congregants.

Which digital giving strategy will you start using today?

Digital giving offers churches a great opportunity for increased engagement and improved donation consistency. By frequently evaluating new digital giving trends and understanding the importance of user-friendly, accessible online digital giving platforms, incorporating recurring giving, offering diversified giving options, and ensuring donor security and privacy, your church can build a successful digital giving strategy.

Want to learn more about how Pushpay can help your church? Schedule a demo with our team to see how we can work for you.

TOUR THE GIVING PLATFORM

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The Role of Online Giving During A Crisis https://pushpay.com/blog/the-role-of-online-giving-during-a-crisis/ https://pushpay.com/blog/the-role-of-online-giving-during-a-crisis/#respond Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:49:13 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=11854

In the face of adversity, we often find our greatest strengths and most profound moments of growth. It is during these challenging times that the resilience and adaptability of communities are put to the test.

As churches navigate through crises, the role of technology becomes increasingly apparent. Online church isn’t just a temporary solution—it’s a powerful tool that fosters connection, compassion, and generosity when they need it most. Online giving, in particular, has proven to be a lifeline for churches, enabling them to continue their mission and support their communities in times of need.

The Impact of Online Giving in Crisis

Online giving is more than just a convenience; it’s a lifeline in times of crisis.

In times of crisis, the importance of community and generosity becomes increasingly evident. As you navigate challenging times, it’s heartening to witness how churches have weathered financial crises with the help of online giving.

Few stories illustrate this better than that of St. Anthony of Padua. They managed to increase their generosity even amidst the pandemic. They launched their campaign in January 2020, just before the pandemic. Their goal was to raise $6.5 million, but with online giving, pledges, and determination, they surpassed their goal and raised $7.5 million. In a time when many were facing financial difficulties and weren’t able to meet and give in person, the church experienced an upswing in donations, thanks in part to their adoption of online giving.

The Grove Church and Bear Creek Church also have stories of making an impact with online giving. Despite the adversities thrown their way, from a pandemic to an economic recession, they managed to maintain and even increase their financial stability through online giving platforms. These stories underline a powerful truth: Online giving is more than just a convenience; it’s a lifeline in times of crisis.

The Power of Recurring Giving in Building Resilience

Recurring giving isn’t just a financial strategy. It’s a cornerstone of a resilient ministry. It offers a predictable revenue stream and increased donor retention so churches can plan effectively and continue fulfilling their mission in any season.

The beauty of recurring giving (for everyone involved) lies in its simplicity.

With consistent donations flowing in month after month, your church can confidently anticipate your revenue stream and plan accordingly. This improved cash flow establishes a strong foundation for better long-term planning and budgeting, empowering your ministry’s operations and initiatives.

But the impact of recurring giving extends beyond your ministry—it also benefits the donors themselves.

Donors set up their contributions once, choosing the amount and frequency that suits them best. This convenience often leads to long-term commitments, as it removes the need for donors to remember to give each week or month. And according to Nonprofit Source, recurring givers donate 42% more over a year compared to one-time donors. These consistent contributions can have a significant impact, equipping your ministry for survival and resilience even during times of crisis.

Consistent gifts provide churches with the ability to plan ahead and strategically allocate resources to critical areas, ranging from vital ministry work to impactful community outreach programs. However, the true value of these recurring contributions shines through during times of crisis.

With consistent, established recurring giving, your church can do more than just meet the needs around you; you’ll have the resources to go above and beyond in your mission to serve, love, and uplift your community. By building a strong foundation of support, your church can navigate challenges with resilience. You’ll be able to not only survive but thrive and emerge stronger than ever before.

How to Create Online Giving Campaigns During a Crisis

Sometimes crises call for more resources—that’s when a campaign can help. Initiating an effective giving campaign requires strategic planning, clear communication, and a deep understanding of your community’s needs. And all of those can be hard to wrangle and bring together during a crisis.

