“My goal in preaching is for you to come back next week and bring a friend.” I once heard a preacher make that comment at a preaching conference. When it comes to #GivingTuesday, my goal is for people to give to your church and then come back next week with another gift. I want to help you use #GivingTuesday as a springboard to building your church’s generosity culture. #GivingTuesday is perfect for this.
What is #GivingTuesdsay?
#GivingTuesday started in 2012 and is a push by non-profits to use the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving to garner financial support for their work. It has been, up to now, a mostly non-profit-driven event. #GivingTuesday this year will be on December 3rd.
Churches have typically not participated in #GivingTuesday. A few years ago, I attempted to get churches I coach to utilize this day as a generous starter. I came up with seven reasons why every church can benefit from #GivingTuesday. Here is my list of why you should consider #GivingTuesday.
1. You give members a unique opportunity to express their generosity as a part of the worldwide #GivingTuesday movement. Last year, Americans donated over $3 billion to charities.
2. It shows the compassionate side of your church.
3. It allows you to show an outward focus.
4. It allows you to connect with your community.
5. It allows your church to model generosity.
6. It gives your church great PR when we desperately need it.
7. It gives you a chance to attract new donors.
After convincing these churches of the value of #GivingTuesday, we have seen thousands of dollars raised by churches across the country. The money raised did immense good, and they gained new donors.
Here are my #GivingTuesday keys to success –
1. Make the offering about a cause outside your church. Don’t make the appeal about making your budget number. Since your donors will get multiple messages from charities about changing the world, your message should do the same. Helping us feed the homeless is more appealing than helping us make our budget.
2. Give all the money away to that cause.
3. Develop a plan of action for #GivingTuesday and work on your plan. The more time you put into #GivingTuesday, the better the results. You can’t decide on Monday, December 2nd, to send an email the next morning. Plan now! Here is a plan of action…
- Decide now what the “ask” will be. What are you asking people to give to? The more compelling the cause or “ask,” the more effective the results.
- Use social media to build a message around that “ask” in the week before #GivingTuesday.
- Make the “ask” on Giving Tuesday through social media, a direct email blast, and text messaging. OnlineGiving.org’s platform is perfect for this!
- Track who gives, especially any gifts from first-time donors. This tells you what type of “ask” resonates with people so that you can include them in another similar “ask.”
- Send thank you notes to every person who gave. We can show you how to strategically use your thank you notes to gain additional gifts!
#GivingTuesday is perfect for attracting new donors to your church. Do you know what else is perfect for #GivingTuesday? Our platform and tools. #GivingTuesday is an online giving movement. To benefit from this movement, you need an online giving platform and the latest tools and tech. OG leads the industry in providing more giving options and engagement tools. To get that first gift, you must engage with potential donors. We have created one of the best engagement platforms to help you gain that first gift. Here is another post that talks about using our platform to keep engaged with donors: https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/we-are-more-than-just
To find out how our platform and tools can help you plan for #GivingTuesday, contact us at (615) 206-4000 or support@onlinegiving.org.
The Stewardship Coach
#GivingTuesday is the perfect time for your church to maximize community impact and, with the right plan, further develop a culture of generosity!https://t.co/0UyzqmtpDF pic.twitter.com/1EaA1B5foB
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) October 24, 2024