Do you remember that old phrase, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” When it comes to increasing giving, this is the advice I give my clients. As you approach building out your end of year giving plan, this adage is one to keep in mind.
We are in the midst of a technologically driven information revolution. Gone are the days of three networks on television and one paper in town. Now the world is at the fingertips of Americans with hundreds of television channels, the Internet, and social media. If I want to know what is going on in Hong Kong right now, I can turn to Twitter or Periscope and watch live footage of what is happening.
The irony is that it is harder now to get your message heard with so many various channels of information. Professional fundraisers discovered a few years ago that if they wanted to increase giving, they had to move towards a multi-channeled approach. Churches need to adopt the same strategy for both how we communicate and how we collect donations to support our cause.
Here are a few reasons why you need to think about building out a multi-channel approach.
The message, or vision behind the appeal, determines if you get a response. Your members are bombarded with hundreds of messages every day. Your appeal is competing with the rest of the emails in their inbox. If they don’t hear your message, they won’t know to give to support that need.
“You have to tell a church member seven times seven different ways before he or she will “get it.” That comment was said to me as a pastor years ago when we were starting a capital campaign. It is another way of saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That was good advice then and even better advice now. A multi-channel approach will help you get your message heard.
Church attendance patterns have changed. Back in the day, most if not all active members were in attendance on a typical Sunday. It was easier to communicate with them, and the standard offering plate was all we needed. Now your active members are attending church less often. Our challenge is in how to stay engaged with them.
I advise my clients to use multiple platforms to communicate their message as they know many miss the weekend announcement time. They also work to push members to sign up for automated giving. A robust online giving platform and strategy around that platform are essential keys to meeting this new change in attendance patterns.
The means by which we do commerce in America has changed. I have written about this last week in my post titled “Five Lessons From Black Friday and Cyber Monday.” The upshot is that Americans love options when it comes to how they pay their bills and in how they make purchases. A wise church offers multiple options for giving. Providing numerous options makes it easier for people to give, which in turn increases giving.
Our congregations are getting younger. Younger generations utilize multiple platforms for information and engagement. If you want to engage with them, you need an online presence. If you want them to give to support your work, you must offer the means to give that they most use, online giving.
The above are major reasons for developing and implementing a multi-channel approach to information and giving. Its past time for your strategy to get into the 21st century.
In my view, a robust online giving platform and plan helps a church meet the challenges listed above. My friends at OnlineGiving.org currently offer 12 different methods (tools) of giving, including mobile giving, text giving, and church in-app giving. They can help you set up a multi-channel approach that will better ensure seeing the giving increase.
One final point about being multi-channel, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. The percentage of online giving is increasing yearly, but direct mail appeals still lead the way for non-profits in terms of raising the most money. Your church is similar in that many people still desire to give at church, and some still like to write a check. My clients still use direct mail and envelopes to make sure every member has the means to find out information and to give to support their cause.
What about your church? Are all your eggs in one basket? From how we communicate the message of our appeals to the platforms we provide for our members, all must have a multi-channel approach.
OnlineGiving.org can provide you with a multi-channel online platform that will increase your giving. Contact OnlineGiving.org today at (615) 206-4000 or drop them a line at support@onlinegiving.org.
Fundraisers discovered a few years ago that if they wanted to increase giving, they had to move towards a multi-channeled approach. Churches need to adopt that same strategy. Here are a few reasons why you should build out a multi-channel approach.https://t.co/0S3aBKJnTA pic.twitter.com/IKF0a2qZTs
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) November 21, 2019