Pushpay’s online giving solution can help you quickly set up a crisis fund, so people near and far can be generous and provide much-needed aid. Watch the short video below for tips on generating easy-to-share links or QR Codes for your church.

Now that you know how to create a campaign, it’s time to figure out the what. Here are some strategies to support your communities during a crisis.

Shine a Light on Mental Health

Crises can often trigger a surge in mental health struggles. Your church can underscore the importance of mental health with campaigns aimed at educating or even providing resources to your congregation and the wider community.

In response to the hopelessness and desperation that so many people felt during the COVID-19 pandemic, Christ’s Church of the Valley launched its Press On initiative. For over 4,000 people who texted “help” during their campaign, Christ’s Church of the Valley shared resources and helped pay for their first ten counseling sessions.

Connect Campaigns with Community Services

Consider pairing your giving campaign with supportive services. A campaign focused on community service not only meets pressing needs but also fosters a sense of unity and resilience. This could involve organizing food drives, assisting the elderly or vulnerable, or mobilizing volunteers for local clean-up projects. Coupling your campaigns with these acts of service creates a more comprehensive crisis relief within your community, tackling immediate needs and paving the way for long-term recovery.

Create a Standing “Emergency Fund” Campaign

Even if you’re not facing a crisis right now, there are steps you can take to be ready whenever one hits. By setting up an ongoing emergency fund, your church can be (more) prepared to face any crisis head-on. Regular contributions to this fund mean there are always resources at hand whenever adversity strikes.

Monitoring Giving Trends in a Crisis

In a crisis, the landscape of charitable giving often shifts. Some people will feel a pull in their hearts to give more generously, while others suddenly need a helping hand.

Understanding your church’s giving trends—donor behavior, donation frequency and amount, peak giving days, and even donor retention rates—becomes crucial in a crisis. Because data drives decisions. It’s not just about keeping the lights on; it’s about adapting, supporting people in need, and ensuring that your church can continue its mission no matter what comes your way.

Recognizing patterns in your giving data will help you tailor your fundraising campaigns for maximum impact and identify potential challenges early on. If donations are declining, you can take proactive steps to address this issue, whether that’s through communication, engagement, or other strategies.

With Pushpay’s financial dashboard, administrators can easily generate reports based on real-time giving data. The insights can range from the number of donations or givers to the payment methods used. And armed with those insights, your team will be able to understand what’s currently happening and what could happen next. This information is invaluable, helping your church adapt its strategies to continue supporting those in need and fulfill its mission.

But recognizing trends data is just one part of the process. To create effective fundraising campaigns in a crisis, you also need to focus on the people behind the numbers—your donors. At the heart of every donation is a person wanting to make a difference. Our donor management software makes it easier for churches to connect with and appreciate donors with personalized messages and timely communications. Speaking of…

Appreciating Your Donors During and After a Crisis

Every donation takes on added significance when you’re in a crisis. Each one is a lifeline, providing much-needed support to those impacted by the crisis. It’s in these moments that the act of giving becomes more than a transaction—it becomes a testament to the resilience and compassion of our community.

In this context, appreciating your donors goes beyond saying “thank you.” It’s about recognizing the weight of their contribution during such challenging times, acknowledging the sacrifice they might have made to extend their generosity amidst the crisis.

But how can we show this appreciation most effectively?

It starts with a personalized thank-you note immediately after they give. With Pushpay Giving, you can create unique thank-you messages for each fund, including campaigns. These unique messages can underscore the significance of that specific donation and how that donor has helped to make a difference. It’s a simple gesture that can strengthen community bonds significantly, especially in times of crisis. But don’t let the conversation end there.

Regularly update your donors on how their contributions are making a difference. Are their donations helping to feed families in need? Are they contributing to the construction of much-needed infrastructure? Let them know! This transparency builds trust in your relationship with your donor and reinforces the value of their contribution.

