Encouraging church members to give, is one of the many challenges plaguing church leaders. With an increased amount of giving ‘competition’ in the form of new nonprofits and community outreach, those members of your church most likely to give may find themselves torn between multiple opportunities. Though it is clear that for many church members, giving is an act of generosity, not the fulfillment of an obligation, church leaders still need to find a way to reach out to them.
Online giving with tools like e-giving Powered by NCS Services can be a valuable revenue source for your church, especially during the seasonal ‘slow’ giving months of the year. According to eleventy marketing group, organizations saw a 16% increase in revenue due to online giving between 2012 and 2013. Though a valuable resource, it can be difficult to utilize this channel when members of your church are reluctant to make the switch to e-giving in favor of more traditional giving methods like offering envelopes.
Inviting church members to utilize online giving need not be a struggle. By making a few simple changes and introducing the program to your church members slowly, you’ll have curious church members trying the platform in no time. Before getting frustrated, enact a few of the following tactics to subtly pull your church members to give online.
Ask Leaders To Participate
In a church environment, members are often susceptible to following the habits of the leaders. A church leader can be an individual on the church staff, or simply those members of your church who seem to carry a natural influence among other church members. By enlisting these individuals to participate in e-giving, especially during the early phases of the program, many of your other church members will be inspired to give online giving a try. Ask church staff and influential members.
Add A Link To The Church’s Website
You’ve told your church members about the new e-giving platform, but, is it easy for them to find? Typically, church members who want to give want to do so with as little effort as possible. If your new e-giving platform is too difficult for them to find and utilize, they will go back to the familiar methods of giving in church. Place a button on the front page of your church’s website to direct church members to your giving platform. By directing them to a familiar source, they will be more comfortable when accessing the new giving system for the first time.
Mention It In The Weekly Bulletin
For any new initiatives, your church members will require a few reminders before the idea really begins to catch on. Take the opportunity to mention e-giving in any written communications, like weekly bulletins, e-newsletter blasts, mailers, or even adding a special line to offering envelopes. With frequent and available links (where applicable) your church family will be more likely to investigate this new giving opportunity.
By resisting the online giving trend, your church may be missing out on regular tithes from generous church members. Join the hundreds of churches utilizing this powerful giving tool, and see how it impacts your church.
