5 proven strategies for encouraging church giving

Many pastors and church leaders dread asking people to give to their ministry. But this is often because without a solid vision or strategy, talking about church giving can feel awkward, demanding, or even unbiblical! However, there are proven strategies used by pastors to make talking about giving more exciting and more effective. Here are five simple ways to get started!

1. Focus on the “why” behind church giving

It’s important to realize that not everyone has been taught why charity is important in Christianity. The Bible has over 2,000 scriptures teaching about money, tithing, possessions and giving. Once people realize the role of money in our lives, how to manage their finances, and why they should give, being generous is easy!

Understanding church giving requires understanding the “why” behind the use of money. Why do we need money? What does the Bible say about money? How does good or bad money management affect our lives? Check out some practical ways you can help your congregation better understand the story behind why we give money to the church. 

• Teach about biblical stewardship: Money is more than just a resource to covet or a tool to buy things. The Bible has a lot to say about tithing, as well as how to handle our money and possessions in a way that honors God and blesses our neighbors. 
• Offer financial classes: Coordinate with financial professionals in your church to teach finance classes. You can also use existing resources such as Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University to host classes. Helping your church understand simple money management, create financial plans, and to be free of debt will change the way your congregation views money. 

• Talk about giving in the church more often: Don’t avoid conversations about the importance of supporting your church. Instead, bring up the topic of financial giving to the church in an open and empathetic manner using the techniques found in this article. 

2. Start storytelling

Today Americans are less churched than ever before. This means that many people don’t know the importance of giving in church, which naturally leads them to ask the question, “What do churches do with tithes they receive?”

A simple yet effective way to address this is to share stories showing your church giving back to the community, both locally and around the world. Give real life examples that your congregation will connect with. For example:

• Your church has been supporting an orphanage in Guatemala. Ask your missionaries to gather testimonial videos from the children and orphanage staff. Share these stories of how children’s lives have been forever changed by your congregation’s contributions.
• Your community was hit by a powerful storm that caused widespread damage. In response, your church organized relief efforts, food supplies, and emergency shelter. All of this required a lot of time, energy, and money to coordinate and implement. Thanking your team and volunteers publicly and having them share their testimonies will inspire your congregation. 
• A woman in your congregation needed financial support due to a medical emergency. Your church rallied and raised money to help her, and now she wants to thank everyone for their generosity. Give her the stage and let her share what a difference their giving made in her life!

3. Offer more church giving options

If your church’s giving options are limited to a collection plate, you’re missing out! Not only does adding more giving options increase your overall donations, it also improves the giving experience for your donors! Consider adding these options to your giving toolbelt:

• Online giving: Offering digital giving options such as Subsplash Giving increases donations by an average of 32%. Create engaging giving slides to use during your services that show how to donate through your mobile app, website, and text to give. 
• Non-charitable purchases: Selling tickets to an event, merchandise, or other purchases are great ways to raise money to support your church’s mission. While these are not tax deductible, Subsplash Giving created Payments to allow you to accept non-charitable purchases alongside receiving tax-deductible donations. 
• Online fundraisers: Use today’s technology to run fundraising campaigns online. These can be fun and exciting, like a virtual race fundraiser, or more geared towards a specific age group, like a virtual movie night. These will raise awareness and funds to help the special financial needs facing your church community.

4. Build trust

64% of people need to trust an organization before making a donation. Churches should not assume that people automatically have a high level of trust for them as an organization. Building trust is therefore critical for encouraging tithes and charitable donations. 

For instance, in an effort to prioritize transparency, schedule an end-of-year financial review to share the state of your church’s giving. Present your church’s current financial status, what was accomplished because of the donations received, along with which strategies and campaigns worked and which didn’t do so well. This will showcase your stewardship and financial responsibilities. 

A personal and authentic way to build trust is by providing firsthand opportunities for people to serve alongside your church in the community. For example, allow volunteers to support a church service at a nursing home and spend time talking with the residents. Invite your congregation to help deliver meals to the homeless, hear their stories, and pray with them. These are personal and powerful experiences of helping others in need that reflect the real impact your church is making. 

5. Celebrate your capital campaign achievements

Church capital campaigns are long term initiatives that raise a specific amount of funds that are significantly above and beyond regular tithes and offerings. There are many reasons that your churches hold capital campaigns, such as purchasing a new property, renovating a church facility, paving a new parking lot, or paying off the church’s debt. These campaigns take a lot of personal sacrifice, communication, coordination, and management to be effective.

That’s why it’s important to take time to celebrate your church’s capital campaign accomplishments. Highlight success stories and invite your team to share what was made possible thanks to the generosity of your church. Spread the news on social media, throw a party, and help everyone celebrate! 

Next Steps

The bottom line is that with some effort and creativity, you can make talking about church giving an exciting and engaging topic. Telling stories, offering financial education, building trust, and celebrating victories sets the stage for cheerful giving. 

Download our free ebook, Top 11 Ways to Fuel Your Mission With Subsplash Giving, to learn how Subsplash Giving can help your church increase donations. If you’re interested in learning more about using the best giving platform for your church, [.blog-contact-cta]let’s chat![.blog-contact-cta]