Tools to improve your church's giving

Last week I took the week off from my regular newsletter about ministry and spent my time talking about my daughter’s wedding.  I want to return to the subject of successful year-end giving appeal.   By way of review, here are three foundational points you need to have in place all year long if you are going to have success.

We must constantly communicate our vision: “Why on earth has God put us here?  God has a plan for our congregation.”

We must keep attention on our Mission: “What are we doing about God putting us here at this time?” 

We must constantly build Relationships:  “How are we connecting to our members as givers?”

I want to offer some tools and practices that will help you build the currency of trust that will make your year-end appeal successful.  You cannot implement these just before Halloween and expect them to work like a magic formula.  Nor should you apply these as a façade to your ministry.  These practices must come from the core of your being.

1.     Call every person who gives to say “thank you”.  It doesn’t matter if they give $1 a year or if they are your largest giver.  You need to say thank you.  Talk to them about how they are helping fulfill the mission and vision of the ministry.  It is impossible to over estimate the power of gratitude. 

2.     Send a hand written note annually to your givers.  Have stationary printed that is only used by you and write a personal note to say thank you.  The constant act of saying thank you can have a very positive effect on your psyche.   Again it is impossible to over estimate the power of gratitude. 

3.     Get help from your heavy givers.  Most pastors don’t live in the rarified air of the very wealthy.  So asking for help will make your “thank you” more authentic. 

4.     Consider having a quarterly giving testimony.  People who are mature in the discipline of giving have much to teach to those who are not yet mature. 

5.     Focus on giving as worship.  As I read scripture, specifically Leviticus, I see that worship as giving was a practice that occurred in the context of a broader, worship format.

6.     Make giving easy.  If someone wanted to donate a car, motorcycle, or parcel of land to your ministry would you know how to handle that donation?

7.     A successful year-end giving appeal doesn’t happen by accident.  Begin your planning early. If you would like more detailed information just drop me a note and I will be glad to help you out.  (Charlie@colemanssi.com)

We have all heard of Black Friday, more recently Cyber Monday, and now we have Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday following Thanksgiving).  I believe that the season from Thanksgiving to Christmas can be a fabulous time for Christians to practice extreme generosity, but to be most effective, Giving Tuesday needs to come on the heels of a year of relationship building with our church’s givers.