Even after the crisis has passed, it’s crucial to maintain these connections. Continue to acknowledge their supportive role during the crisis, remind them of the impact of their generosity, and inspire them to stay involved.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUCCESSFUL DONOR MANAGEMENT FOR CHURCHES

Moving Forward Together

A crisis can be challenging, but it also opens up opportunities for compassion, generosity, and resilience. By leveraging online giving, understanding your donor behavior, and appreciating every contribution, you can navigate these challenging times and move forward stronger than before. Because it’s not just about raising funds—it’s about raising hope.

We’re here to support you through the highs, the lows, and the moments in between. For additional resources that can help you prepare and lead in crises, visit our Crisis Resource Page.

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Stock Donations and the Future of Church Giving https://pushpay.com/blog/stock-donations-are-the-future-of-church-giving/ https://pushpay.com/blog/stock-donations-are-the-future-of-church-giving/#respond Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:38:45 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=11646

We’re living in an era of unprecedented technological advancement, which affects every aspect of our lives. The way people interact and engage with your Church is no exception to this trend.

Most leaders have already embraced tech solutions specifically designed to enhance ministry; 89% of churches report using a ChMS solution, according to the 2023 State of Church Tech report. Mobile apps continue to expand in functionality and grow in popularity, and online giving now drives the vast majority of donations received by churches.

And yet, the types of gifts that can fuel mission-based organizations haven’t yet been fully accepted. “Complex” gifts—that’s to say, non-cash assets—require special attention, digital functionality, and professional know-how.

That’s why Pushpay has partnered with Engiven, the #1 donation platform for stocks and cryptocurrency. Their system allows churches to accept complex financial gifts—which are often exponentially larger in value than cash donations.

Pushpay first released an integration with Engiven’s crypto functionality in March ‘23. Today, their equally powerful stock processing system is accessible through Pushpay Giving, empowering donors by opening a new channel for generosity that benefits givers and churches alike.

Available July 31st!
All churches that use Pushpay Giving can accept stock through Engiven, without an additional subscription fee!

Overall Non-Cash Giving Market Trends

Experts—including Engiven’s CEO James Lawrence—agree that we’re on the precipice of a tremendous wealth transfer between generations. As James explains:

“A massive transfer of wealth in the U.S. has begun and will continue over the next 30 years, as the baby boomers transfer trillions of dollars of wealth to Gen X and Millennials, who have been raised with digital experience.”

Put another way, fiscal resources are about to be owned by people who grew up managing all their financial transactions through computers and mobile apps. That trend cannot be ignored.

As younger generations take control of major non-cash assets, the manner in which they express generosity will evolve in parallel:

“Non-cash and complex giving are definitely on the rise. Almost 75% of aggregate household assets are in the form of financial assets—namely stocks and mutual funds, retirement accounts, and closely-held businesses. This means that their ability to give is substantially higher when it comes to non-cash assets like crypto, stock, property, etc.”

Benefits for the Church

Once ministries and leaders embrace complex gifts like crypto and stocks, a new tier of financial gifts becomes available:

“The biggest value is for ministries to unlock a massive asset class and the major gifts that typically come from it. According to a 2023 poll by Gallup, it’s estimated that around 61% of adults in the U.S. own stock with more than $21 billion in stock donated to charities each year.”

That said, it’s not enough to simply offer a method for accepting stock donations. These processes should be clear, transparent, and promoted to all potential givers. Leadership teams need to develop a plan early on—and adjust as necessary—to maximize stock donation efficiency for donors and staff alike.

Benefits for Givers

Your congregation wants to donate to your church through complex gifts. They care about supporting the ministries that resonate with them—and certainly won’t argue against the associated tax benefits:

“Stock gifts are donated year-round, but the majority are given at year’s end. The main reason is that stock gifts can provide an excellent tax benefit to the giver by reducing their tax exposure from capital gains tax. As a result, the ministry generally receives larger gifts in the form of stock.”

