Faithlife Giving has been serving churches throughout the United States for just over a year and, already, the giving stats we’re seeing are staggering. The biggest lesson coming out of all of it is this: If you’re only collecting gifts on Sunday morning, you’re missing out on a lot of giving for your church.
But that’s not all. Wait until you see the impact recurring giving has on above-and-beyond giving (gifts given outside of a recurring schedule that’s already been set up). (more…)
Fall is here and that means the busyness of the holiday season is about to start. And while the holidays are full of celebration and fun, it can be stressful for church members to find time to plan their generosity for the upcoming new year. [Read more…]
Discipleship and stewardship are terms we hear often in church. But they aren’t often used together. There’s a link between discipleship and stewardship, however, and it’s not one to miss. [Read more…]
It’s no secret that people use mobile devices now more than ever. But here are some mobile usage statistics that may surprise (and shock) you:
Summertime doesn’t have to be a season that stretches your church funds. If you aren’t capitalizing on the ways people use mobile devices, including recurring giving, you’ll probably face the dreaded summer slump every year. Taking advantage of technology could increase giving at your church by thousands of dollars a year.
The generation known for its nomadic, trend-following tendencies is (somewhat) settling down and becoming (slightly) more predictable. Millennials are aging and will make up the largest demographic of the American workforce by 2020.1 According to Forbes, there are 53 million freelancers in the United States. [Read more…]
You’re probably noticing, like the rest of the world, that people are hardly carrying cash or checks anymore. Most transactions are happening from our phones.
That’s why having text-to-give in your church is so important. (Though passing the plate is, too, for those who still use cash and as a visual reminder about giving.)
Maybe this describes you. Research shows that 66% of senior pastors love teaching and preaching, but in small churches especially, pastors have to wear many other hats they are less excited about.
Like financial decision-maker.
Around 20% of the same group said that the church budget is the most stressful part of their job. And chances are, most pastors (not just that 20%) would cut budgeting from their role entirely if they could. Preparing an annual budget can feel like one more thing that’s taking them away from doing what they love to do most––preaching.
But the budget is actually a friend—if you frame it right.
What three mobile apps do your members use most?
A recent survey shows nearly one-third of smartphone users rank their mobile banking app as their most-used app, just after social media and weather. And it’s not just the under-30 crowd that’s managing their money from their phones. Nearly half of adults in the survey are increasingly using mobile banking.1
Here are three tips for making the most of these changes when it comes to helping your members give financially. [Read more…]
I went to a fundraising event recently where I heard the best request for financial support I can remember.
It wasn’t the rhetoric or the moving stories that did it, although both were strong. It was how confidently the nonprofit founder asked.
He wasn’t embarrassed or tentative. He didn’t make jokes about our pocketbooks. He didn’t allude to money as an elephant in the room. (In fact, a few days before the event, he told us all in an email, “I’ll be asking you to make a pledge of financial support for the coming year.”) [Read more…]