Category: Online Giving

The Internet has been many things over the past two decades. At first it was a novelty. Then it was a super highway, a boom, a bubble, a bust, and a new frontier. Along the way, it became wireless, social, lightning fast, and mobile. And now, as we start another year, it has become a few other things as well. Indispensable. Ubiquitous. Inescapable. As essential to our daily lives as automobiles and electricity.

And yet despite all of this, many churches continue to treat the Internet as if it is a fad or inessential luxury. This is especially true when it comes to engaging with online and mobile giving tools.

Despite the fact that less than 7% of transactions in the United States are conducted via cash and check, over 75% of American churches still do not offer any form of online giving. That’s right. Three out of every four churches in America are staking their financial health on the hope that their members will give consistently using payment methods they only use 7% of the time. In 2015!

If this describes your church – if you and your team have relegated digital giving to a “we’ll get to it one of these days” type of conversation – then I have a challenge for you. I challenge you to make 2015 “one of those days.” Make 2015 the year you take online and mobile stewardship seriously. (more…)

Next to the employees at your local mall, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone working harder this month than a pastor or church administrator.

There are Christmas concerts and nativity pageants to be coordinated, extra services and outreach opportunities to be planned, not to mention all of the traveling, shopping, and family get-togethers that pack an already crowded schedule!

With so much going on, it’s understandable that “non-essential” things like digital giving end up taking a back seat for a few weeks. But they shouldn’t!

With dozens of family-members and friends visiting your church for the first time this month, and with givers scrambling to get their year-end donations in before the 31st, it is no exaggeration to say that the gifts you receive in December can make or break your budget. (Fun Fact: Nearly 18.00% of all charitable giving and over 22% of online giving takes place in the month of December alone!) (more…)

Let’s face it: you didn’t get into ministry because you loved talking about finances.

This is especially true when it comes to the ever-evolving world of online and mobile giving. You’ve probably heard that digital giving is something your church needs, but – with so many pressing concerns demanding your constant attention – when will you ever find the time to do the necessary research?

We get it. Giving technology is our passion, but it certainly isn’t (and shouldn’t be) yours!

So let’s cut out the clutter and focus on the basics. Let’s talk about The 5 Things Any Self-Respecting Church Giving Platform Should Include. Consider these your “online giving Spark Notes.” If your giving platform does a good job with these five things, you’ll already be head and shoulders above the rest.

1) Recurring Giving – This one comes up a lot, but with good reason. The ability to automate weekly and monthly donations is the #1 benefit online giving can provide your church. The easier and more flexible your platform makes this process, the better. (more…)

We called them “tippers” at my church. Whatever name they go by at your church, you’ll know right away who I’m talking about.

“Tippers” are among the most consistent givers at any church. Ironically, they’re also among the most unreliable. That’s because the amount of their giving is determined not by their heart (or even by their bank account), but instead by what happens to be in their wallet on a given Sunday.

It’s $5.00 one week, a fistful of singles the next. They may dig deep for a $10.00 or a $20.00 on a special Sunday, but they’re just as likely to miss the offering completely the following week. (more…)

After six years of consistent and considerable growth, the importance of online and mobile giving has now been firmly established. Yet for many churches and charitable organizations, the thought of introducing digital giving to their supporters is more than a little intimidating.

But it doesn’t need to be! Yes, it requires a bit of research and a bit of legwork, but a successful digital giving solution really comes down to getting three basic things right. Focus on the three things below, and you’ll be an e-giving expert in no time at all!

1)  The Right Platform

I could write an entire series of posts on this point alone. For our purposes today, lets just focus on the three essentials that any self-respecting online giving platform will include.

Scheduled giving: Online giving’s ability to transform one-time givers into consistent monthly “partners” can completely transform your organization’s finances. Your platform should make recurring giving a snap. The less time and fewer clicks required, the better!

Mobile integration: Mobile Internet usage is expected to overtake desktop usage by the end of this year. Your online giving solution needs to be a mobile giving solution as well. Giving apps, mobile optimized forms, text giving, something really cool we haven’t even heard of yet. It doesn’t have to be one thing, just make sure you’ve got something. 

Customization / Flexibility: How seamless does your platform integrate with your website? Does it allow you to easily create multiple giving campaigns? Can the reports be customized to your liking? Can givers easily control and modify their giving activity? Your fundraising needs are always changing and your platform should be able to change with them. (more…)