In today’s 21st-century church, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket if you want to be fully funded. When I started in the ministry, there was essentially only one way and one time you could give. You had to attend a worship service and be prepared to write a check or put cash in some type of collection device passed during the service.
Now, if your church is going to be fully funded in the future, you must keep up-to-date with the changing purchasing habits of your target audience. A new study by Dunham+Company found that online giving continues to grow in popularity. 65% of donors indicated they’d given this way, compared to 59% a year ago.1. The study also found the following,
- 89% of Gen Z and 71% of Millennials say they’ve given online, up from 57% and 64% a year ago.
- 40% of donors say they used their phone to give a gift, up from 34% in 2022.
- The younger the generation, the more likely they would have given online. 68% of Gen Z, 47% of Millennials, 38% of Gen X, and 30% of Boomers give via smartphone or tablet.
At the same time, the study found that traditional means of giving have not disappeared but have morphed into online giving as a preferred means of donation. Consider these facts from the study,
- Email effectiveness dropped from 27% in 2021 to 20% in 2023. However, that is still a significant percentage that must be considered.
- Social media donations have dropped from 27 percent to 16 percent in effectiveness in 2023 but still represent a significant slice of donors' preferences.
- 85% of donors say they respond to a direct mail fundraising letter, up from 82% last year.
- 88% of Millennials respond to direct mail.
- The number one way donors prefer to contribute financially in response to direct mail is by using the charity’s website.
What should church leaders make of this? Here are a few observations based on this new study's findings.
First, this study confirms earlier studies, showing the quickly changing giving landscape for donations. We are in a technological revolution that is changing everything, including how we do commerce. The changing ways of commerce have changed how churches receive their offerings. This study also shows how generational views and preferences impact giving. The bottom line is that we are in a period of transition that requires more than one approach for collecting our offerings.
Based on the study's findings, this leads to my next observation: churches must provide multiple ways for people to give. This reinforces what previous studies have found about donors' desires and habits. As you can see from the above statistics, donors can’t be herded into a one-size-fits-all category. This is a major reason why OnlineGiving.org provides more than a dozen ways for people to give. From Crypto to old-school check writing, our platform has you covered.
My other observation is that multiple ways of giving require multiple ways of communicating. You must have an online donation processing partner that understands this and provides a platform to easily communicate with your church donor base. At the same time, you need your giving platform to integrate seamlessly with your ChMs. OnlineGiving.org meets all of these requirements.
Here is a good post that shares more about how our tools can help you better communicate with your members and donors: https://www.onlinegiving.org/support/living-in-cellphone-america
Here is a final observation: With the fast-paced change of commerce, your church must stay up to date. With all the other ministry issues you face daily, who has time for that? We do! Here is what one of our church partners said about our platform: “Every time I visit the site and look over the dashboard, I see new things. I see improvements, new features, better reporting, etc.” We know the importance of staying technologically up-to-date. We also know how important it is to understand how to utilize these 21st-century tools for giving. We provide step-by-step guidance and the best customer service in our industry. Can you say that about your digital giving provider? If not, it is time for a change.
OnlineGiving.org can provide you with a multi-channel giving platform to increase your giving. We would love to show you our platform and how it can help your church see increased giving. Contact OnlineGiving.org today at (615) 206-4000 or drop us a line at support@onlinegiving.org.
The Stewardship Coach
Recent studies highlight the quickly changing landscape of church giving. The technological revolution has changed how we do commerce and, in turn, how churches receive their offerings. Let's explore how generational views and preferences impact giving.https://t.co/iFXlvXzauM pic.twitter.com/0fd4nTAuBg
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) April 29, 2024
1. https://www.dunhamandcompany.com/fundraising-research/donor-behavior-amidst-economic-uncertainty/
