ONLINE OPTIONS FOR STEWARDSHIP
During the coronavirus pandemic, churches created new ways of worshipping and being together in community. Many churches also included online options for significant parts of their Annual Giving Campaign. Research shows that giving to charitable organizations increases when online options are offered.
Below are online options your church may already offer. If not, you may wish to consider implementing them:
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Annual Giving Campaign Materials posted online – Even if your church mails its Annual Giving Campaign materials to each household, those materials should also be available online in an easily accessible place on the church website.
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Pledge Form – anyone wishing to pledge to your church should be able to do so online.
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Paying a Pledge – giving tends to increase when payment (partial or full) can be made online and the more options you offer, the more generational reach you’ll tend to have. Consider setting up the below options:
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- Direct Deposit
- Credit Card
- Online services like Venmo, Paypal, Tithe.ly, SecureGive, PushPay, etc.
- QR codes
- Text-to-Pledge
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Social Media
It’s no secret that many of us get our news and information online these days instead of reading a newspaper or tuning into the 6 o’clock news. That includes young people and, likely, many of your parishioners. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, “…around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves.”
Given this knowledge, we encourage you to use social media in support of your Annual Giving Campaign. Social media platforms permit you to communicate timely updates about your campaign–including event logistics and other related information–and interact with your parishioners “in real time”. By making each post visually appealing, you’ll increase the likelihood that parishioners will engage with the content and share among their friends.
