The 4th of July Giving Coach

July 4^th is days away, and in this Coach, I will help you devise a plan to increase giving! I’m taking a break from my series on capital campaigns to focus on this issue, entitled The 4^th of July Giving Coach. If you have followed me for any length of time you know that I utilize a seasonal strategy for my giving plans. I believe that every holiday gives us an opportunity to communicate a compelling message that will lead people to give to your church. One of the great seasonal opportunities is the 4^th of July. However, if you don’t have a plan, the 4^th can be disastrous for your offering.

This year, the 4^th falls on a Thursday. How will that impact that week’s offering? Not as bad as if the 4^th created a three-day holiday weekend. But falling on a Thursday, how full will the “house” be on Sunday, July 7th, or for that matter, on Sunday, June 30th? You could be looking at a challenging two weeks for the offering. This alone is one reason why you must have a plan of action. You don’t want to jeopardize your momentum. For some churches, a two-week decline in giving is worse.

How is giving going halfway through the year? That is the question that I always ask a pastor at some point in our conversation. What is your answer to that question? Your answer sets the stage for whatever plan you devise. If you are way ahead of budget, your message is entirely different than a church already challenged to pay its bills. For the typical church, it is right about now that they are running out of money in the bank. So, pretty much every church should have some type of strategy to head off a decline in giving.

Let’s make lemonade! It’s the same every year, so let’s put a plan together to make lemonade out of the lemon of the 4^th. Why not hold a special offering push around the 4^th? This could be a great opportunity to not only maintain but also increase your church’s giving, providing a much-needed boost to your finances.

What are the keys to a special offering? Here are some keys to a successful special offering.

• Planning! You can’t decide on Saturday night to hold a special offering on Sunday and expect great results. The more you plan out the special offering, the better your chance for success. Now, our planning must include both in-person and online audiences and provide multiple options by which people can give. By planning early, you can ensure a smooth and successful special offering, giving you control over the outcome.
• Vision! The more appealing the appeal, the better the results. Take the time to craft a compelling vision, and you will see greater success.
• Execution! Having a plan is not enough! You must implement that plan across all existing platforms and tell your story.

What a 4th of July Plan Looks Like

Start by crafting a compelling message of why people should give. Successful offerings always have a message that drives donors to want to give. Here are some key points to think about in crafting your offering message:

• Don’t make it about you. Make it about reaching others with the love of Christ. Make it about fulfilling the vision God has given your church.
• Be positive, not negative.
• It’s not about making a budget; it is about changing lives!
• So, appeal to missions and ministry not making a budget!
• Focus on what you have done and what you have yet to do.

All of the above will take time and planning, but the results will be worth the time you invest. Here is a sample from a paragraph I once wrote for a church’s 4^th of July.

“We are halfway through summer with still many more exciting things to accomplish, so we must not stop now. Please prayerfully consider continuing to give to The Summer of Excelling Grace. Every gift goes to continue our work of sharing grace not only to our community but literally around the world. Our desire is to see many more experience the grace we have as a result of being in Christ. Thanks for your consideration and faithfulness in giving. Your gifts are making a difference.”

Here is a practical step-by-step plan that will help you communicate the vision behind your special offering. In each step, you want to make it easy for people to respond to your appeal. For regular mail, always include a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope so people can mail you checks. Then, in all your communications, make sure you provide a link to your online giving page, allowing readers to click through to the site. Here is my recommendation for a quick plan for the 4^th.

Step One:  On all your social media accounts, begin telling the story that motivates people to give.
Step Two:  Mail a snail mail/email letter on Wednesday, June 26th.
Step Three:  Text your donors on Saturday, June 29^th, reminding them of the importance of giving.
Step Four:  Email your donors on Monday, July 1st, encouraging them to give while away.
Step Five:  A Happy 4^th of July text/email blast from Sr. Pastor on the 4th of July.
Step Six:  Email one last reminder to give on Sunday morning, July 7^th.
Step Seven:  Send a thank you to all who gave on Monday, July 8^th.

All of the above takes time and effort. Yet that effort will not only help reverse any declines in giving it will also set you up to finish the summer strong. So, put some effort into your offering time for the next couple of weeks and you will be blessed. We are halfway through the year, and what you do now will greatly impact the rest of your year. Let’s get your summer fully funded!

Speaking of the 4^th of July, I’m taking next week off. The next Coach will be on July 8^th. Have a great 4^th!

¹
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
mark@acts17generosity.com

OnlineGiving.org, the leading online giving processor in America, sponsors my writing. Find out more about their services at https://www.onlinegiving.org/.