Today’s post is
written by Valerie Russell, Content Specialist for Ministry Brands.
It’s no
surprise that churches are affected by lulls in generosity, spurring a need for
them to find ways to encourage recurring giving. Roughly 86% don’t meet their
annual budget goals. When you boil it down, that means 43 out of 50 churches
aren’t raising enough funds during the year to support their ministries.
So, what are
the other 14% doing differently to meet their goals? It’s easy—they’re offering
a recurring giving option through their online giving platform.
Recurring giving is when someone schedules an online gift that’s automatically deducted from their credit card or bank account on a repeated basis. Givers complete a one-time set up to choose the frequency of the gift (such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly), a dollar amount, and payment method. Switching to an online giving platform can make all the difference for your ministry.
Sounds simple
enough, right? But you may still wonder how this could spark and kindle the
giving spirit at your church. Let’s explore the top ways recurring gifts transform
generosity and engage your congregation.
INCREASE
GIVING (AND GIFT AMOUNTS)
People want to
support your church and watch it grow. But, we’re naturally wired to meet the
specific challenges presented to us, and we don’t explore much beyond that. If
your only option is for people to give once, many will rise to the occasion
without realizing the church’s needs exist far beyond the value of that one
gift.
By providing
your church with information and digital tools to set up recurring gifts, they
give more faithfully. People who set up recurring donations give 42% more
annually AND make additional one-time gifts 75% more often than one-time givers.
Plus, many recurring givers increase the gift amount over time as they
spiritually mature.
IMPROVE
BUDGET FORECASTING
All-sized
churches generally experience an increase in giving during year-end. Then,
things start to slow a bit. Come summer, attendance and giving slip a little
more (and can even become stagnant). Between work, kids’ soccer games, and
travel, giving tends to fall far from being the first thing on people’s minds.
Recurring
giving is the solution to reduce the chance of people forgetting to give and
makes the process of giving more accessible.
Imagine keeping
the summer slump and holiday travel from slowing down your ministry. Rather
than a drop in giving, you still have a stream of gifts coming in—no matter how
many people are in the seats. The consistency means more accurate budget
forecasting and dips in seasonal giving are smoothed out.
Finishing a new
building project or sending your youth group on a mission trip wouldn’t have to
remain on the wish-list until the next big wave of gifts. Those activities are
possible at any time of the year. Simply put, recurring giving is the best way
to keep generosity flowing throughout the entire calendar.
Here’s some
quick math to illustrate how recurring giving leads to more consistent giving
levels:
Your average
churchgoer only attends 37 weeks a year. That leaves 15 weeks they’re not at
service during the offering. If someone in your church gave $50 during every
attended service, they donate $1,850 annually.
If that same
person set up automatic recurring gifts, their annual giving amount would swell
to $2,600. Think about the impact a $750 increase in giving can make for your
church’s vision.
CONNECT WITH
A RANGE OF GIVERS
As a church,
it’s your goal to connect with people from all walks of life and help them grow
spiritually. Some may find recurring contributions seamlessly fit into their
budgets. Others might be running a bit tight and feel like they can’t give
enough to really help your mission. If that’s the case, they may not give at
all and slowly begin to withdraw themselves from their church family.
Recurring
giving is an excellent way to engage all members because it helps them fit
giving into their monthly budgets. It enables them to see that generosity is
possible regardless of the amount they contribute.
Being able to
give anything on a regular basis helps people feel engaged and excited about
participating in your ministry. Though they may not give large amounts now,
offering a small recurring gift fosters a generous spirit that benefits your
church for years to come.
Recurring gifts
provide churches with peace of mind that comes with stable revenue. Having a
group of committed givers strengthens annual campaigns and sustains your church
through lean times. Whatever the size of your congregation, a healthy recurring
giving program will prove to be a beneficial asset for years to come.
Shelby
Systems is committed to helping churches large and small streamline their
giving process. We provide the software and the plan that can help your church
make the leap to digital giving. To find out how, contact one of our Ministry Consultants today.