People handle money every single day of their lives. People want to be challenged to rise to the occasion. How can people accept a challenge if they don’t even know what it is? It’s the job of the pastor and church leaders to bring up the subject of money. Not as a heavy, obligatory focus, but as part of the everyday conversation about a topic that matters a lot to your people and to your church, and end-of-the-year giving falls into this category. We’ve compiled the top 5 strategies to maximize year end giving for your church:
- Being transparent is not an obligation or burden of proof. It’s an opportunity to develop discussion around money safely and engagingly that gets everyone involved. More often than not, donors have no idea what the needs of the church are, so they limit their giving. When people know the church’s financial needs, opportunities, goals, and progress, it’s a starting point for year-end giving, fundraising, pledges, donations, and the like.
- People prefer to be in control of their personal contributions to church. Provide a place for them to log in (with mobile options) where they can control their giving. This could mean something as simple as viewing giving history. Or more involved like making and fulfilling pledges and managing recurring giving to multiple funds. The more people handle their giving, the more they will give because it becomes their responsibility to “own” their generosity, rather than just to respond to a request
- People should instinctively know that their contributions are moving the ministry forward. For that to happen, they need to get specifics. Year-end giving campaign ideas need word pictures, mental pictures, and actual pictures that help them visualize the gravity of their investment. When people see their obedience and worship to God through giving is making a profound and tangible impact, their desire to be generous will soar to new heights. Tell the story, celebrate the wins, and keep cultivating culture through shared experiences.
- Get more people talking about the impact of previous end-of-year giving campaigns in their own lives. Have various leaders and donors share their experiences with their past generosity and why they continue to give. Create videos to share before beginning service on social media and your website. This brings to life the principle of reaping. What has been sown in the lives of people known to your church body. Most people will say that what they’ve gained in giving has been a gift in and of itself. Lean into that.
- One of the end-of-year giving strategies for keeping ourselves and our members focused on what matters throughout the year is getting our hands in the mix. If you or your staff leadership have been “behind a desk” too long, it’s time to show up. Being on the frontlines of the messiest part of your ministry gives them perspective. It might be the nursery’s diaper station, nursing home service, or youth group pizza night. And, looking ahead to the new year, where do you have the most difficulty recruiting volunteers? Be intentional about serving in those roles at least once a quarter during the year. Besides keeping you connected to the foundations of your church’s impact, those volunteer opportunities are the best way to attract and grow generous donors, especially younger givers.
As you wrap up 2022, pause, pray and center yourself on where God is leading you to make a change in how you steward and transform your congregation. Help them see how they are helping advance God’s Kingdom in small ways each day through their generosity.
As the Financial Planning and Analysis Director, David joined ACS Technologies in September of 2021. He has over 15 years of experience in finance and equity research, financial planning, corporate development, and strategy to drive growth and efficiency. He previously worked for HighRadius, Bristow Group, Clarksons, and CGGVeritas. David enjoys time with his family and participates in various roles at his church.
