Online Giving and the Church
Consider how you interact today with banks and utility companies, Social Security and the IRS. Your state government agencies. Health care and insurance providers. Even your local library.
They all employ online tools, not just because it’s more efficient for them to serve customers this way but because customers prefer using self-serve resources over waiting on hold for someone to pick up the phone. The same conveniences that serve the private and public sectors so well have an important place in the Church today.
The numbers supporting online giving for churches are clear. Fundraising from online giving, grew 9.2% in 2015 compared to 2014.[1] Monthly giving revenue? Up 24% in 2015. [2] Overall online giving revenue? Grew 19% in 2015, even more than the 12% increase of 2014.[3]
Supporting Parishioner Stewardship
ParishSOFT Giving isn’t here to replace traditional methods of giving . . . it’s designed to expand the giving options. If a shred of doubt could remain, consider this: those who give online and offline are more likely to keep giving.[4] In other words, utilizing online and offline campaigns and giving options provide a hefty advantage in engaging givers and stimulating generosity, as many of your parishioners will choose to give both online and offline. Interested in learning more? Sign up to see for yourself in a free demo!
Think of “Joe.” Joe is a faithful giver. Every week he puts $20 in the basket — every week he’s at mass, that is. His average attendance is 37 of 52 weeks per year. Joe WOULD give every week if your parish gave him that opportunity, but is he going to drop make-up envelopes into the offertory? Unlikely. If Joe set up his giving online, that would translate to an extra $300 per year from JUST ONE DONOR. Do the math on that . . . it only takes a small percentage of parishioners to make this totally worth your while!
You have parishioners who manage all their finances electronically. You have parishioners who have never held a checkbook in their hands. If you’re not offering them an online giving option, you are creating obstacles to their giving — you may be making their stewardship decisions for them. Think of it as closing the contribution gap!
A Successful Launch Opens Hearts
Sold on the necessity of an online giving option but daunted at the thought of getting started? ParishSOFT’s comprehensive, customizable Marketing Kit includes everything for a successful ParishSOFT Giving launch or re-launch!
Implementing ParishSOFT Giving doesn’t just increase giving options – it’s an opportunity for engagement. Your church management software has built-in tools to make emailing parishioners easy. Why not start with a simple email campaign introducing (or reintroducing) online giving? Email provides the highest return on investment ($40 raised for every 1$ spent) of any marketing channel and accounts for one third of online fundraising revenue.[5] In addition, this email campaign is a chance to reawaken hearts to the mission of the parish and the Church!
Focus on ministries made possible by parishioner donations. Talk to volunteers and parish ministers – honor their service, and inspire others by including brief descriptions, quotes, or short stories demonstrating the real impact of their work. Connect parishioners with the mission and history of the parish, calling attention to how that mission is lived out today.
Making Our Lives a Gift
Invite parishioners to invest in that missionary call first through the gift of their presence. The desire to share of time, talent and treasure will be a natural response to knowing they are valued members of your parish family. As Pope Francis said, “When we welcome and follow Jesus by means of the Gospel and sacraments, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful; we can learn to love as he loves us and make of our lives a free gift, a sign of his goodness (cf. Misericordiae Vultus, 3).”[6]
Contact us at 866.930.4774 ext. 6, to find out more about how ParishSOFT Giving can support your parish’s mission!
[1] Charitable Giving Report, Blackbaud, February 2016.
[2] Benchmarks Study, M+R, 2016.
[3] Benchmark X, M+R, 2016, www.mrbenchmarks.com.
[4] Online Fundraising Trends, Upleaf, June 6, 2016, www.upleaf.com.
[5] 20 Must-Know Fundraising and Social Media Stats, Nonprofit Tech for Good, September 16, 2015, www.nptechforgood.com.
[6] Missionary Church, Witness of Mercy, Message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2016, May 15, 2016, https://w2.vatican.va.
