6 Fundraising Goals for Your Church
Today, how do you influence current donors to make their children also donors? Your pastors and leaders might struggle with asking people for more donations, especially during a global crisis.
To get better at influencing donors, you must first start with understanding why people give. A study published in The Journal of Consumer Research showed that the biggest givers to charities were the folks with strong moral values.
Psychologists who studied behavioral science also found that there are usually three reasons people give to charities:
- Purely altruistic–when donors donate because they believe in your church’s social good.
- “Impurely” altruistic–when donors donate because it makes them feel good to contribute to the church
- Non-altruistic–when donors donate to show their wealth
Pastors and church leaders must look at the first and second types of donors on this list. They should encourage those feelings of a) belief in the church mission, and b) human feelings of happiness gained because of giving.
To increase your giving revenue and encourage more altruistic donors, it all starts with how you teach and what you teach those potential donors about giving. Following are six goals you can set for yourselves during the digital giving journey.
Teach the donors to encourage their friends to become donors
This speaks to the altruistic nature of your donors. When they understand the church mission and get behind your vision, they will want to share that vision with their friends and colleagues. Encourage them during Bible studies ad services to share the good news of the missions with their friends. Many of your donors will have an influential network and can be seen as thought-leaders among their friends. When they can show their charitable spirit and actions, it could encourage others to give to the church as well. If their friends see the donors value you as a spiritual community, their trust in you will be greater.
Teach their children and next generations to become donors
Donors must tie giving to a sense of identity and purpose. And this is a value that many donors want to instill in their children. The self-confidence that so many parents hope for their children can be achieved when a person is generous. They feel they are influencing a work greater than just themselves and their families.
If parents can teach kids to see generosity as part of who they are, they will grow up looking for ways to sincerely give back to the world. One study found that young children were more likely to help others when teachers and parents identified them as “being a helper.” Teach donors that they can teach children about giving, or simply show by example.
The lesson of the window’s mites that Jesus told is an outstanding example of how to teach kids to give: it is not about the amount of money or donation one has to share; the motivation and reason for giving are what really matters.
Attract more Millennials to donate
It would be wise for church leaders to remember what Anne Donovan, Managing Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says:
“If businesses are not focused on millennials, they are at a competitive disadvantage. There is a clear business case to have these discussions and to change the culture in the workplace to attract and retain millennial talent. Organizations that understand how much millennials matter are going to win”.
Understanding some of the common characteristics associated with Millennials will help pastors know how to approach appeals for giving:
- Technology: Millennials have grown up using digital technology, which means they are more ready to embrace digital giving methods. Use SMS text messaging and Internet platforms to reach them.
- Career preferences: Millennials don’t often stand for bureaucracy. They need solutions to communication barriers. Guide them through open communication, encourage regular feedback and speak to their desire for work-life-spirit-balance.
- Relationships: Millennials are less trusting of others than say, the Baby Boomer generation. They value deeper relationships and mentorship.
- Finances: Millennials want to make sure their finances are in order before investing. But if they can see giving to the church as a great investment in their spiritual growth, they will be some of your strongest supporters.
Humanize fundraising campaigns
Take a look at how you are structuring your fundraising campaigns. Do they speak to the heart of the donor, or do they sound too formal and old-fashioned?
One of the six fundraising goals for your church should be to strengthen your human-nature side. Teach your pastors and church managers to have empathy, and tenderness when approaching a situation.
Remember that Jesus, one of the greatest examples of all, attracted the crowds because he knew how to relate to them. He told human-nature stories. He walked with them, ate with them, he even wept with them. He did not appear as “too lofty” for the common folk.
Try including the following in your church fundraising campaigns:
· compelling character stories
· updated blog post to share thought leadership
· fewer statistics and more visuals (or a combination of both!)
· personal testimonials, vlogs, and podcasts that are more conversational.
Make giving a joyful experience for your donors
Many research studies have found that when people purchase something for someone else, they experience feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Participants in this study, for example, showed evidence for a positive feedback loop between pro-social spending and well-being.
If you focus on making the experience of giving a feel-good one for your donors, the more likely they are to enjoy giving. But how can you put this into practice?
You can do so in the following ways:
· Making giving a choice, rather than an obligation
· Making giving stress free with digital giving apps and easy one-click solutions
· Making giving a community effort, raising awareness through social media and groups of people who already enjoy doing things together and supporting each other
As you influence current donors to make their children also donors, and as you strive for a better giving culture in your church, you may have questions and seek guidance. Call us at DonorWerx for a free consultation or read our blog for tips that will help you on your giving journey.