Note that donors benefit exponentially when giving appreciated stock, especially when that stock has been owned for a year or more. Instead of cashing out and paying capital gains tax, the giver receives a higher tax deduction, while the church enjoys the full donation amount. It’s a win-win.

Risks or Tax Considerations

Whenever a new fiscal instrument is introduced, those considering its use justifiably question the risk involved. But churches accepting stock donations—with the proper tools and documentation that Engiven provides—enjoy a completely risk-free process:

“As a nonprofit, the ministry will not have any kind of tax exposure from stock gifts. The tax benefits are designed to help the giver.”

What’s more, Engiven’s platform is intentionally giver-focused. Donor needs are, and always will be, the priority:

“Our philosophy of generosity is that ministries should always be relational in terms of how they fundraise, but highly technical in the execution of the fundraising itself. Stock giving, along with other kinds of complex giving, can take a lot of time and follow up relationally. But it should be an elegant process in terms of flow of funds. Sometimes ministries are not even made aware of a stock donation that’s been made until weeks or months afterward. Our process enables real-time stock process awareness, which means the ministry can acknowledge the giver in a real-time way. As a result, there’s no downside and a ton of upside to receiving stock donations.

“…My hope is that in the very near future, ministries will be able to accept every type of digital or physical donation type that is easily exchanged for cash that the ministry uses to grow their Kingdom impact. Engiven is building these technologies now and our partnership with Pushpay will help get them into the hands of ministries who need them.”

The teams behind Engiven and Pushpay are driven by intentional innovation; we don’t build tech in a silo. We speak with and listen to the churches we serve, and develop solutions based on their feedback.

Which is why our dedicated team of Pushpay experts—who live and breathe Church tech—would love to chat with you about your unique needs, and how Pushpay might support your mission.

TOUR OUR GIVING PLATFORM

Going to RX23? We’ll be there, sharing a booth with Engiven. Come find us and learn more about how we can help you explore and embrace the world of complex gifts!

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Generosity: A Plan For Reaching New Donors in Your Church https://pushpay.com/blog/generosity-a-plan-for-reaching-brand-new-donors-in-your-church/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:57:04 +0000 https://pushpay.com/generosity-a-plan-for-reaching-new-donors-in-your-church/

In my many years of working with churches, the topic of “what about the people who don’t give” comes up all the time. Every church has them. It can be 40%, or 50% or more of the people who are attending the church. They attend, they participate, and they may even serve. But they haven’t begun supporting the church financially. The very mention of this group brings about a roll of the eyes and a frustrated lament from the leaders of the church. They don’t know what to do to motivate them to start giving. What’s the best plan for reaching new donors?

The Need for Different Approach

For many churches, the approach is the same as for all the other people in their church. Doing more of what hasn’t worked in the past is not a solution that is likely to work. If that was going to work, it probably would have worked by now. A single approach for all the givers and potential givers in your church is not the answer. Non-givers are different and have to be treated as such.

Understanding Why People Don’t Give

Additionally, we have to understand why people are not giving in the first place. In his excellent book on stewardship and generosity, Generous Living, Financial Advisor Ron Blue lists seven reasons why people don’t give.

1. Don’t plan to.

2. Don’t know how to.

3. Don’t know they can.

4. Limited relationships.

5. Limited vision.

6. Financial problems.

7. Spiritual problems.

And he notes that spiritual reasons are by far the number one reason people do not give to their church.

The Theology of Giving

That certainly squares up with what I have seen over the years. It’s rare when a person gives beyond their spiritual development. People’s giving tends to mirror their faith. There is a theology that is behind every stage of giving. If we do not develop the theology of the giver, the longer-term pattern will not change.

Developing Non-Givers: The Journey Begins

I look back at my own giving story. My wife and I became Christ followers in spring 1983. We started our giving journey in 1985. And then started to become generous Christians in May 1985 when, for the first time in our lives, we wrote a check to our church for 10% of our gross income that month. We would have said at the time we could not afford to give more. But that’s not really true. Financially, we could have given more. It was our spiritual development that was holding us back.

