2. No online giving platform.
Obviously, this point follows the previous point. It is pretty simple—you can’t see a boom in online giving without an online platform.
I hear a multitude of excuses of why churches don’t want or need online giving. All are just that, excuses.
The same people that tell me they would never give online readily admit that they pay many bills online. We need to remember that simply because we don’t use something does not mean everyone else is like us.
3. Poor use of the tool.
I have a shed attached to my house that is filled with lawn care tools. However, none of those tools are worth anything if I don’t get them out and use them properly.
You cannot simply set up online giving and then leave it in the shed. The boom that charities are seeing with online giving is because they had an online giving plan of action that resulted in an increase in online giving!
Like my lawn care tools, for online giving to work for you they must be used properly. Most churches that have an online set up don’t use the tool effectively. This is one reason why the church is missing out on the big boom in online giving.
4. “Anyone can point out what is wrong, tell us what to do!”
I had a client rightly take me to task for pointing out how they were not using social media as a means to raise funds, but not providing them with answers. That frank confrontation might have bruised my ego, but it taught me a lesson.
While offering criticism of how something is not being done, show how it should be done. In that light, let me share with you a real life example of how to use online giving portals to increase giving.
South Biscayne Church uses social media to tell their story AND increase online giving! I have the honor of working with this dynamic church in Florida. They posted a photo on their Facebook page after Sunday’s beach baptism. Notice the line below it that leads to a link to their online giving page:
Your giving goes to #SBClifechange!! Thank you! Click here to support life change now! http://www.southbiscayne.com/#/giving
That is how you motivate people to give!
The really cool thing about the above story of South Biscayne is that this cost them nothing! Social media is free. They simply pointed a camera at a beach baptism and then posted it to Facebook with a link to their giving page.
Guess what? Their online giving is increasing!
So, the moral of this post is, set up online giving and then tell your story linking people to your giving portal, and the chances are you will see a boom in online giving!
