Practical Tips to Increase Online Donations for Churches
According to Nonprofits Source, missionary societies, denominations, congregations, and religious media have consistently remained one of the largest recipients of charity in America. However, giving to religious organizations only comprises about 27% of the total charities in America (Giving USA, 2020). To put that into perspective, the number was 58% in the 1980s.
Statistically, it’s not that Americans have become less generous; they’re giving their hard-earned dollars even more than before to a wider variety of nonprofit movements and organizations. Many scholars believe the behavior may be because religion has played less of a role in their lives, and people have stopped relying on religious institutions for emotional, social, or spiritual support over the last few decades as other things are fulfilling those roles in their lives.
Whatever the reason, lack of resources can strangle the ability of churches to meet their needs. Here are some tips to ensure your church’s effectiveness doesn’t cripple due to lack of resources and that you keep receiving the support of your valued members through online giving.
Tip #1: Nail the Virtual Donation Page
Givelify reveals that over 83% of churches have witnessed increased online donations over the last few years. At the same time, most churches have websites with landing pages that are not optimized for smart devices. You risk losing several mobile donors if the church’s website isn’t optimized. One option we use as a website page builder is Elementor. They give your church’s website the resources needed for a mobile-friendly website.
It’s also essential to add the church’s logo and other branding elements to the online donation form to instill confidence in the virtual visitors. When the online donation form creates a look and feel similar to the church’s website, it can help donors feel more comfortable, increasing the number of donations your church receives.
Ensure the donation process involves the fewest possible steps to avoid abandonment. Please resist the temptation to ask the donors to fill our loads of unnecessary data, as it can bog down donors by encouraging them to leave the site without making any donations.
Tip #2: Utilize Text-to-Give Fundraising
Use the revolutionary text-to-give fundraising technology to make the donation simple, mainly if your church hosts regular congregations. It involves donors donating from their smartphones, using the phones’ web browser, or a texting application. The donor can easily donate by sending a specified keyword to a shortcode to donate any amount they wish by adding the specific amount to their phone bill or being redirected to a mobile donation page. It’s much more convenient than cash, checks, or continuous reminders being sent to potential donors.
Tip #3: Create A Seamless App
People rely on smartphones to manage investments and banking, book hotels and taxis, and even pay back money to their friends. Since most people have become familiar with the technology, having a branded mobile app for your church can enable you to offer a seamless, spiritual experience. Since mobile apps are incredibly versatile, you can use them to connect with your members through podcasts, blogs, live recordings of the sermons, event registration, and several other things besides receiving donations. A platform designed for this very thing and recommended by church insurance companies is Subsplash. They have different pricing options depending on the plan you select. Check them out and see if they have an option that works for your church’s needs.
Tip #4: Cyber Insurance Coverage
As your church grows and adds these new and vital technologies, adding a new layer of insurance coverage will become essential. Cyber Insurance coverage is a relatively new insurance product that can help protect your church from cyber liabilities. We have seen an increase in cybercrimes happening around the US. These companies that came under a cyber attack in 2021 range from JBS Foods, ACER, Brenntag, the Colonial Pipeline, and even an insurance company. No common industry was attacked; rather, the companies were randomly picked. While having Cyber insurance coverage will not stop the attack, having insurance can help offset the cost a church may face.
Keep Donors And Donations Protected
Besides regularly updating the donors about how their donations are bringing about positive changes, let them know that the church is taking all the measures to protect their hard-earned money. Contact reliable church insurance agents at a reputable church insurance company, such as Integrity Now Insurance Brokers, and get your church insured.
You can give us a call or email us now to find out about our extensive range of services, including workers’ compensation insurance, house of worship insurance, commercial auto insurance, church property insurance, church liability insurance, and more to safeguard the ministries in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
