Now that online worship has become the norm, it's important for houses of worship to have all aspects of their service online, including tithing and donations. Giving is one of the ways that congregants are able to engage with, and stay connected to, their church, synagogue, or worship community.
Since it is impossible for us to sit next to each other and pass around the offering plate, finding a virtual solution to allow online giving is essential.
Our team put together a list of 5 ways to increase your online giving and why you need to have a donate button:
1. Make a 'Donate' button visible during your live stream.
This is one of the easiest ways to start increasing online giving to your house of worship. One of our clients, Bayside Church, generated over a million dollars in donations all by including a donate button along side their live streams during their three day conference. Since you're capturing your audiences attention online, having a contextual donate button is an easy way to generate more giving while making it easy for your congregation.
2. Make it mobile.
Now that you’re moving your services online, people are going to be accessing them from their phones, tablets, iPads, and other mobile devices. For that reason, it’s important you offer your congregants a mobile-friendly experience that makes donating from their phones easy -- whether that is through a donate button on your live stream, on your website, or text-to-donate options.
Our team put together a list of online platforms that you could consider using to allow for text-to-donate options.
3. Have a recurring donation program.
On average, donors who set up a recurring gift donate 42% more annually than those who give a one-time donation. Your house of worship’s website should allow for and encourage recurring gifts by setting up an easy recurring donation. If you already have a physical recurring donation program, moving it online will make the process even easier for both you and your congregants.
4. Tell your congregants where their donations are going.
Your congregants will appreciate your transparency and might even donate more to support causes or charities that speak to them. Let them know what you’re raising money for, whether that is to purchase equipment to fulfill your church’s mission, to support a local food bank, or to provide medical aid for service missions.
5. Create a strong post-donation experience.
This is a simple step to implement that will help you establish a strong connection with your congregation. A simple personalized message to thank them for their donation or a follow up email to show them how their donations have helped in your mission will encourage them to continue to donate.
At LiveControl, we increase our customer's average online donations by 5X by improving their online video quality and implementing ‘Donate’ buttons directly on our video pages.
Interested in growing your online giving? Schedule a free demo with our team here.
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