end of year giving

If the people in your church don’t know smart ways to handle finances, they have fewer funds available to give. And what extra money they may otherwise have had can easily be gobbled up by forgotten subscription renewals or a mistaken idea of how much they’re spending. Many want to give more, they just don’t have the financial know-how to make it happen.

The holiday season is here, and with it, lots of opportunities for giving. Church attendees are ready and willing to support a campaign, but it's up to the leaders to communicate clearly and inspire participation. Before you write your first appeal email of the giving season, check out these industry tips.

Giving is a big deal, especially this time of year when churches often find themselves in the red, instead of the black. Once Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday have passed, the race is on to encourage generosity and elicit donations from congregations. While trusting God to help close the year in the black is, of course, the goal, most pastors and church staff find themselves "sweating it" if even just a little. The annual State of the Plate survey is quite timely and offers insight into people's giving patterns.

Despite the fact that the Millennial Generation is often pegged a the "me me me" generation, they are not only giving in record numbers,...