Ah, summer.
The time of year when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and church attendance takes a nosedive. It’s no secret that it can be tough for churches to maintain consistent giving and attendance during the summer months. However, there is a way to combat the slump in giving even when attendance is sporadic!
Online giving platforms offer a convenient and accessible option that can help churches optimize their giving strategies and engage with their members, even during the summer slump.
In this blog post, we’re going to explore the top 3 digital giving benefits and our top 5 online giving platforms for you to explore as an option.
3 DIGITAL GIVING BENEFITS FOR CHURCHES
For some, talking about the church and digital or online giving can sound like mixing oil and water. However, hear us out when we say that offering online giving could open up a world of benefits to your church and your congregation.
Here are just 3 of the top reasons why digital giving is a great avenue:
1. Convenience and accessibility
Though we’re sure there are still people who prefer to give in person, digital giving is more convenient for most of your congregation. According to this article, 54% of worldwide donors prefer to give online with a credit card. With the option to donate from a mobile device or computer, they can easily make a contribution whenever they feel inspired to do so or set it up to recur every month.
2. Increased engagement and participation
Second, the convenience of online giving can actually increase donations to your church. In fact, according to this article, churches that accept tithing online increased their overall donation by 32%. By providing the option for recurring donations, you make it easier for your congregation to commit to giving regularly. And when giving is easy, people are more likely to do it!
3. More accurate and efficient tracking
Lastly, digital giving can help your church keep better track of donations and who is donating. Instead of sorting through piles of cash and checks, you can easily monitor contributions and donor information all in one place on one platform. Plus, you can send out donation receipts and thank-you notes with just a few clicks.
Still with us?
Great, the next step is to begin researching online giving platforms that meet your church's needs. Like it or not, we are living in a digital age and the generations coming up are predominantly or exclusively digital. In fact, according to ChurchTrac, more people now give by electronic means than by cash or check. Almost half (49%) of churchgoers give by credit card or other electronic means, while 40% give by cash. That number is only going to continue to grow, so it's becoming essential to consider utilizing a digital giving platform.
However, not every platform is created equal. So take some time to explore all of the options before deciding. We took the liberty to list out a few of the top platforms for you to consider.
5 GIVING PLATFORMS TO CONSIDER
Pushpay, a publicly traded company, provides online giving and donor management solutions for churches of all sizes. In addition, they offer a range of other tools to promote congregational engagement, which are integrated to varying degrees across their services.
Givelify Givelify is a simple online giving platform that specializes in helping non-profits and serves as a cost-effective option to other expensive giving platforms. Donors are required to download the app, locate the church, and donate. However, Givelify is missing some features such as guest giving, donor-covered fees, and ACH payment option for online check payments.
EasyTithe offers a comprehensive online giving platform that includes donor management, various giving options, and reporting tools. Churches have the option to select either a "basic" plan or a "pro" plan that adds ChMS and MinistryOne app. However, EasyTithe requires a monthly fee and their processing rates do not automatically decrease.
Subsplash Giving is an online giving platform that offers a range of features to help churches provide a user-friendly giving experience while keeping the processing rates low. It currently partners with over 16,000 churches and organizations to help spread the gospel. Subsplash Giving is user-friendly, easy to set up, and offers features that enable churches to save money on processing rates. However, there are some limitations in terms of integration and customizations.
Once you decide on the platform that best fits your church's needs, you'll need to communicate the new feature to your members. Depending on your church, they will either be really excited about the new feature or really hesitant. At the end of the day, you know your church best and how you communicate will need to be tailored to your church.
Having the right media to promote the various ways to give across your different touch points is hard. Don't worry, we have all the media content to help support these giving strategies for your ministry. Igniter's has a curated library of generosity collections, giving social graphics, giving service slides, stock photos or videos about giving with the goal of providing variety AND high quality.
Not sure you want to commit to a membership? Start with a 30-day free trial. We offer 3 types of membership PLUS a starter plan for smaller churches that qualify.
Sign-up and see what you could do as an Igniter user.
