The Digital Giving Strategy

The Essential Tools of a Digital Giving Strategy

Have you mowed your lawn yet? Your answer reveals what part of the country you live in. In the south we don’t put our mowers up until December and then we have to get them back out around March. Have you ever noticed that no matter how good your mower is, unless you use it your grass doesn’t get cut? Simply having a lawnmower doesn’t get your lawn mowed. The same can be said for your power tools and every other tool you own. A tool is worthless unless you use it and use it properly.

In this series of posts, we want to help you with a tool that right now is your number one means of collecting funds, your digital platform. Because even with our great online platform, if you don’t use our tools you will not see near the increase in giving you need.

Online giving has exploded in use!  Consider these facts the accounting firm CapinCrouse recently discovered in a survey of churches.

  • 90% of churches have seen an increase in online giving.
  • 53% of churches that saw an online giving increase saw it increase by over 20%.
  • 57% of churches increased discussion around offerings during online services.

We must realize that we are in a new day that demands new tools and strategy.  That is why we are writing this series entitled, The Digital Giving Strategy. Our goal is to help you arrive at a strategy of how best to use your online giving tools. In this post, we want to outline what we feel are, “The Essential Tools of a Digital Giving Strategy.”

First, let’s list some of the mistakes churches make with their online giving tool.  The most common mistakes churches make are,

  1. No tools. One positive result of COVID19 is nearly every church now has 21st tools for giving.
  2. Not the right tools. If your only online option is PayPal you have the wrong tool.
  3. Not enough tools. Americans love options and we must provide multiple digital options for your members.
  4. Not using the tool. Too many churches before COVID19 had no plans on how to use their digital tool.

Systems and Stories. Our goal at Gyve is to provide you have the best systems in place for increasing generosity. We give you all the tools you need.  At the same time, we are working to provide you with a strategy of how to establish your own Digital Giving Strategy. The best way to increase generosity is by telling the story of generosity. Before you can do that, however, you have to have the essential tools in place for a digital giving strategy.

With that in the back of our minds, let’s start with,

SystemsThe Essential Tools for a Digital Giving Strategy – What systems should you have in place?

  1. Dynamic website. Your website is the first place most people will visit before they ever darken your doors. Studies show you have less than 10 seconds to make an impression before people leave. So, make your website a good one! Think of your website as your base of operations.
  2. Robust online giving platform. People love options and convenience. To increase giving you have to make it quick and easy to use. Make sure you are offering all the platforms people today use, from online, to an app to text giving.
  3. Social Media platform and presence. Like it or not, and sometimes we hate it, Social Media is where many people spend a great bulk of their time. If you are not there you are missing an opportunity to connect with your people and those in your community. Future posts will flesh how to use this tool.
  4. Postage paid envelopes. I know this sounds old school but in fact, this can be a great tool if used properly. Analog giving is still the preferred means of giving for many people.
  5. Extensive database of your donors. A given is to have all your member’s email addresses. Yet you need to also have the ability to break this list down by various subgroups like first-time givers, by consistency, etc. We will be sharing key tips on how to use data through Gyve in future posts.

After you have the essential tools for a Digital Giving Strategy, you must work towards helping people see the need to give to the cause you support, your local church! That is where we will pick up on our next post as we continue this series, The Digital Giving Strategy.

Know how generous your church is today to know how life-changing it can be tomorrow.


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