Summer is almost upon us! While it’s an enjoyable season, it also signals a time period where donations to churches typically go down. Keep reading for 5 steps to help your giving stay healthy during the summer months by utilizing technology.
1. Share Your Vision.
When it comes to collecting donations on your website or other platforms, having a clear call-to-action is key, but it’s just as important to tell people what happens when they give. Discuss God’s heart for giving from the Bible. Tell impactful stories about what giving has meant for your church and community. These are different ways you can inspire people to give, while also fostering community and making your website an incredible tool that encourages giving.
2. Multiple Ways to Give Online.
Everyone has their favorite methods of using the internet, so make sure contributors have multiple easy ways to give. There are a variety of options you can use such as a donations link on your church’s website, SMS text donations, and donating through a mobile app. Don’t make visitors search around to figure out how to give — make the process as clear and easy as possible.
3. Get the Word Out.
Once you have the different options available to your congregation, make sure they know about it. Usually, this means an announcement during your church service; but you can also personally call or email the contributors who regularly give via cash or check. Let them know online options are available and how it works. Most software will even let the administrator of the account enter the gift on the contributor’s behalf, so when you are talking to the contributor, you can also offer that as an option for them.
4. Show Contributions Make a Difference.
During this pandemic, let your contributors know if there is a specific fund you would like for them to give money toward. The fund could specifically be for local charities that are helping your community in this crisis. People will be more willing to give when they know their money is being put to good use.
5. Offer the Option of Recurring Giving.
Setting up recurring giving allows people to give regularly by setting it and forgetting it. They no longer have to remember to give and this makes it incredibly easy for them to contribute faithfully each month. In this scenario, your church also benefits from having consistent and reliable finances available, which makes a huge difference in your budgeting and community involvement.
While COVID-19 vaccines are now available to everyone, the cultural effect and importance of utilizing technology will last. In almost every aspect of life now, we have the opportunity to transact online. And it really should be no different when it comes to church giving.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming people will continue to give in-person on Sunday mornings just because that’s the traditional way. Having donation call-to-actions on your streaming platform, email newsletters, and website will help remind people to support their church. Now, more than ever, it’s important to make online giving available and easy.
We’ve been serving churches for 20 years, if we can help you with any tech related needs, reach out to us with live chat on StreamingChurch.tv, email [email protected], or call 866.852.6648.