Motive Matters: Developing the Spiritual Side

Giving is a journey. And people can’t grow in their journey until they start the journey. The church cannot assume people will read their Bible and figure it out. The church has to be intentional in developing their people. That is, discipling them specifically in the area of financial generosity. What does the Bible say about your money and possessions and what are the implications of that for your life? Preaching regularly about it and reinforcing that by studying it in the group structure of your church.

Your motive matters. Therefore, it is important to do this for the good of the giver, not the financial needs of the church. Communicating to your givers that this is not about what the church needs from you. It is about what happens to you when you give, as the Apostle Paul said so eloquently in Philippians 4:17.

So, addressing the spiritual side of giving is the foundation for developing non-givers.

Strategy and Tactics for Developing Non-Givers

On the strategy and tactical side, there are things you can and should do to help develop non-givers.

Recognize Inactive Givers

The challenge to develop inactive givers is this. Churches generally do not know how to address the issue in a way that encourages and motivates the giver. It is not helpful for the pastor or others to say things like, “we have a lot of people who do not give here.” What is really happening is that there are a lot of people who haven’t started their giving journey yet. Isn’t that a better way of viewing it? And for many of them, they might be giving elsewhere but not to the church. Many inactive givers would rather give to a good cause that impacts people than to their church. They don’t have a giving problem, they have a “giving to my church” problem.

Addressing Perceptions and Misconceptions

Part of the reason might reside with the church. Nominal and no-givers have wrong perceptions about the church and its intentions in developing givers. Their baggage from other experiences or just plain wrong perceptions lead them to believe that all the church wants is their money. The Bible doesn’t teach that or even suggests that idea. Most churches would say they don’t believe that either and yet it leaks through in their efforts to balance the budget. That’s why the Philippians 4:17 verse is so important to developing inactive givers. Our motivation is their well-being, not the church’s.

Taking Small Steps

As we think through how to develop non-givers, let’s not ask too much of them in the beginning. If it is a journey, we are not asking them to do the whole journey right off the bat. You don’t learn to swim today and swim 20 laps tomorrow. Think of it like going to a gym for the first time. We only want them to pick up the 10-pound dumbbell and start there.

To do that, I’d recommend that you segment inactive givers and speak to them differently than the rest of the congregation. You can do this through targeted email campaigns. Inactive givers tend to like giving to a cause that benefits people outside the walls of the church. Show them ways they can make smaller gifts – say, $25, $50 or $100 – that would meet the needs of a people group in your community. A simple step that would get them started on their giving journey.

Invitational Language and Gratitude

Another way of speaking to this group is to mention them in the offering moment periodically. Perhaps if you have a special cause the church is supporting, you might say something like, “If you have not started your giving journey here at our church, today would be a great time to do that. And here’s why….” Using invitational language like this is winsome and it invites non-givers to start their journey.

Once a person gives for the first time, there is a very important next step in the process. Gratitude. Thanking them for their gift. This is often overlooked in the church. And yet every non-profit that is not a church does it as a matter of course. The church has to be as good at expressing gratitude for a first-time gift as any organization.

People often equate life priorities with their financial treasures, therefore the release of personal resources to your care and stewardship signals a deeper level of relationship between your church, the giver, and you. To ignore this bold step is to potentially suggest an indifference. Making a financial gift indicates thoughtfulness in the decision and not an impromptu or impulse moment. Expressing gratitude should be the response by the church.

Implementing a Gratitude Plan

How do you create intentional practices to make this step of gratitude effective? Here are some thoughts to help you develop your plan:

1. Have the accounting team give you the list of new givers no later than 9 AM on Tuesday of each week.

2. The sooner a note is received, the more powerful the impact. Have the notes in the mail no more than 48 hours after the initial gift.

