Switching Giving Software? 4 Principles of Change

Every year, Google aggregates the billions of search queries it receives and shows us what was most on our minds for the year. For 2022, the most searched term was Can I change?

Considering all the hoopla around quiet quitting, inflation, the Kardashians, Ukraine, supply chain delays, long Covid and scores of other trending news items and catch phrases, “Can I change…?” is surprising … and encouraging.

If you’re considering a change in your giving system, you may be asking similar questions, like HOW to implement a change. (And maybe a little bit of “How can I SURVIVE a software change?”)

Consider these popular notions about change:

Change is the Only Constant

Sometimes we think we’re maintaining status quo but change is still occurring. For example, you were doing business as usual when the “new normal” took over: Attendance and giving dropped. So it’s important to factor in the cost of lost opportunity when deciding not to take a step that has a known net benefit. Staying with your current system may be costing more than you think.

Here’s an extreme example of the cost of lost opportunity due to ineffective technology, but the point applies: Outdated IT (and specifically scheduling software) has been pinpointed as the culprit for Southwest Airline’s catastrophic cancellation of 16,700 flights during the 2022 Christmas weekend.

Widespread severe weather initially played a role, but other airlines rebounded once conditions approved. Southwest did not. Refunds to travelers who were stranded plus the cost of finally overhauling their systems is estimated to approach $825 million. That doesn’t factor in the lost loyalty that may never be fully regained. Or the cost of replacing lost employees. (Source: CSN) Or the untold cost of lawsuits.

You see where this is going. Southwest’s losses seemed to occur all at once, but there were likely other costs being accrued that tragically peaked in one week. In today’s new normal that took several years to fully form, churches can no longer hope something will change for the better around stewardship and generosity on its own. Action (i.e. proactive change) is needed.

Change is Hard

This is the conventional wisdom about change and, in many ways, it’s true. There’s a lot of emotional letting go involved, along with resistance to the idea for both yourself and others (i.e. change management and facilitating buy-in).

A good bit of this discomfort occurs in the decision-making portion of a transition. With Vision2, the hardest part is over once you and your team commit. That’s when you see that…

Change is Good

We all actually crave change. We want things to improve. We want growth. We want new things. We like change when it’s positive and on our terms.

Vision2 was created to really solve (in unique and innovative ways) the challenges that churches have. The list of benefits is long and includes:

• Bidirectional integration with most ChMS platforms
• A comprehensive, media-rich giving experience that engages givers and results in an average 18% uplift in digital gifts in the first 6 months
• An automated back office that includes reconciliation and a GL report that maps to your accounting solution
• Key analytics dashboards and other tools to help ministry leaders facilitate stewardship growth.
• No monthly fees
• No third-party merchant processor

..and so much more.

With Vision2, Change is Easier Than You Think

Of course, we know the actual switch is something most people dread, but we do everything we can to make it easier:

• A Giving Partner that does the heavy lifting of switching for you.
• An automated process for migrating 95-98% of your gifts, with little to no involvement from your team or your givers
• An agreed upon, detailed plan with no surprises. (Download our onboarding highlights to see what you can expect with Vision2.)

Or reach out to us with your questions.

Related:

Don’t Let a Vendor Keep You From Switching to a Better Solution

4 Reasons to Upgrade Your Giving System Before Deciding on Your New ChMS or Parish Database

Change Isn’t Risky … Being Stagnant Is

We’re Better at Changing Than We Think