The Right Tools for Addressing the Changing World of Giving

In the changing world of giving, one thing still hasn’t changed. What motivates people to give. Vision is the driver that generates the desire to give. Every appeal needs a driver, a compelling message that drives a donor to give. But the best driver in the world is worthless without effective vehicles to drive the vision to those you want to impact. Let me share from my upcoming playbook, The Two Minute Drill for Giving: How to Build an Effective End-of-Year Strategy, the essential tools you need to effectively launch your end-of-year giving strategy.

What systems should you have in place?

1. Dynamic website. Your website is the first place most people will visit BEFORE they ever darken your doors. Make yours a good one! Also, make sure it is up to date.
2. Robust online giving platform, including text giving. You should be working towards most of your giving coming in some type of digital means. I’ve been in the online industry for over ten years, and I believe the best provider is OnlineGiving.org. Find out more at (615) 206-4000 or support@onlinegiving.org.
3. Social Media platform and presence. Like it or not, many people spend much of their time on social media. If you are not there, you miss an opportunity to connect with your people and those in your community.
4. Postage-prepaid envelopes. I know this sounds old school, but this can be a great tool if used properly.
5. Extensive database of your donors. A given is to have all your member’s email addresses. Yet you also need to have the ability to break this list down by various subgroups like first-time givers, consistency, etc.
6. A mass email platform, such as Constant Contact or MailChimp. There are many platforms to help you send out emails in multiple batches. Some offer free services for a limited number of sends. Most cost only a few dollars a month. Find the tool that suits your church database best.
7. Offering talks. It is essential that each offering time has a talk connecting your vision to giving.

These are the essential tools for meeting the challenges in today’s changing world of giving. Having these tools in place will help with your end-of-year giving initiative but also throughout the year.

Remember, don’t put all your eggs in one basket!