To increase giving make it fun and easy. That was my advice to the staff of one of America’s largest churches that had experienced a decline in giving. How in the world can you make giving fun and easy? The easy part is easier to explain.
The easier it is for people to give the more they will give! This is one reason why for the last 100 years giving to the church has led all charitable giving. Every week we pass a plate or basket by our main supporters making it easy for them to give. Now however the very tool that brought success is undermining the future financial stability of the church. How could that be? Americans have changed the way they do commerce and fewer carry a checkbook and they have little to no cash upon them. So now rather than the plate making it easy for members to give it is actually harder.
How many checks do you write a month? Most of us only write a few if any. I once had a pastor admit that he only wrote one a month, to his church! Consider these facts…
- Over the past decade, online bill payment has increased 800%
- Paper check usage has declined from 61% of all payments in 2000 to the low 20% mark today.
- 70% of Millennials prefer to give online.
Churches that refuse to offer online giving will see their revenue decline significantly! Studies are showing that the percentage of incomes that Americans give to the church has fallen from 3.11% in 1968 to around 2% today. If the rate of decline continues by 2050 the percentage will be at 1%. Billions of dollars are lost every year!
You must provide online giving AND text giving to see an increase in giving! Check out Charis Giving Solutions and find out how easy it is to set up online and text giving. Go to…
http://charisgivingsolutions.com/
How do you make giving fun? By fun I mean meaningful, purposeful, life changing. People give to that which makes a difference. There is no other institution in the world that has done more than the Church. So, as I tell my clients, get a story, work your story, tell your story and people will give to support your story.
I call it connecting the dots. Show people what their dollars do in terms of building the Kingdom and they will be more apt to give you their hard earned dollars. You want to each week help them connect the dots from how the money they give supports the causes they care about. When I see my gifts are making a difference for the Kingdom and how it even benefits me personally, giving is much more fun.
I help my clients do this every week and it brings results! Do you have anyone helping you? Find out here how you can try my plan for 14 days for only $1 at,
https://thestewardshipcoach.org/2015/06/15/giving-365-introductory-special-14-days-for-1-00/
Let’s get you fully funded for this year!
Mark Brooks The Stewardship Coach