Donor management systems come in many shapes and sizes, and while many serve small ministries well, some can go beyond the call of duty—becoming solutions for denominational headquarters, dioceses, and district offices to streamline and manage each of their offices. Doing so brings everything under one roof.
As you shop for a donor management system solution to revolutionize your ministry, be sure it can grow with you and that it includes the following five crucial components.
A Donor Management System Should Include Receiving Online Donations and Gifts
Online giving has proven highly effectual for non-profits, ministries, and churches. Studies have proven that when giving is available online for churches, donations increase by a whopping 32%. That’s good news for charitable organizations since 45% of monthly giving comes from recurring online donations alone. Of course, online giving is often a mix of regularly donations and one-time gifts. Donors love the convenience, and by providing a clean and trusted online portal, the confidence of givers is boosted.
A Donor Management System Should Include Receiving Pledges
One increasingly popular approach to online giving is the ability to create and track pledges. With a pledge, givers can make up-front commitments to an organization’s mission and fulfill their obligation over time. Non-profits love the ability for donors to make pledges because it helps them forecast, while also providing instant feedback about the giver. If a giver misses a pledged payment, the non-profit’s agent or minister can reach out to the donor with an encouraging word. Follow-up is crucial for making sure pledges are completed, and donors appreciate the personal outreach.
A Donor Management System Should Include Missionary Giving
In addition to supporting a specific non-profit or ministry, donors appreciate the ability to give to specific missionaries easily through online contributions. In turn, the missionaries appreciate knowing exactly what donations are coming in and from whom, as well as the ability to show a parent ministry which accounts are meeting their targets and which still need help.
A Donor Management System Should Include Commemorative Giving
Some people prefer to give in the name of another, whether it’s for a loved one or in the memory of a loved one. By allowing donors to give in the name of another person, each gift becomes not only a blessing to the ministry, but it also becomes a way of honoring others in donors’ lives.
A Donor Management System Places Everything Under One Roof
Since giving goes beyond donations, and includes missionary and commemorative giving, CMS vendors have started bundling these functions into one application. Doing so provides ministries with robust and easy-to-use ways to revolutionize their online giving efforts. Some, like Shelby Financials’ Donors and Gifts application, goes a step further—and this is key.
Unlike their competitors, they scale up, allowing for integration with Shelby Financials accounting software, and they also open ways for headquarters and dioceses to receive and track giving from their offices and perishes. The complex heavy-lifting of streamlining a full organization is left to the application, truly revolutionizing the internal operations of the ministry.
If you would like to see how a donor management system like Shelby Financials’ new Donors and Gifts application can revolutionize your ministry’s financial efforts, click here to learn more or schedule a personalized demo with our team today. We’d love to hear from you!