It is a good idea for churches to have an online giving platform established for attendees of all ages and stages of life. In addition to enabling a smoother collection process, it's also a great opportunity to introduce digital solutions to more people.
The setup and process to offer online tithing are very affordable and saves money and time for volunteers and staff. With money saved, churches can find themselves in a position of comfort in terms of development and expansion.
Of course, there are folks who are hesitant to make the change. That is why I've put together a list of things to think about when introducing online tithing to your church community.
7 Ways To Increase Online Tithing
1. Text-To-Give
With Text-to-Give, even the folks who aren’t too internet savvy can comfortably donate.
It is a texting medium through which a person can text a specific number with a code and the amount they desire to donate. The amount is then received by the organization/church and is added to the phone bill of the supporter that theory can pay later.
It is a very simple process and doesn’t take much time, making donations quicker than ever!
Looking for ways to increase online giving among all age groups? Check out Text-to-Give, which doesn't require a high level of tech savviness to utilize. Click To Tweet2. Donation Pages That Are Mobile-Friendly
Having a mobile-friendly donation page should be a high priority since there are people who will be trying to tithe online via their phones while they’re at church. At those moments, a lagging site would be the last thing you’d want.
In addition, your church attendees — like everyone else in the world right now — are doing more and more business via mobile phone. Make online tithing a simple addition to that list.
A fully developed page displaying the same format as your church’s entire website is ideal, along with a visible ‘donate’ button. Donation pages are the most-used format for donating, so it’s a worthwhile place to put your team's energy here.
Interesting read: 10 Stats About How Churches Are Faring Regarding Giving 10 Stats About Church Giving
3. Online Fundraiser For Churches
Create momentum and periodically hold an online fundraiser that gets carried forward after the Sunday service. Create a short video and post it on your site as people get to know the directions of donating.
Inform everyone a few days before the service about the fundraiser to ensure maximum online giving.
4. Set Up Recurring Donations
You know the holiday seasons are jampacked with tithing, online or in-person, but what about the other seasons? People are often out-of-town or not attending during the summer months. How does the church make it easy for them to continue their faithful practice of giving? Offer recurring online donations to make it simple and convenient for your church's online givers.
Consider tracking this separately to determine the effectiveness of recurring donation options.
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5. Kiosks
Want to offer online tithing even when people are in attendance at church? Set up a tablet or a PC at a kiosk or table where they could make their donation.
As people arrive or visit with friends, the table is available and serves as a good reminder. Also, the kiosks eliminate the need to handle cash or checks, which makes the accounting team happy.
Make digital giving a visible and comfortable alternative by setting up a kiosk where church attendees can conveniently tithe online while they're at church. Click To Tweet
6. Most Importantly, Have A Strategy
It is very important to have a fixed strategy for online tithing to avoid any confusion. Gather a few key people and make the necessary decisions considering the modes of donation, and what will be the best considering the typical donations for your church. Don't forget to accommodate what you hope to be the maximum online donation, too!
Once you have an idea of how it should work, set up all your pages, platforms, and you’re all set for going online.
Check out: 3 Creative Ways to Encourage Technology Adoption Among Churchgoers
7. Inform Everyone About Your New Procedure
Consider this scenario: Your church has gone digital and would like to encourage more online giving as opposed to cash donating because of the logistics involved. Someone walks up to you between services and tries to hand you a cash contribution. What's your plan? Because let's face it: if you refuse the money you have no idea if that will ever get contributed.
Instead, establish and COMMUNICATE your donation preferences clearly to avoid any confusion. Then, before each Sunday service, announce your parameters or preferences, and clearly state the options.
This is a simple task that makes your work a lot easier than you’d think!
If you want to increase online tithing, make it familiar and convenient. Spend time on Sunday mornings communicating how, when and why digital giving is a great option (and how recurring giving makes it extra easy). Click To Tweet
Will These Methods Increase Your Donations?
Once you set up all these 7 methods for your tithing, I'd be surprised if you didn't see a solid increase in your donations. The collections won’t just be limited to Sunday services, but could be done any time of the day throughout the entire year!
Solutions such as text-to-give services, kiosks, and mobile-friendly pages will function well with a proper strategy, giving online tithing a new direction that is well adapted across the world.
Just a few implementations to establish yourself online and you’re good to go!