3. Make the note handwritten to increase your relational, pastoral connection. Even if the pastor’s handwriting looks like it came from an archaeological dig, the personal touch is what matters. Sure, you could use email, but a handwritten note is much more powerful.

4. Hand-write the address on the envelope and use a colorful first-class stamp. Stamped envelopes are more often read plus, it adds a personal touch.

5. The senior pastor (with some important exceptions) writes the note, not another staff member.

6. Just a few sentences makes the connection stronger.

7. Always use first names to begin.

Celebrating First-Time Givers

And one final thing to reinforce the whole process. Celebrate people who have given for the first time. I would recommend you do this at least every other month, if not every month. The best time to do this is in the giving moment or during set-up for the offering. “One of the things we get really excited about here in our church is when someone gives for the very first time. Last month we had 29 people who gave for the very first time. How cool is that? Let’s give them a hand this morning as we celebrate the start of their giving journey.”

See what that does? It reinforces all the other parts. Imagine if you are one of the first-time givers in that worship service. You’d feel pretty good that the church recognized and celebrated what you had done. And you’d probably be motivated to do it again.

And that’s what it looks like to encourage and engage first time givers.

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Fulfill Your Church’s Mission with Post-Christmas Recurring Giving https://pushpay.com/blog/recurring-tithes-and-offerings-after-christmas https://pushpay.com/blog/recurring-tithes-and-offerings-after-christmas#respond Thu, 05 Jan 2023 19:12:25 +0000 https://pushpay.com/?p=10145

Here’s a hard truth: For many churches, giving during the Christmas season is crucial to their ministries’ work all year. With a large number of people attending Christmas Eve and Christmas service, the likelihood of receiving a Christmas offering from new and returning church members is high. But how can you transform one-time giving into tithing as a reliable source to further your church’s mission? 

Since Christmas is the season of giving, there’s no better time to inspire your community to put generosity into action with post-Christmas tithes and offerings

EXPLORE OUR GIVING PLATFORM

Benefits of Recurring Giving

How seriously is your church taking recurring giving? While many people give faithfully every month, there’s a difference between a regular donor and a recurring donor. The biggest difference? Your regular givers have to decide to give (and how much to give). Every. Single. Time. 

Recurring giving is different. It’s consistent. It allows your congregation to give automatically each month. It’s convenient. And it’s practical. But don’t just take our word for it:

  • Network for Good found that recurring givers donate 42% more annually.
  • Causevox reported that monthly donors have a retention rate (the percentage of people who continue to give) of 90%, while the average giver only has a 46% retention rate.
  • Classy showed that recurring givers make additional one-time gifts 75% more often than one-time donors.

One of the most significant benefits of recurring giving is that it provides a predictable revenue stream for your ministry, no matter the season. Recurring giving frees your church from sweating it out during the summer slump and other slower seasons.

You’ll see more donations and donors when your ministry embraces recurring giving. With those increased resources, you can spread great joy within your community. That means more discipleship, more events, more outreach, more people fed, more relationship-building, more ministering, and more blessings for those in need.

How to Drive Recurring Giving Post-Christmastide

How can you encourage more of your supporters to give regularly? We have some tips so you can encourage regular giving.

Even after Christmas, there is still time to encourage recurring giving! The entire month of December is filled with the spirit of generosity. As the month (and year) ends, donors often get increasingly generous during the holiday season, according to Nonprofits Source. Almost 33% of all charitable giving happens in December. And 10% of all annual donations come in the last three days of the year. So we promise it’s not too late! Now is the perfect time to inspire donors to establish recurring giving even after Christmas ends.

Talk About Giving

Few subjects make people squirm as much as money. But for church leaders, money is as much a spiritual as a financial issue. For church leaders, guiding people into a generous lifestyle is part of creating a healthy and growing church. And how you talk about generosity has a lasting impact on your congregation. 

