Course 1 – Donor Personalities

Personalities

COURSE 1

Donor Personalities

Donors are People

Donors are People

Donors are People

It’s people who fuel your mission forward, donor-centric churches are obsessed with keeping those who lead the charge informed and empowered.

Discovering what your donors support, when/how they give, and why they are passionate about specific causes is paramount in building stronger relationships with your donors.

The importance of targeting YOUR right audience

The importance of targeting YOUR right audience

The importance of targeting YOUR right audience

  • Who specifically are you trying to reach? (Demographic info, giving history, etc)
  • What info do you have/need to be confident that this audience has any interest in a specific campaign?
  • Why would they care?
  • What is their preferred method of communication?

Who are your donors worksheet

Who are your donors worksheet

Who are your donors worksheet

  • Average age
  • Average number of months or years they have been with your church
  • Percentage who have volunteered for one of your outreach events.
  • Preferred method of communication
  • In your opinion, what drives them to your congregation and your mission

The five types of donors and potential donors

The five types of donors and potential donors

The five types of donors and potential donors

Non-Donors

  • These are people who, well, haven’t given to your church yet (at least not using a method where you can track it).
  • To move them into the First-Time donor step, they’ll need a compelling reason to give. They need to know “why” they should give.
  • Use a minimal ask such as an inspiring call to action like donating towards providing backpacks with school supplies for low-income children or shoes for those in need.

First-Time Donors

  • This group has given to the church, but just once.
  • To move them to becoming at least Sporadic donors, don’t forget to show appreciation for the time they DID give. Make sure they know that their gift made an impact. Send a thank you email that tells how many backpacks the church gave out as a result of the money raised. Include a video in the email showing all the shoes the church handed out.

Sporadic Donors

  • They’re giving to the church occasionally, but it’s definitely not predictable.
  • Invite those in this group to automate their giving.
  • Continue to show your appreciation for their financial donations.

Recurring Donors

  • These are folks who’ve either set up recurring giving or who’re faithful to put a check in the offering each week, month, or some set schedule.
  • To move this group from Recurring to becoming Impact donors, send out an email with a message such as, “Because of your faithful generosity, we’re able to continue to do (examples here). We ask you to consider donating also to (insert big church project here such as a building fund, etc.).” The idea here is to first help them understand how their faithful giving supports the day-to-day work of the church. Then, you need to ask them to move to the next level and give towards a large effort the church has coming up.

Impact Donors

  • This group donates to special church projects or funds in addition to regular tithes.
  • The next thing this group is looking for is to leave a legacy.
  • To provide an opportunity for Impact donors to become Legacy donors, you’ll want to talk with them one-on-one. Ask how they’d like to invest in the church in the long-run. What programs or projects are they passionate about seeing thrive. At the right moment, ask whether they’ve done any estate planning. Let them know about various options to leave a legacy donation behind that will impact others long after they’ve graduated into Heaven.

Giving Metrics

Giving Metrics

Giving Metrics

Giving Dollars per Adult (GPA) = General Fund Budget / (YTD Attendance - YTD Kids)...then divide by 52. Let’s define our giving metric segments:

  • Bottom 10% = $25 or less
  • Low Average = $25-$39
  • Average = $39-$47
  • Above Average = $47-$67
  • Top 10% = $67+

Calculate your giving Metrics: Pull data from your ChMS

Calculate your giving Metrics: Pull data from your ChMS

Calculate your giving Metrics: Pull data from your ChMS

  • First Time Givers
  • Repeat Givers
  • Percentage Digital
  • Percentage Recurring
  • Calculate Donor Retention = Total # of Returning Donors (current year) / Total # of Prior Year Donors (prior year) x 100
  • Your Giving Cycles
  • Your Current Congregation Engagement
  • Potential Donors / Existing Donors

Course Content