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There’s no shortage of pithy sayings and advice about New Year’s resolutions. My favorite, though, is a simple truth that resolutions are not habits.
As we put away the celebrations of a New Year and head into spring, our habits will help shape our impact this year. This blog series will focus on the healthy habits that are most critical for churches to sustain – and grow – their donor engagement.
A robust stewardship program is built on consistent and committed work year-round – each day, each week, each month, and each quarter. So let’s dive in.
Thank you
I’ve said this before in prior blogs, churches tend to do a very poor job of thanking and acknowledging donors. So many faithful tithers and givers never hear a simple personal “thank you” from the church or pastor for their giving. Worse, during special fund drives or campaigns, donors often only hear from the church when their pledge is behind.
Many of our best donors are also philanthropic to other organizations and causes. Those nonprofits typically do a much better thanking donors and appreciating them. If there is one message I wish churches could take from this series, it’s to never take our tithers and donors for granted.
So few of our donors ever get a thank you for their stewardship giving or a personal note from a pastor or staff member. Donors who are thanked – and thanked personally and often – are happier, more engaged and more likely to invest more in the mission.
Good Habits
One of the best habits to develop is to spend a few minutes each day in a posture of acknowledgment. Spend five minutes daily sending a thank you to one of your faithful donors or volunteers. Pray over them and express gratitude to them for what they mean to your ministry.
I know it may be hard to think about a daily habit. But try to make it part of any of your other daily routines. Or do what some of my colleagues do. Just carve out a chunk of time once a week to write thank you notes. Or make thank you calls, or send personal emails of gratitude. If five of your givers hear from you personally each week, imagine the impact that will have a year from now.
It doesn’t have to be super time-consuming. And it can and should involve others on your team (your board, your key staff). Divide out this work and make it a church-wide habit to say thank you each day to those hands and hearts who make things possible.
Next
In the next weeks, we’ll look at healthy habits that will have a major impact on the stewardship program in your church: simple, effective ways to motivate and engage donors in your ministry each day, week, month, and through the year.
Even if you only choose one of these habits to implement, I’m confident it will change how your givers feel about the church and their investment in it.
Better Donor Engagement through Four Habits
You can grow your church’s giving program through four simple habits. A small investment of a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly habit will cultivate your members’ generosity. These habits help demonstrate to them how giving to the church changes lives.
In this article, learn the four key habits that will put your stewardship program on a healthy course.
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Tim has over 30 years of experience in Church, Non-Profit Administration, Management, and Fund Development. Serving as an Executive Pastor and Chief Development Officer in growing Churches and Non-Profit Organizations. He has provided a wide range of expertise and resources. Tim serves as the Founder and CEO of Non-Profit DNA. A boutique firm committed to helping nonprofits and churches. By building their capacity through fundraising, leadership, team building, staff recruiting, and coaching.
