The Purposeful Donor: Everything You Need to Know
Leading a congregation in service takes a powerful spiritual vision. This is something church pastors understand and expect in their ministerial careers. Supporting the financial health of the church, however, is often out of their comfort zone. There’s help available through solutions that help you understand the needs of your community and speak to their passions. Knowing donor types is one part of this process. The Purposeful Donor is one such type that you can approach by addressing their unique objectives in church life participation.
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Why Do Churches Need to Think About Donor Engagement?
Many pastors feel uncomfortable talking about money, especially with members of the congregation. Church is a safe place for everyone, and finances are an uneasy issue for folks. The work of the church, however, depends on support. Education programs, missions, even the day-to-day work of the parish depends on having enough funds to keep the lights on.
Fundraising is therefore central to the church’s very existence, and pastors must engage with donors. To do this effectively, it is important to meet donors where they are, on issues that matter to them. This is a bit different for every type of donor — who they are, how they participate in church, and why they give.
Why Is Donor Type So Essential to Engagement?
A donor type is a grouping that offers insight into personal motivation, passions, and preferred ways to serve. A personality test is one way to determine a donor type. This is useful for an individual investigation into a spiritual journey and also helps church leaders to get to know their congregants even better. This then makes it easier to help them to give.
As pastors well know, there are numerous kinds of service. All of these hold high value to the congregation, even if they don’t involve money. There are members of the community, however, who want to tithe or contribute dollars to the church — but in the right way. That’s why pastors do best for their congregation when they engage with members mindful of their giving preferences, motivations, and passions — summed up in their donor type.
Who Is the Purposeful Donor?
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Let’s home in on one donor type: the Purposeful Donor. This is someone who’s motivated by the mission and is passionate about leaving a legacy. This donor wants to leave the world a better place than they found it. They have a dedication to integrity, advocacy, and positive action. These are your church leaders, driven by principles and purpose.
How the Purposeful Donor Supports Your Community
As you might guess from the description, the Purposeful Donor is someone you already know. They are the congregant who’s active in church projects, leading the way for change, and speaking up for those too quiet to speak for themselves. Those inside and outside the community recognize this person as a humanitarian, who puts the cause over and above their own interests.
At the same time, the Purposeful Donor cares about where and how they devote their time. They also think long and hard about how to donate their money. They want to support initiatives that make a lasting impact. This donor is always mindful of the bigger picture and isn’t satisfied with one-off projects that don’t contribute to lasting change.
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Talking with This Donor Type
The purposeful donor is an important anchor in your church community. This is the individual who already knows the basics of why one gives to the church. They are engaged with the church’s vision for a positive, impactful future. Knowing these motivations, church leaders should take a deliberate, measured approach when speaking with this donor type about giving.
Here are a few basic guidelines when engaging with the Purposeful Donor:
Respect their time. Offer them valuable information when they agree to meet with you.
Focus on large projects. The Purposeful Donor tends to make larger contributions, so fill them in on annual goals and home in on the big picture.
Engage with them from the outset. Invite them to learn about ideas for new initiatives and include them in follow-up activities and outreach.
Ensure they can see the positive effects of their gifts. As the Purposeful Donor is driven by impact, make it easy for them to get involved and experience the on-the-ground effects of their gift.
Be prepared for formality. Take the time to prepare a presentation, using PowerPoint or similar technology, for the donor to view. One-on-one conversations are essential, but this donor is a perfectionist. They want to be able to see that the church can execute a plan based on its ideas.
Improving Church Communications Through Donor Identification
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The Purposeful Donor is just one of nine donor types. This framework gives church leaders an essential starting point for streamlining their giving campaigns. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the donor type template helps pastors to communicate with individual congregants in a way that is personally meaningful. This helps church leaders to support members in giving in the way that’s right for them. Everyone is included, and everyone can see the results of their contributions.
How DonorWerx Can Help
DonorWerx is a comprehensive solution that helps church leaders become adept at fundraising, by getting to know their community and learning new strategies for outreach. Our platform includes online coaching, consulting, and technology that makes it easy for church members to contribute. We work with church leaders new to fundraising and those with years of experience, looking to improve their giving campaigns. The people in your church are at the heart of what we do.
Online education, support, and coaching are what sets DonorWerx apart. We work with you to find the best way to communicate with your congregation and increase giving. Learn more about us today!
