Church Executive MAKE GIVING CLICK: Expert advice for using technol | Page 6

4 underused
funding tools
Many churches rely on regular tithes and offerings to fund programs and projects
in their ministries. However, there are times when a stewardship campaign or
unexpected financial challenges arise.
While Proverbs tells us that, where there is no vision the people parish...
(29:18) Where there is no money the vision parishes, could also be true.
Whether your vision is to build a new building or meet a missions’
commitment, here are four strategies that technology makes available and
simple for you to utilize and keep your vision alive.
#1: Goal
We all have a desire to measure things, and if we contribute, we want
to know how our contribution adds up in the end. Simply showing a goal
meter connects with our inner desire to make the needle move. A goal
amount with a progress bar is a great way to display the progress of your
campaign, and show how a contribution effects the outcome. Because we
like our likes, we check up on our social media posts to see how they are
preforming, a goal indicator tends to cause an invested giver to return to
the cause to check on the progress and potentially give again.
#2: Countdown
One of the best ways to encourage generosity is to create a sense of
urgency. Adding an “expiration date” to your campaign can motivate
people to give because of the fear of missing out (FOMO). Or if the solution
requires immediate need — such as relief supplies to a disaster-stricken
area — a countdown will motivate contributors more quickly. Studies
have proven that a timed campaign is more likely to reach its goal than
one that is not. The countdown timer tells your givers, “Time is running
out, hurry!”
#3: Matching
Help your givers double the effectiveness of their contribution by
having a campaign matcher. If someone is willing to make a considerable
donation to your cause, a matching campaign will inspire givers as they
see their contribution amount doubled or even tripled as they give! This
also creates urgency and scarcity, as the match might only apply up to a
specific amount; after that, the contribution is no longer doubled. This
encourages more people into generosity and can quickly turn a $5,000 gift
into a $10,000 gift.
Finding a matcher is not as hard as you might think. Just as a donor
would like to see his or her $100 gift instantly converted to $200, equally, a
matcher prefers his or her contribution doubled.
#4: Peer-to-Peer
Peer-to-peer fundraising is simply allowing someone else to raise
funds on your behalf. Essentially, someone else is doing the promoting
and footwork as the funds are received by your organization. This is
incredibly helpful for organizations that might want to take individuals
on a mission trip and the individual is required to raise or provide the
funds. The individual has and manages his or her own cause, funds
can be credited toward that individual’s goal. You and the individual
can both monitor progress. This allows you to provide tools to make
fundraising easier for them.
Additionally, the birthday fund is another popular way peer to peer can
be used. Rather than gifts, the birthday boy or girl can request donations to
their cause within your organization.
In the U.S., more than $2 billion is raised annually through online
funding platforms. When you combine these tools with good promotion,
vision casting and social media, you not only cultivate informed
generosity, but your vision to change your community and the world
comes within reach.
Generush allows churches, ministries and other nonprofits leverage
these tools without the high costs of crowd sourcing platforms. In addition
to ongoing giving, such as Tithes & Offerings, all four of these campaign
tools are available with Generush — and many can be combined to create
dynamic opportunities for generosity.
Put a robust suite of giving tools to work for your church or nonprofit.
We look forward to helping you surpassing your goals.
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