Developing a Digital Giving Strategy

The following was originally posted at: https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/developing-a-digital-giving-strategy

How churches receive the offering has changed drastically from the days of dropping in coins. As we stated in our last post, the future of giving is digital. This is why you must develop a digital giving strategy.

In our last post, we shared the importance of the right attitude for the offering time and giving. In this post, we want to stress what we feel are the right tools to help you build the best digital giving strategy. As we stated in our last post, God doesn’t care about the means of our giving, only that we give. But we have seen the giving options available can determine whether people will give. As we like to say, the easier you make it for people to give, the more apt they are to give. Today, we are living in a cashless and checkless commerce era. This is why you must have the right tools for the 21st century.

What are the right tools you should have in place? Here is our advice on what tools you need.

• Dynamic website. Your website is the first place most people will visit before they ever darken your doors. Your website landing page is like the front porch of your house. If you make it inviting, people will come in. And they will give if they can find your give button, so make it easy to find. Take time now to check the appearance of your church’s site for ease of use and, most of all, what your page communicates. And don’t just look at your site from your desktop; check out your site on your phone. Most of your views will come on a mobile device, and your message must be clearly understood on that device.
• Robust digital giving platform. People today like multiple options by which they can give. We have found that the more giving options you provide, the more likely they will give. As you consider giving options, ensure you provide the ability to give via text, app, or other instant communication platforms. Check out this post from last year, discussing the power of instant communications and giving. https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/the-power-of-instant-communication

From crypto giving to text giving to old-fashioned check writing, OnlineGiving.org provides you with the latest and best-giving methods. Find out more at (615) 206-4000 or at support@onlinegiving.org.

• Social media platform and presence. To have the message of your appeal heard, you must go where your people are. Today, people are spending hours daily pouring through social media posts. By sharing the stories of life-change your church is seeing, you can help people see the value of giving to your church. Then, by posting your giving page URL, like https://brentwoodbaptist.com/stewardship/, people can easily and quickly give to support that life change.
• Postage-prepaid envelopes. I tell church leaders there is a reason non-profits still use snail mail. It works. It can work for you, too, by inserting envelopes in any snail mail appeals you send. Many members will write a check and send it back to you. Then, you can use our check scanning feature, making it easy to post that gift. Find out more in this post: https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/announcing-our-new-check-scanning-capability
• Extensive database of your donors. How up-to-date is your database? Now is the time to clean it up to be prepared for the various mailings, emails, and text messages you will send.
• A mass email platform, such as Constant Contact or MailChimp. There are many platforms to help you send out emails in large batches. Find the tool that suits your church database best.
• Weekly platform talks. On-campus or live streaming, it is essential that each offering time has a talk connecting your vision to giving. The one minute or less you invest in stewardship, encouragement, and education can help increase giving and produce new givers.

These are the essential tools for implementing a digital giving strategy. Having these tools in place will help you get your New Year off to a great start and continue growth throughout the year.

Remember the old saying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In a 21st-century communication plan, you must use all the tools in your toolbox to get your message out. No other digital giving provider gives you the tools, systems, and help we do. To learn more about how we can help you develop your digital giving strategy with the right tools, contact us today at (615) 206-4000 or drop us a line at support@onlinegiving.org.