Most churches announce when it’s time to pass the offering plate each week. This normalizes physical giving, but it’s also an opportunity to normalize recurring giving. With a quick mention of a weekly or monthly gift, you’re providing another gentle nudge to encourage donors to establish recurring gifts. 

Beyond the weekly reminders, you can plan a sermon series around generosity that dives deeper than just financial generosity. Your message could also cover being generous through volunteering, relationships, and hospitality.

Share Stories Of Impact

Are you showing or telling? You may spend time on Sundays telling people what the Bible says about giving and generosity and asking them to give to your mission. But along with those words, you need some action. When you show the impact of generosity, you’re helping your congregation see the importance of giving and how they can help make a difference. 

It’s time to share how God is working through your church and how your ministry is advancing his kingdom by blessing others. Are you running a food pantry that helps feed hungry families? Did your church fill up gas tanks over the summer or collect coats for a local shelter? Does your church support missionaries at home or abroad? 

Share the meaningful moments and callings close to your church’s heart. Then, when people see how their generosity affects their community, they’ll be inclined to give more.

Check out this video to see how Houston Northwest Church is using Pushpay to fulfill their mission!

LEARN ABOUT PUSHPAY’S GIVING SOLUTION

Show How Easy Recurring Giving Can Be

Many churchgoers have spent decades placing their weekly donations on offering plates. It’s second nature to grab a check or cash, add it to the plate, and pass it further down the aisle. 

Just because recurring giving is different doesn’t mean it has to be hard! With recurring giving, donors can set up their gift with a quick couple of clicks. Having demonstrations and tutorials for regular donors to set up recurring giving shows them exactly how to make the change. You can take a few minutes during your church service on Sunday to demonstrate, send an email with step-by-step directions, or share a video in a group chat. 

Lean On Technology

When you’re trying to inspire recurring giving after Christmas has ended, it’s not just about your givers—it’s also about the tools you’re using. When your church makes recurring giving simple and easy, people give even more. 

Churches can lean on technology in many ways to engage givers. One way is through online giving for churches that can be integrated with existing church software. Two popular features in Pushpay’s donor management software are:

  • Recurring Suggestion. When you enable this feature, whenever someone gives to your church, they’ll get a simple, natural nudge to consider making their gift a recurring donation. Recurring Suggestion is one of the reasons why most churches that switch to Pushpay see a 76% growth in recurring givers in their first six months.
  • Default to Recurring. Setting up a recurring schedule should be easy, and this feature defaults the user to a recurring gift. Users can select a one-time gift if they choose, but most don’t turn off recurring giving and let the automation donate for them consistently. Churches that turn on this feature have seen an average 6% increase in recurring donations.

Recognize and Thank Donors

Your donors make all the good work your ministry does possible. New or existing donors will fund anything you have in store for the new year. That’s why donor management is essential to influence continued church growth.

So, as you work to increase tithes after Christmas, you’ll want to thank the people who have supported you from January to November. It’s critical that you maintain a strong relationship with people who have already given to you. Learn effective donor relationship management strategies that can transform church members into cheerful givers. 

Giving thanks and practicing gratitude makes all the difference. Don’t rely on a generic “thank you” on Sunday mornings to your audience. Instead, personalize your thank-you messages. That could look like a handwritten letter, a phone call, or a chat over coffee with the pastor. You know your donors best, so customize your communications and deepen those relationships. 

Inspire Recurring Tithes & Offerings with ChurchStaq

We at Pushpay are here for you in the busyness of December and every month after! When you need support with launching recurring giving or showing gratitude to current recurring donors, we’re here to ensure the success of your mission. Schedule a call with one of our experts today to learn more about how we can help your church—especially about increasing recurring giving.

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Sources: 

https://www.networkforgood.com/resource/why-recurring-giving-matters/ 

https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/recurring-donors-440-percent-more-valuable-than-one-off-donors

https://www.causevox.com/blog/donor-retention/ 

https://www.classy.org/blog/recurring-donations-infographic/ 

https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/  

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