Ministries of all sizes can benefit from organizinggenerosity campaigns. After all, generosity campaigns are an essentialcomponent for increasing giving and enabling your parish’s mission. But, theydon’t just happen out of thin air. To ensure success, it takes a lot of hardwork and planning – and it’s never too early to get started.
In fact, 38% of faith-based organizations and non-profitsbegin planning generosity campaigns 2-3 months in advance. While this is plentyof time to refine your giving strategy and see significant results, image ifyou got a jump even sooner! To maximize giving and further your mission, hereare a few reasons why it’s never too early to plan your next generositycampaign.
Generate Buzz Sooner Rather Than Later
Getting the word out about generosity campaigns can be achallenge. But, the earlier you start the planning process, the faster you cangenerate buzz about it. Don’t wait until the generosity campaign is in fullswing to let people know it’s on the calendar, or it could slip right by them.There are a lot of opportunities to share the details of the giving campaignfrom casual conversions to social media posts to email reminders. And don’tforget to tell people to visit the parish’s website for campaign updates andfinal results, as well as to see information regarding your next generositycampaign!
Thoughtfully Organize Your Calendar
For some, planning 6 months to a year out seemsunnecessary, but by setting aside a just a couple of hours each week, you cantruly think through your campaign strategies and keep your calendar organized.
Begin by viewing the year as a whole and clearly markevery annual generosity campaign and special event. Once those are marked, takea moment to get a visual look at how your year is going to flow. This helps yougain a better understanding of where the busy weeks fall, as well as large gapsthat can be filled.
Now, you can thoughtfully fill the gaps in your calendarwith generosity campaigns and fundraising events rather than throwing them inthere last-minute. And if an instance occurs such a natural disaster in yourcommunity, an organized calendar gives you the ability to seamlesslyincorporate your campaign strategy.
Minimize Uncertainties (and Maximize Giving!)
With any generosity campaign, there are going to beuncertainties. Advanced planning is an excellent remedy to minimize these andanticipate issues before they even occur. It’s much easier to identify areasthat need more support and prepare for an unexpected turn of events when you’vemindfully planned for months, if not a year ahead of time.
Perhaps you’ve decided to incorporate giving kiosks inthe parish’s welcome center for the next generosity campaign. If your ministryhas never used these before, you can include them a little early. This allows theparish administrator, volunteers and givers to familiarize themselves withgiving kiosks and test them out to make the most of them. Then, when you launchthe generosity campaign, you and your church family will be confident with theonline giving tool, and ready to maximize giving!
Wherever you are in planning your nextgenerosity campaign, ParishSOFT can help! Contact us to learn more about ouronline giving tools and gain access to our helpful resources. 866-930-4774 x6or email parishsoftsales@parishsoft.com today!