Pledge campaigns have been a staple of church giving for decades.
Pledge campaigns give your congregation an easy way to contribute financially to your church, whether it’s as part of your annual tithing process or you have a special project that needs to be funded. Your members will know exactly what they’re committing to and can balance their pledges with their financial obligations.
Pledge campaigns seem straightforward, but tracking and managing them in the digital age presents new challenges and considerations.
Millennials (born 1981-1996) have seen a huge jump in church attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic and have quickly become one of the largest generations attending church regularly (Carey Nieuwhof).
Both Millennials and Generation Z (born 1997-2010) are defined by their embrace of technology to simplify their lives.
Whether you’ve done 1,000 pledge campaigns or this is your very first one, Realm can help you connect with your members in every generation and help you run a successful campaign equipped to support the needs of a modern congregation.
1) Offer Online Pledge Cards
One of the key features of a pledge campaign is asking your congregants to fill out pledge cards.
These cards ask each member to specify the amount they’re committing to give throughout the process.
While tradition says these cards should be completed with pen and paper, younger generations long for the convenience and accessibility technology offers.
Realm allows you to create online pledge cards for those seeking tech options. Those who prefer traditional methods can still complete their cards that way, and you can add their commitments into Realm so you can see every pledge in a single location.
If you’ve struggled to engage the younger generations in your previous pledge campaigns, giving them the ability to use the technology they’re already accustomed to will help remove the barriers to giving.
Offering tools that simplify things will allow you to see an entirely new demographic of believers participate in and support your ministry.
2) Allow Members to Schedule Recurring Gifts
One of the biggest obstacles to seeing the successful completion of a pledge campaign is how easy it is to fall off track.
Even the most well-intentioned givers forget to give one month or simply stop contributing to their pledge completely if it becomes a hassle to keep up with.
With Realm’s online giving options, your members can schedule recurring gifts and designate them for your pledge campaign, simplifying their commitment and removing it from their to-do lists.
They’ll know that each contribution they’ve committed to making will go through, and they can breathe easy knowing they’ve fulfilled their pledge.
Adding the option of recurring gifts doesn’t remove the ability to give personally with cash or check or to give online, one contribution at a time. Those who prefer to give in those ways will still be able to, but allowing recurring giving makes it easy for those busy members who long to participate but can’t add another thing to their long list of obligations.
3) Automatically Post to Your General Ledger
A huge benefit of embracing technology is saving your members time and effort while making it easy for them to fulfill their pledges; simplifying your workload is an even bigger plus.
With so many tasks, running your pledge campaigns smoothly and efficiently is a must.
Using an integrated solution like Realm, which allows contributions to be automatically posted, means you don’t have to do anything.You won’t have to worry about manually entering every gift or stress about ensuring the numbers match, and all of the gifts designated for your pledge campaign will appear together, allowing you to easily track your campaign’s progress.
4) Manage True Fund Accounting
Fund accounting is an essential part of managing the finances for your ministry.
You must ensure that each dollar that passes through your doors is accounted for and used as the giver intended.
Realm gives you every tool you need for true fund accounting. You can easily track and manage your chart of accounts with customizable headings and subheadings and even specify how each account will be used.
Your pledge campaigns will be easy to follow, and you’ll be able to ensure that each contribution is accurate and will be used for its intended purpose.
5) Access Each Member’s Full Giving History
As we mentioned earlier, unfulfilled commitments are one of the largest obstacles to the success of a pledge campaign.
Your congregants make their pledges with the best intentions, but things come up and life happens.
With Realm, you can easily see each member’s full giving history to know exactly who is on track with their pledges and who you need to follow up with.
You’ll also be able to plan better for your next campaign because you’ll see how your current campaign went at a glance. You’ll be able to see when your members gave, how quickly you reached your goals, and the giving methods that were the most effective for engaging your congregants.
6) Custom Thank-You Notes
Your members will not participate in a project if they feel no one cares that they’re helping.
At the end of your campaign, you need to acknowledge your members’ support and efforts and remind them that none of the work your church does would be possible without them.
Through Realm, you can customize thank-you notes to send to your donors to recognize their contributions.
A simple note of thanks goes a long way in encouraging your congregation to continue to support your ministry and will increase the odds of having them participate in future funding projects.
Technology is meant to make life easier, but only if you choose the right solution. Realm has everything you need to make your next pledge campaign the best yet!
ACS Technologies
ACS Technologies sets a new standard in church technology, offering a holistic suite of solutions that streamline administrative tasks and empower your staff to excel in their roles and your church to excel in your community.
In the ever-evolving landscape of church engagement and management, ACS Technologies rises above the rest. Our comprehensive church solutions, bespoke digital offerings, streamlined communication tools, comprehensive ministry consulting, and training make us the trusted choice for over fifty thousand churches. Experience the ACS Technologies advantage and elevate your church’s online presence, connectivity, and generosity today. Join us in redefining church technology for the digital age, where your ministry’s success becomes our shared mission.
